Medical Office Procedures Ii

Front 1

The term for income, or money, owed to the business (think "able to received")

Back 1

Accounts receivable

Front 2

The term for money owed by the business (in this case, "able to be paid")

Back 2

Accounts payable

Front 3

What are two reasons why billing and collections are vitally important tasks?

Back 3

They convert the practice's accounts receivable into income or cash flow, from which the accounts payable can be paid

Front 4

What is 2 good things about patient payment?

Back 4

Immediate patient payment not only brings income into the practice faster

It saves the cost of preparing and mailing statements(patient bills) and collection of past-due accounts

Front 5

"Payment is requested when services are.....unless other arrangements are made in advance."

Back 5

rendered

Front 6

What can be done if the patient can't pay due charges?

Back 6

It may be the responsibility of the MA to bill for the physician's services and possibly to extend credit utilizing payment plans for larger patient-due balances

Front 7

Accepting Patient Payment

Count money carefully

Record payment

Give patient a receipt

Back 7

Cash payment

Front 8

Accepting Patient Payment

Check ID

Check date and amount

Endorse it immediately

(Some offices have own stamp to provide name/address)

Back 8

Check payment

Front 9

Accepting Patient Payment

Immediate transfer of funds

Processed like a credit card;

Advantage=insufficient funds in account then transaction will be refused and other arrangements can be made immediately

Back 9

Debit card payment

Front 10

Accepting Patient Payment

What are two valuable points about credit cards?

Back 10

It offers advantages for both the practice and the patient. It provides prompt payment from the credit card company-increases cash flow

It also reduces the amount of time and money spent on preparing and mailing statements, thus decreasing expenses

Front 11

What is a major disadvantage for using credit cards?

Back 11

Cost; The credit card company deducts a percentage of each transaction for its collection service usually between 1 % and 5%

Front 12

Do not set higher fees for patients who pay by credit card

Do not encourage patients to use credit cards for payment

Do not advertise outside the office that the practice accepts credit cards

Back 12

Several guidelines suggested by AMA if the practice accepts credit card payments

Front 13

The person with financial responsibility for the patient/ or person who "guarantees payment"

Back 13

guarantor

Front 14

How should you handle payments for elderly patients/ patients with disabilities?

Back 14

If the patient has been found to be incompetent, you should request proof of legal guardianship(keeping a copy in the patient's financial file) prior to sending a bill to the guardian

Front 15

A doctor may treat some patients free of charge/just for the amount covered by the insurance

Back 15

professional courtesy

Front 16

What are some items that a patient billing statement should list?

Back 16

Practice name, address, telephone number

Patient's name and address

Guarantor's name(if different frm patient)

Balance(if any) frm previous months

Itemized list of services, charges by date for current month

Front 17

If the office wishes to produce ......statements, a template can be made on the computer; each procedure should be listed using abbreviations such as OV(office visit)

Back 17

manual

Front 18

A common alternative to typing up statements, especially in smaller, noncomputerized offices, is the photocopy the ........ ...........card and fold the photocopy so that the patient's address shows through the window in a window envelope

Back 18

patient's ledger

Front 19

What are two other billing procedures that an office can use?

Back 19

Computer generated statements

Using an independent billing service

Front 20

Many paper-based practices still use the ......(encounter form), which lists the charges and procedure codes (CPT) for services rendered on that day, including appropriate dx and codes (ICD)

Back 20

Superbill

Front 21

Standard Collection Procedures

A state law that sets a time limit on when a collection suit on past-due account can be legally filed

Back 21

statute of limitations

Front 22

Standard Collection Procedures

An account that is left open to charges that are made on an intermittent basis

Back 22

Open-book account

Front 23

Standard Collection Procedures

The physician and patient sign an agreement regarding the treatment and the payment agreement; some states allow longer time limits for these accounts(regulated by Truth in Lending Act)

Back 23

Written-contract account

Front 24

Standard Collection Procedures

An account consisting of only one charge is referred to as..

Back 24

Single-entry account

Front 25

Using Collection Techniques

When calling a patient( or sending a letter) about collections, be friendly and sympathetic; call at home unless permission to call at work- first phone call occur after 30-45 days of non payment

Back 25

Initial Telephone calls

Front 26

Using Collection Techniques

Once an account is 60 days past due, send an initial letter of inquiry; usually list letter still has a friendly "we want to help tone" giving the patient options but makes it clear that the patient must take some sort of action

Back 26

Follow-up Statements and Collection Letters

Front 27

Using Collection Techniques

Process of classifying and reviewing pastdue accounts by age from the first date of billing

Back 27

Age analysis

Front 28

Governs collection of unpaid debts

Guidelines:

~Do not call before 8am or after 9pm

~Do not make threats or use profane language

~Do not discuss patient's debt with anyone else

~Do not use any form of deception/violence when collecting a debt

Back 28

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1977

Front 29

Protects against telemarketing

Prohibits

~Automated dialing to certain numbers

~Prerecorded calls to homes

~Unsolicited advertising via fax

Back 29

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Front 30

If in-house collection efforts do not result in payment, the practice may with to select a .........to manage the account

Back 30

collection agency

Front 31

What examples of information must be given to the agency regarding a patient's account?

Back 31

Full name of patient and the last known address

Occupation and business name/address

Name of spouse if any

Total amount of debt

Date of last activity on the account

Description of actions taken to collect the debt

Responses received to collection attempts

Front 32

Once an account has been turned over to the collection agency, all ......between the patient and the office concerning the ....must cease

Back 32

communication; debt

Front 33

By extending ....., the doctor gives the patient time to pay for services, which are provided on trust

Back 33

credit

Front 34

If the doctor decided to extend credit, what are the two common arrangements that can be made?

Back 34

Unilateral & mutual agreement

Front 35

If the patient offers to pay the debt over a period of months, and the physician agrees, the patient will be billed every month for the full amount owed and should make whatever payment is possible each month; not subject to Truth in Lending Act

Back 35

Unilateral agreement

Front 36

The patient and physician might agree that the patient will be billed for the full amount owed each month and will pay a minimum amount each month; subject to Truth in Lending Act

Back 36

Mutual agreement

Front 37

This act comes under the Consumer Credit Protection Act; credit agreements of more than four payments

Back 37

Truth in Lending Act

Front 38

What are the two requirements for a disclosure statement?

Back 38

1. The agreement must be discussed w/ the patient & both parties must agree on payment terms

2. The physician & patient must sign document to indicate mutual agreement on written terms

Front 39

What is cycle billing?

Back 39

System in which each patient is billed only once a month but groups of patients are billed every few days; spreads the work of billing over the month

Front 40

True/False

An open-book account consists of only one charge.

Back 40

False; A single entry

Front 41

True/False

A written-contract account is regulated by the Truth in Lending Act.

Back 41

True

Front 42

True/False

A single-entry account might be used for a person who will not become a regular patient.

Back 42

True

Front 43

True/False

The statute of limitations sets an amount limit on when an account can be filed as past due.

Back 43

False; time

Front 44

True/ False

An age analysis is a process for reviewing past-due accounts by age from the first date of billing.

Back 44

True

Front 45

What law governs the methods that can be used to collect unpaid debts?

Back 45

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1977

Front 46

Credit cannot be denied based on sex, race, religion, etc

Back 46

Equal Credit Opportunity Act

Front 47

Provides a credit history

Back 47

Credit bureau

Front 48

Not regulated by the Truth in Lending Act

Back 48

Unilateral agreement

Front 49

Bilateral agreement between the patient and physician

Back 49

Mutual agreement

Front 50

Covers credit agreements of more than four payments

Back 50

Truth in Lending Act

Front 51

Description of agreed terms of payment

Back 51

Disclosure statement

Front 52

Type of collection problem

A patient who moves w/o leaving a forwarding address to which the office can sent a statement of unpaid charges

Back 52

Skip

Front 53

"Remember that credit is money."

Back 53

Benjamin Franklin