Access must have financial know-how
Process has moved upfront
In many organizations, financial counseling processes have moved upfront and are now the responsibility of patient access.
"We don't wait until the patient goes to bad debt before we have those conversations," says Lauree M. Miller, director of patient access at Catholic Health Initiatives in Lincoln, NE. "We do it proactively, so patients can plan for their expenses related to those services."
Access services representatives at University of California Davis Medical Center Hospital are highly trained individuals who are responsible for ensuring that the patient's account is financially secured prior to discharge, says Tracy Abdalla, hospital access services supervisor. To accomplish this, staff members complete charity care screening and assist with applications for county or state public assistance programs. "Staff are not only taking on the financial counseling role of the hospital's process; they are also asked to take on part of the role of the public eligibility worker," says Abdalla. Staff members are well-informed about billing processes and understand that incomplete or inaccurate information causes claims processing errors, denials, and decreased reimbursement, according to Abdalla.
One of the primary changes in the access role is the financial follow-up done on a patient account, she says. Over the years, she says, patient access has discovered the need to financially secure the account upon arrival of the patient. "Without this, we're faced with the more difficult task of attempting to obtain and correct information after the patient's discharge," says Abdalla. "This has proven to be ineffective. It has limited our ability to remain financially secure."
For a facility to be financially viable, says Abdalla, the patient access role will need to be heavily focused on the medically indigent population. "With the increase in healthcare costs and related facility expenses, it's imperative that the access representative be focused on the accuracy of each registration and financially securing the account," she says.
In many organizations, financial counseling processes have moved upfront and are now the responsibility of patient access.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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