Advice from the other side of the experience...

[LaneyDoll]

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread and share helpful hints on how someone can be a better educated consumer and possibly avoid problems later. I am mainly wanting tips/input from people who interact with the public and what WE as the general public can do to prevent headaches later.

As usual with my threads, I will be happy to start...

[LaneyDoll]

From the person who handles your account at the MD office:

* When paying a bill with a check, please do not use checks that are dark colors and/or have a busy pattern. By the time I get the copy of it, it is really hard to read. The free checks from the bank are great.

* When paying ANYTHING at the office, please use a check. Checks have to be recorded onto a deposit ticket which have to be balanced back to. If I see $50 cash and I do not have a receipt to go by, it takes much longer to post your payment. And, credit card slips do not always have account names on them. If these are not marked, I have no idea who it goes to so it goes back to the front office.

* If you are paying a bill for someone else OR not using the payment stub, make sure the full name of the patient is on the payment PLUS the account number or DOB, especially if the address on the check differs from the one on the account. Some places will call if they see a number on the unidentified check but most will not-especially when you get into HIPPA issues.

* If you have a verbal agreement about paying installments on your account, please keep your part of the deal or call if you hit a bump. Most MDs review all accounts before they are sent to collections but some do not have time and leave the decision to the account manager (ie me). So be nice. It really helps.

* If paying with a money order, send in the payment stub or a copy of it. Money orders are incredibly hard to read sometimes and if me and my coworkers cannot read the info, posting those payments is not possible. Then it goes back to the front office to find out who it goes it.

* If you are in for a "follow-up" you may or may not have a copay. If you are post-surgery, fracture etc, your follow-up care may be included in the fees for the procedure-assuming you have no new complaints. For example, if you break your wrist and go back to the MD after three weeks so he can check the progress, your care may be included in the original charges. BUT if you start talking about back pain, that is a new complaint and you are no longer considered "follow-up." For another scenario, if you are sick and the MD says "follow-up with me in two weeks," that IS NOT follow-up care and you have a new copay.

* If you go in for a physical-whether through private insurance or Medicare, then been seen for the physical. If you are sick and get a shot of antibiotics, you are no longer getting a physical, you are getting a sick visit. Since the main perk of a wellness visit is no copay, expect to pay a copay if you stray from the wellness aspect of the visit. Sorry, you cannot cheat the system. If you are sick, please be prepared to pay for your visit.

* FINALLY, please know that it is SOOOOOO much easier for me to not have to send you a bill. So, if I have to and you have to call, please be nice to me. People make mistakes, whether it was the person who marked your ticket at the office (usually the MD or nurse), the insurance company, the person in the data entry department who posted the payment or me-even you (because patients mess up too), we are all human. Mistakes happen. If they do, I will help you resolve them. If you are nice to me, I am more inclined to fight the insurance company on your behalf, ask the MD for a discount, basically do anything I can to help. I will go above and beyond. But, if you are mean, I will do only what I have to then you are on your own-I do not want to go to bat for people who cuss me out when I can go to bat for people who genuinely just want things resolved and are polite about it.