Medical Debt Collection Tips for Healthcare Providers

1. Medical Debt Collection: Tips for Healthcare Providers www.oscollections.com.au

2. Medical facilities, clinics, hospitals, dentists and other healthcare providers face increasing challenges in today's slow economy. These providers are experiencing substantial losses due to the rapidly escalating number of delinquent accounts. Fortunately in Australia we have good Medicare coverage and many people have private insurance. Over 47 million Americans have no health care insurance coverage at all, while those that do have coverage are often under insured.

3. Prior to accepting a patient and rendering medical service, medical providers should obtain as much information about the patient as possible. At a minimum, the patient's full name, home and work addresses and telephone numbers, home, work and cell phone numbers, email addresses, Medicare number, date of birth, and the name of a relative should be maintained in addition to any insurance coverage the patient may have. This will be helpful in medical debt collection.

4. Oftentimes, payment is not made simply because the patient is confused as to his/her obligations regarding deductible amounts, insurance coverage, etc. Make it a practice to clarify your payment policies at the outset prior to any services being rendered, to avoid misunderstandings later and state clearly what the patient's payment obligations are.

5. As is often the case with any debt for services rendered, past due medical bills become less important to the patient after treatment has been completed and the patient is feeling better. Other bills, such as credit cards, car payments, the mortgage, etc. may take precedence over a past due doctor bill. By creating clear and consistent policies, such as sending timely statements every 15-30 days and following up with telephone calls, you will distinguish patients who are willing to pay their bills.

6. Patients who are communicating with your office and demonstrate a sincere desire to pay their bills despite financial hardships they may be experiencing should be handled differently from those who ignore your communications or simply refuse to make any payment arrangements at all.

7. If a patient has not paid their medical debt, or arranged for a payment plan within ninety (90) days following their treatment, the case should be referred to a medical collection agency offering outstanding collections in Australia sooner rather than later for better recovery success.

8. Contact Us P.O. Box 373, Sutherland NSW,Australia,1499 Email:- richardmc@oscollections.com.au Phone No:- +61 2 9545 3115 Website:- www.oscollections.com.au