Patient Collection Services – an Extension of Your Reimbursment Department
Why partner with us?
Homecare Collection Service (HCS) was designed for HME/DME and Infusion companies who have long struggled to find an outsourced company that understands the complex billing processes in our industry, and can drive collection results that prove to have significant impact on a company's bottom line. Whether you are utilizing Bargmann Management's Patient Billing Services, or solely looking to find a collection agency to place your aged patient receivables, join us and realize the returns that so many other HME/DME and Infusion companies are receiving each month by utilizing our industry specific services.
Why does specialization work in collections?
If you have done both general medical billing and DME billing, you have already answered this question. Having the knowledge base to understand the complex billing of DME, combined with the ability to explain denials, co-pays, deductibles and non-DME insurance provisions, have created an ever-increasing patient-owed responsibility that HCS knows inside and out. The complexity and significance of patient pay issues will only increase with new HSA health plans (Health Savings Accounts) that have ultra-high deductibles, thus causing a very different accounts receivable environment than in prior years. Bargmann Management and HCS are uniquely positioned with our staff of specialized associates to do what ever we need to do.
How do our processes work?
Accounts are placed with us in collections because the customer has not paid for services during the patient billing phase.
A typical account is worked as follows:
Registration and Initial Introduction. Once an account is placed with HCS, patient demographics are automatically imported into our industry-specific collection software, and the first collection letter is sent to the customer within 24 hours of receipt. In this letter we demand a resolution to the claim in accordance with the FDCPA regulations. We list a toll-free phone number on all outgoing correspondence for patients, our address to send payments to, and your company name and city. We do not give them your phone number.
Resolution. At this point, customers that are concerned about the situation will want to speak to someone immediately. Within any correspondence they are instructed to call us immediately, remit payment in full, or dispute the charges in writing within the time frame allotted by the FDCPA. Even though it states this, they may contact you directly, especially if they do not get directly through to our collectors. If they call you, you may speak to them since they contacted you. At times there are questions that you may want to address. If you do not wish to speak to them, you may re-direct them back to our phone number. We work the processes until we get payment in full, partial payment, the accounts are placed on the patients credit report, have gone legal, or are returned to you as uncollectible.
Legal Responsibilities
Once an account is placed with HCS in full collections, you are legally not permitted to contact the customer for the purposes of collection activity regarding the amounts/claims you placed. This includes verbal or written correspondence. Because of this, it is recommended that you write off any amounts placed with us in your system, or move the accounts to an inactive insurance file, so that you do not accidentally send a statement. We recommend you consult with your tax advisor on the tax benefits of sending old accounts to collections. Post write-off recoveries can be booked as income. You are permitted to pursue the customer for balances that you have not placed with us. You are permitted to communicate with the customer if they contact you directly or if it is regarding a different issue such as service.
It is recommended that you have a way to indicate what customers have been placed with our collection service within your system. This may be some type of customer status or type so that all employees know who is in collections. You may also have policy that addresses if that person wants additional services how you will handle it.
A final word
Our processes revolve around the premise that HCS drives in the greatest results from a combination or written and verbal contact. Do not be fooled by agencies that only send letters to patients on a frequent basis. By knowing this business, utilizing the significant tools at our disposal, and being able to verbally communicate with the patient on day/night/evening hours, we find this to be the final determining factor in driving in charged-off debts. If the process was as simple as sending collection letters, you wouldn't need to have a collection agency involved!
Strategic Alliances
Homecare Collection Service is proud to be a full-fledged member of ACA International, the nation's largest and most respected association for credit and collection professionals. Our staff utilizes ACA's tools for training, compliancy, administrative, licensing and legal issues on an ongoing basis.
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