Preview

Eligibility, Payment, and Billing Procedures

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
285 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Eligibility, Payment, and Billing Procedures
General eligibility for benefits depends on a number of factors. If premiums are required, patients must have paid them on time. For government-sponsored plans where income is the criterion, like Medicaid, eligibility can change monthly. For patients with employer-sponsored health plans, employment status can be the deciding factor:
• Coverage may end on the last day of the month in which the employee’s active full-time service ends, such as for disability, layoff, or termination.
• The employee may no longer qualify as a member of the group. For example, some companies do not provide benefits for part-time employees. If a full-time employee changes to part-time employment, the coverage ends.
• An eligible dependent’s coverage may end on the last day of the month in which the dependent status ends, such as reaching the age limit stated in the policy. . Patients should be informed that the payer does not pay for the service and that they are responsible for the charges. Some payers require the physician to use specific forms to inform the patient about uncovered services. These financial agreement forms, which patients must sign; prove that patients have been told about their obligation to pay the bill before the services are given.
I can relate to this by personal experience I have a co pay of $25.00 to see my doctor but if I am treated in the office I am billed for the remainder I was not notified from my healthcare provider before I received a bill.
Patients should verify if insurance information have changed before a doctor’s visit. If the patients information has changed chances are what they need to pay up front has

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Medicare Overview

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages

    sometimes referred to as Medi-Gap plans. The benefits for all of these plans are mandated by the…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    5. Name and address of the payer. Make sure the patients name, address and phone number is on the check and correct.…

    • 602 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Medical billing and coding happens to be a bit more meticulous and complicated than numerous individuals outside of the medical field would be aware of. Since there are many requirements and also the numbers of various insurance agencies, Medicare health insurance in addition to Medicaid most of include distinct requirements among themselves it could become too much to handle for the payment staff in places of work to be sure that everything is correct. Regrettably every one of the requirements must be proper to ensure health professionals as well as doctor's offices are compensated in an opportune way. Many health-related payments are started exactly the same way though despite this fact.…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are ten steps included in the billing process and are used to help process the patient’s information from preregistration to the follow up payments. Each patient has the responsibility to pay for their services once they have received care from a facility by themselves or an insurance company. Many different health insurance companies that may help an individual cover their medical expenses or even pay the entire bill. This billing process is usually done in the back office whereas the registration and collection of information is done in the front office.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are actually a few factors that determine a patient’s benefits eligibility, and some of these factors include whether or not coverage ends on the last day of the month where the particular employee’s active full-time service is over, and this employee may no longer qualify for insurance benefits. For example if there was a part time employee that does not receive any benefits at their job, the employee may lose benefits by losing hours. If the insurance covers eligible dependent, the coverage may end on the last day of the month where as the dependent status…

    • 353 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Payment Entry Process

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Depending on the type of coverage, the patient will have to pay $500 or $1000 for his medical treatment before his insurance company starts paying on his behalf. Some insurance companies have a yearly deductible, which means that every calendar year the patient would be responsible for a certain amount of money before their insurance starts paying their medical bills for that year. Other insurances have a lifetime deductible, which means that the patient will have to pay for his treatment until a certain limit (like $5000) and then the insurance would start paying till his coverage is valid.Co-insurance/co-payment: A primary insurance company makes a payment on a claim to a participating physician. They instruct the physician’s office to collect a specified amount from the secondary insurance or the patient. This specified amount is called a co-insurance or co-payment.Balance bill: When a non-participating primary insurance co. pays a part of a claim, the balance on the claim can be billed to the patient or secondary ins. Regardless of the non-participating ins. Allowed amount.Out of pocket Expenses: A medical bill or part of medical bill paid by patient out of his pocket because of non payment of his insurance company is called Out of pocket expenses. Deductible, co-pay, co-insurance and balance bills are “Out of pocket…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The receptionist or other clerical worker will either call, or receive a call from a “patient” or other authorized individual. During this communication, the associate must be careful to observe HIPAA rules related to “protected health information.” when “schedule, canceling, or rescheduling” encounters. When gathering benefit “information,” the representative must be diligent to accurately enter data into the “patient’s” file. Discerning insurance cards, policies, and all applicable guidelines of each plan are applicable to the “front and back” office. Abiding by the payer’s regulations, and the coordination of benefits,” associates will input this data into the patient management program (PMP). During these procedures, insurance specialists will be cautious to correlate the correct information with the correct patient. The “front or back office” will then confirm coverage with designated plans, along with all essentials, such as if a “referral or preauthorization” is a requisite. Prior to consulting with the physician, patients will need to be alerted about their rights, in coordination with HIPAA privacy standards, as well as those of the provider. During that time, if the patient owes any monies for coinsurance, or copayments, this will be submitted to the “front office.” While checking out patients, insurance specialists will transfer the descriptions of “diagnoses and procedures” from the “physician’s report” into appropriate “codes” for ‘claim” generation. This facet is most crucial, because of the HIPAA specifications regarding the transfer of PHI “by covered entities” (Valerius et al., p.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    * This is a very important step because it involves the determining of who is financially responsible for the visit. It also is used to establish what services may be covered under the type of insurance they have, along with payment options plan options if any, and what types may be available to the patient.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Employer-sponsored health plans buy medical insurance from insurance companies to give to their employees as benefits. The human resource department negotiates with insurance companies and selects a group health plan (GHP) to give to their employees as a basic plan. The employees can then purchase riders, or options such as dental or vision insurance, to add to their basic plan. Employers can also use a different network of providers for certain types of medical care for their employees. During open enrollment periods, which is a specified period usually offered once per year, employees can customize their insurance coverage to their families' insurance needs.…

    • 307 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. When the patient is contacted, you must identify yourself, the practice, and the purpose of the call. When you are speaking to the patient, you must verify that the patient has received a copy of the bill. You must also inform the patient of the status of their account and what needs to be accomplished.…

    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Many factors determine a patient 's eligibility for benefits. Employment status is one factor that may determine whether or not the patient still has benefits. If an employee no longer has a job they are by law to be offered what is known as COBRA by their employer for up to one year of termination or a new job whichever comes first.…

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The three primary steps to establishing financial responsibility for insured patients are verifying the patient’s eligibility for indemnity benefits, determining pre-authorize and referral requirement, and determining the main payer if more than one indemnity plan is within effect. There are three factors that ascertain patient benefits eligibility. These factors are coverage might cease on the concluding day if the month within which the employees active full-time service is concluded, such as terminus, furlough, or disablement. The employee might no longer measure up as a member of the group. For exemplar, roughly companies do not furnish benefits for part-time employees. If a full-time employee alters to part-time employment, the coverage ceases. An eligible dependent’s coverage might cease on the concluding day of the month within which the dependent status ceases, such as making the age boundary stated within the policy (p. 90). Whenever an insured patient’s policy does not cover a planned service, such situation is talked about with the patient. Patient’s are to be informed that the payer does not pay for the service and that they are creditworthy for the charges. Some payers expect the doctor to use particular forms to tell the patient regarding uncovered services. These financial agreement forms, which patients must pre-indications demonstrate that patients have been told about their responsibility to devote the bill before the services are applied. For exemplar, the Medicare plan furnishes a form, called (ABN) - advance beneficiary notice that must be used to demonstrate patients the billings. The contracted form, allots the practice to compile defrayment for a furnished service or append directly from the patient if Medicare declines reimbursement (p.…

    • 308 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In order to maintain the proper billing of patients and the process of collecting funds owed, medical facilities must create and use an established financial policy. Some of the elements required to ensure that the financial policy established will prove effective are; a financial policy that patients understand and one that staff members are able to interpret as well. The financial policy must openly state or clarify the financial policy regarding the obligation of the patient and also be specified in a way that staff members are able to understand these responsibilities as well. Financial policies should also include any possible circumstances that may transpire such as making payment arrangements, payment for procedures not covered by the patient’s health insurance plan, and other distinct circumstances or other types of exceptional arrangements.…

    • 412 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, qualifying for Medicaid is not as simple as just reaching the age of 65. There are several strict requirements that govern who can and cannot receive payments for these services.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is like the prepayment group established at the end of the case study. Under the ACA physicians are getting paid per patient that is seen (The Affordable Care Act's Payment and Delivery System Reforms: A Progress Report at Five Years, 2015). This means physician are more concerned with the number of people they see vs the quality of care. Ultimately, some people are paying high amounts in insurance while others are not paying anything, just to ensure that everyone is…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays