Go the extra mile to inform patients

Access management services staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, provide each patient with the hospital's charity care and reduced charge charity care notices, but they go even further to be sure patients are informed of their options, says Kathy MacGillivray, MHA, access management services director.

Following a trauma injury, a 30-year-old uninsured female came in to register at the hospital's Orthopaedics Clinic for care after surgery. The patient asked a registrar about the cost for services and expressed concern that she might not be able to afford it. When she overheard the conversation between the patient and the registrar, a patient access supervisor offered the patient phone numbers and addresses for financial counselors and provided preliminary information on eligibility requirements.

"This patient could have been responsible for a portion, if not all, of her follow-up care if she had not been made aware of the resources available to her," says MacGillivray. Grateful for the information, the patient submitted an application for charity care.

MacGillivray says that if patients disclose that they are uninsured or have limited means to cover their medical expenses, it's common practice for registrars to facilitate interviews with financial counselors to help these patients learn about the resources available to them.

"Our teams work hand in hand," says MacGillivray. "Financial counselors always take the time to either sit down immediately with the patient or schedule a follow-up conversation."