Optometric Billing-Copays, Co-insurances and Deductibles-To Collect or Not Collect ?

Thanks to our friends at EyeCOR The answer to this question is simple. View below

There you have it, COLLECT CO-PAYS, CO-INSURANCES AND DEDUCTIBLES FROM EVERY PATIENT THAT FALLS INTO THESE CATEGORIES...OR ELSE! (You are not responsible if you bill the patient and the patient doesn't pay, you just have to prove that you billed them!)

Click here to contact opticXpress and we will take care of this for you...then you will never have to worry about a problem like this :)

Optometric Billing-Affordable Care Act (Obama Care), Letter From President Obama

I got this letter from the President of The United States earlier today, I just wanted to share it with everyone.

"Hello everyone,

Last night, the first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act came to an end.

And this afternoon, we announced that 7.1 million Americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through the new Health Insurance Marketplaces.

7.1 million.

That doesn't count the more than 3 million young adults who have gained insurance under this law by staying on their families' plans. It doesn't count the millions more who have gotten covered through the expansion of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. It doesn't include the more than 100 million folks who now have better care -- who are receiving additional benefits, like mammograms and contraceptive care, at no extra cost.

Now, millions of our fellow Americans have the comfort and peace of mind that comes with knowing they're no longer leaving their health and well-being to chance. For many of them, quality health insurance wasn't an option until this year -- maybe because they couldn't afford it, or because a pre-existing condition kept them locked out of a discriminatory system.

Today, that's changed. And while our long-broken health care system may not be completely fixed, it's without question a lot better. That's something to be proud of -- and there's no good reason to go back.

Regardless of your politics, or your feelings about the Affordable Care Act, millions more Americans with health coverage is something that's good for our economy and our country.

At the end of the day, that is what this law -- and the other reforms we're fighting for, from a 21st-century immigration system to a fairer wage for every American who's willing to work for it -- are all about:

Making sure our country lives up to our highest ideals.

I am thankful to be your President today, and every day. And I am proud that this law will continue to make life better for millions of Americans in the years to come.

Thank you.

President Barack Obama"

Somewhere in there he forgot to mention that now, millions of more people will be insured to walk through your optometry practice doors and create an optometric billing nightmare for your billing staff because many, many, many of these newly insured patients, as well as the patient's that have been with you for years, are going to get hit with sky-high deductibles that average anywhere from $3k-$10k per year. 

Patients barely want to pay their co-pays now as it is,do you really think it is gonna be any easier to get them to pay for their entire exam out of pocket due to ridiculously high deductibles and co-insurances? Somewhere, I bet the board members of Care Credit are cracking open bottles of Dom Perignon and cases of Cuban Cigars while they laugh...all the way to the bank.

Avoid hastles. Click here to let opticXpress become your biling department today.

Optometric Billing-Why Don't Patients Pay Their Damn Invoices?!

One of the most disconcerting things that I encounter as an optometric billing professional on a daily basis is patients that don't pay their invoices. I assume that it is more frustrating for the doctors whose offices do not rely on someone like me to take care of these mundane tasks.

I get calls from patients all day long, every day. The majority of these patients never even pick up the phone to question their bill until they receive one of our "pastel colored" second or third notices. This suddenly wakes them up and says "oh, a bill. Maybe I should call". Now, here in my office we are equipped to deal with this day in and day out. Receiving one of these harrowing phone calls from an irate patient does not interfere with the daily flow of business at the practices we serve. However, can you imagine what it must be like for some of these secretaries who are charged with the responsibilities of not only making sure the office runs smoothly but then have to process insurance, bill patients, speak to these same patients that call me to complain about that bill, call insurance companies, verify benefits etc?!?!?! These poor men and women have to want to shoot themselves at least once per day, every day. I know I do.

This brings me to the conundrum that we all face in this industry, "why don't patients pay their damn invoices"? The majority of invoices that go out are for deductibles, co-insurances, and charges in excess of their maximum yearly benefit. These patients receive a letter from the insurance company explaining these charges called and "E.O.B or Explanation of Benefits". So why does it surprise these people when a bill for those same charges comes in the mail to their home?

The problem begins the moment a patient walks through that office door. In almost every instance I deal with, a patient tells me that "the young lady at the front desk told me insurance would cover it". BIG MISTAKE.

• IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU CALL AND SPEAK TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY, IT IS NOT THE DR'S STAFF, NOT ONE OF THEM, THAT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TELLING A PATIENT WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT COVERED! LEAVE THAT TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO TELL THE PATIENT AFTER THE CLAIM IS ADJUDICATED!

The next problem, also at the Dr's office; Patients are not receiving "ABN's or Advance Beneficiary Notices". This easy to draft piece of paper is your written word to a patient absolving you from responsibility for any charge a patient's insurance does not cover, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT PHONE CALL YOUR SECRETARY PLACED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THE PATIENT WOULD OWE NOTHING AT THE END OF THE EXAM!

• DRAFT AN ABN AND GIVE IT TO THE PATIENT, EVERY PATIENT, EVEN RETURNING PATIENTS, THE MOMENT THEY LEAVE THE EXAM ROOM. WHEN YOU SEE THE DOCTOR'S FINDING AFTER THE EXAMINATION, YOU WILL THEN BE ABLE TO GIVE THE PATIENT A CLEARER PICTURE OF WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE COVERED BY INSURANCE.

Another reason patients don't pay their invoices: THEY NEVER PLANNED ON RETURNING TO YOUR PRACTICE ANYWAY! Yes, believe it or not, especially in the eye field, if you practice out of a large box store like Walmart or Sam's Club a good chunk of your patients do not view you as their every day eye doctor. They are lured into the store by the promise of a cheap eye exam hoping never to return. Even worse, the staff that helps them is not your staff and so wrong information is being slung all over the place at every turn and there IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!

• YOU WANNA GET PAID? TAKE IT UPON YOURSELF AS A DOCTOR TO INFORM THE PATIENT THAT YOU MAY FIND THINGS DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXAMINATION THAT MAY RENDER THEM A BILL AFTER THE INSURANCES PROCESSES THE EXAM. GIVE THE PATIENT AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION!

This brings me to what I believe is the crux of the whole situation; PATIENT'S ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS!

• When you are performing an eye exam, GET TO KNOW YOUR PATIENT! TALK TO HIM OR HER. LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. YOU DON'T THINK THIS WILL HELP? TRY IT FOR A MONTH AND TELL ME IF YOUR PATIENT'S DON'T TRUST AND RESPECT YOU MORE. I SURE AS HELL KNOW I WOULD IF MY DOCTOR WOULD TALK TO ME THE WAY I AM COUNSELING YOU TO SPEAK TO YOUR PATIENTS!

When you communicate EVERYTHING to your patients you will be viewed as more reputable and more professional. You become more than just that "walmart" or "len's crafters" guy. You will be that patient's EYE DOCTOR. You will be the person that the patient comes to rely on for his or her eye health and you will be able to provide that patient with valuable health tips that could even save their life one day. It won't matter where your practice is located and subsequently that patient will be more than happy to pay any balance they owe.

On the flip side of all this some patients think insurance is the cover-all and will take care of anything. They throw all insurance correspondence in the trash thinking it is just informative and never even bother to look at that bill we send them. These patients almost never pay our damn invoices; of course, they don't pay anyone else either :)

opticXpress IS A MEDICAL BILLING COMPANY DEDICATED SOLELY TO OPTOMETRY. CALL US TODAY!

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