Hospital Access Management – April 1, 2012
April 1, 2012
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Patients are price shopping: They'll want more than just `guesstimates'
A patient wasn't happy with the answer she received after asking registrars at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, MI, the cost of a high-dollar procedure, and she insisted that she could get it performed for half of the price quoted. -
Denials cut from $200K to $50K
Because the findings were unclear on an abdominal and pelvic sonogram performed for a patient at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX, the radiologist performed a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast, but this additional test hadn't been authorized by the payer. -
Can you text patient about appointments?
Many patients are accustomed to receiving text messages from friends, retailers, and workplaces, and they probably expect to be able to receive texts from you. -
Access descriptions are likely outdated
Until recently, members of the patient access staff at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, NY, were assigned a generic "customer service representative" title that didn't reflect what they actually did. -
Patient questions are getting tougher
Will my insurance cover this visit?" is something patients often ask registrars in the emergency department at Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, CA. However, the answer isn't as simple as it seems. -
Is insurance valid? Process is high-tech
Not long ago, a registrar would assume a patient was providing accurate information, only to find out the claim was denied due to incorrect insurance, reports Michelle M. Mohrbach, CHAM, manager of patient access and central scheduling at Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, OH.