Hospital Access Management – September 1, 2012
September 1, 2012
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New eligibles will turn to access for help: Don’t be caught unprepared
Patient access departments need to prepare for a “great increase” in the volume of patients who are eligible not only for Medicaid, but also private insurance policies, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) according to Luis Guerrero, director of patient access services at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans. -
You must get ready now for many more eligibles
Patient access departments need to prepare for a great increase in the volume of patients who are eligible not only for Medicaid, but also private insurance policies, as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) according to Luis Guerrero, director of patient access services at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans. -
Patient may not be ‘true’ self-pay
Patient access staff at Methodist Charlton Medical Center in Dallas now run all self-pay patients through an automated verification system to identify those that are unaware that they are still active with the Medicaid program. -
What’s even more critical for access? Service
There is a growing emphasis on sensitivity in hospital collections that patient access staff should be aware of, advises Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA, vice president of healthcare financial practices for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). -
Ask community for feedback
Have community advisory groups give feedback not only on clinical processes, but also the revenue cycle, advises Richard L. Gundling, FHFMA, CMA, vice president of healthcare financial practices for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). -
Does applicant have service skills, or not?
Jamie Kennedy, a patient access supervisor at Ohio State University East Hospitals ambulatory clinic, says that her clinic is hiring additional staff, and customer service is her number one priority. -
Don’t wait to revamp insurance verification
Healthcare reform makes processes for insurance verification a top priority for patient access areas, says Sebrena Johnson, manager of insurance verification and precertification in the Admission Services Department at Cone Health System in Greensboro, NC. -
Self-pay A/R cut by $15 million
Self-pay accounts receivable (A/R) was reduced by about $15 million annually after the patient access department at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA, implemented daily eligibility checking of self-pay accounts against Medicare and Medicaid to find instances in which patients had coverage for that particular date of service. -
Offer price estimates for ‘self-service’
Patients are asking patient access staff for various self-service options for registration processes, including price estimates, reports Angela Long, associate vice president of administrative services in revenue management at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA. -
Do you tell patients about charity care?
Your patient access department already might have a discount policy in place, but this policy doesnt do anything to help a patient unless he or she is aware of it. -
ED collections are under scrutiny
The publics awareness of the U.S. Senate investigation of Accretive Health, a debt collection company hired by a Minnesota hospital to do registration and upfront collections, has important implications for patient access departments, says Jessica Curtis, director of Boston-based Community Catalysts Hospital Accountability Project. -
Medicare patient being observed?
Hospitals are left in an untenable position due to changes in policy by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that are causing hospitals to place patients in observation status for more than 48 hours instead of admitting them, according to an April 27, 2012, amicus brief filed by the American Hospital Association (AHA). -
Early education is key with Medicare status
Medicare patients often are shocked to learn that they have a significant out-of-pocket responsibility due to being in observation status instead of inpatient, reports Diane C. Settle, CPA, CHFP, executive director of the revenue cycle at Sarasota (FL) Memorial Health Care System. -
20% increase in ED copay collection
Emergency department (ED) copay collections increased 20% after a process was implemented at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, MD, that required patient access reps to perform a benefit check on patients presenting with insurance.