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Our
members are from the following hospitals:
Asante Health System
Bay Area Hospital
Lower Umpqua Hospital
Mid Columbia Medical Center
Oregon Health & Sciences University
Prosser Memorial Hospital
Providence Health & Services
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Providence Willamette Falls Hospital
Samaritan Health Service
Southern Coos Hospital
Skagit Valley Hospital
Vibra Specialty Hospital
Whidbey General Hospital
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History 2010
Point of Service Collections-
Discussion and Solutions
What barriers/obstacles do you face that
prevent you from collecting at point of service?
OBSTACLE 1 : THERE IS A
NEED TO CONVINCE ACCESS SERVICES STAFF TO
DOCUMENT AND COLLECT COPAYS CONSISTENTLY.
SOLUTIONS OFFERED:
1. Set & enforce expectations: Job-related
functionality & compensation
… Or else!
Educate staff (How, Why, When)
Make this part of the workflow.
Scripting
Copay letter as a back-up plan when
unable to collect at point of service
Make it part of their job description,
competency, annual evaluation
Tie to staff performance evals
Secret shoppers to check on key points
instead of exact scripting
Accountability with goal or requirement
for evaluation process
2. Make it part of the financial aid
process
Educate staff on alternative payments
for uninsured.
Bookmark or brochure for self-pay
patient
3. Encourage competition
Group recognition for being a top
collector
4. Utilize Technology
Reports to show what was
not
collected. Provide these reports to
Access, clinical and executive leadership to
advocate a change.
Program prompting
5. Advocate from the Patient Perspective
Overall patient experience doesn’t end
at discharge
Advocate for the patient- identifying
payment options or Financial assistance
Education regarding documenting the
positive impact to the patient
Advocate on the patient’s behalf
learn
their financial story and help with the
potential assistance/prompt payment
discounts, payment plans, etc.
6. Advocate from the Business office
perspective
Knowledge of billing process
Education from the business office
- Knowledge on how the insurance company
will pay
- The cost of not collecting it
7. Solicit Executive Leadership support
Engage Top Level management support
Communication plan to change the
culture.
WHAT IF …
What if we had unlimited funds, influence,
resources to solicit change, what would we do to
help convince Access Services staff to document
and collect copays consistently?
Discharge planners with a great
discharge area to collect copays
Concierge for each patient- from pre-reg
to registration to discharge
Discharge area- unable to leave until
they pay
Insurance cards will have copays and
deductibles
Remodel building to have only one way
out with a discharge desk and financial
counselor with lots of staff
A price estimator for all ED patients
Get a % of the amount collected
OBSTACLE 2 : THERE IS A
NEED TO CONVINCE CLINICAL STAFF TO COPERATE WITH
ACCESS SERVICES STAFF ON POINT OF SERVICE
COLLECTIONS.
SOLUTIONS OFFERRED:
1. Advocate on the patient’s behalf.
This is part of patient care as well.
Encourage clinical staff we are
advocating for the patient
Explain the reasons for point of service
from the patient perspective
learn
their financial story to advocate for the
patient
2. Advocate from a monetary perspective.
Employees might not get paid themselves
if no money to collect
3. Advocate team ownership of issue
Education of clinical staff for reasons
we need to collect
We are all on the same team
Involve staff who will be collecting as
well as the clinical staff
Develop collaborative relationships with
clinical and access services staff
Develop activities so they can
experience our challenges (walk in my shoes)
4. Engage executive and/or clinical
leadership support
Make it part of the clinical staff job
description (and hold them accountable)
Employee forums- everyone involved,
including executive teams.
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