decisionhealth Newsletters, Part B News - 2013 Issue 5 (May)
Weigh ‘softer approach’ options before turning patient debt over to collections
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Article Overview
This article examines how medical practices can respond when patient balances remain unpaid, with emphasis on collection workflow options and timing considerations. It compares internal follow-up, early-out vendors, and outside collection agencies, and discusses how practices think about aging accounts, patient communication, and collection-related risk. The piece is aimed at practice managers, revenue cycle staff, and billing professionals who oversee patient receivables.
Why This Topic Matters
Patient collections affect cash flow, staff workload, patient relations, and a practice’s overall billing approach. Understanding the range of collection options helps practices decide when to escalate accounts while balancing revenue recovery and reputation.
Article Sections
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Collections
Introduces the problem of unpaid patient balances and the tradeoffs involved in using outside collection resources.
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When in-house isn’t enough
Discusses internal follow-up limitations and describes alternative approaches for handling delinquent patient accounts.
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When to outsource
Covers general considerations for deciding when receivables should move beyond internal handling and into outsourced follow-up.
What You Will Learn
- How practices think about patient debt recovery options
- Why some offices move from internal follow-up to outsourced collection support
- What factors are considered when evaluating whether accounts are too old to remain in-house
- How early-out services differ from third-party collection approaches at a high level
Who Should Read This
- Medical practice managers
- Revenue cycle staff
- Billing and collections personnel
- Healthcare administrators
- Private practice consultants
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