Re: Collections--long
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Fri Apr 1 06:21:39 2005
See ... that pay phone around the corner comes in handy, doesn't it?
art
At Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Richard Chudacoff, MD wrote:
>
>Well, in the world of caller id, most patients don't answer the phone if
>they know it is from our office. Lately, I have been waiting about 6 months
>after the last attempt, calling, and hoping I get voice mail. I leave a
>cryptic message that suggests a medical need to call me. When they do, I or
>my office explains they still owe money and try to set up a payment
>arrangement. However, 99% never pay, until they need another service from
>me.
>
>--
>Richard Chudacoff, MD
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of Garry E.
>Siegel, M.D.
>Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 7:58 PM
>To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
>Subject: GEN: Collections--long
>
>Our practice is a 3 MD, 3 CNM, 2 office one. As patients have balances
>that are unpaid (pregnancy, hospital consults, surgery, etc.), our
>insurance people call/write/send letters, etc. Eventually, if the
>balance is significant and unpaid, the patients get turned over to a
>collection agency.
>
>One of the older (70's)docs in town, who now is solo, told me once he
>calls the patients hmself about their overdue balance.
>
>That said, a patient/husband having their 4th child, first in our
>practice, was a VBAC (prior successful VBAC twice) and became an insulin
>requiring diabetic, and needed ultrasounds, NSTs, etc. As it turns out,
>the husband was a young attorney in practice a few years, and they were
>a delightful couple. He was between insurance companies, so they were
>cash patients, and he bartered/lobied for a much reduced bill, since the
>extra services (scans, NSTs, VBAC, etc.) weren't insignificant.
>
>She delivered in January, hasn't come back for a PP visit, and they have
>around a $1000 balance and have issued a check for $500 which bounced.
>Because the husband, my partner and I worked out an amicable
>arrangement, when I found out about the bounced check and overdue
>balance, I was quite upset.
>
>Well, long story short, as opposed to having my staff call, I simply
>picked up the phone and called him, expected voice mail.
>
>He took the call and said he would pay 1/2 now, and 1/2 in a month.
>
>I related my story to a relative who had a retail store for years, and
>he said he thought it was not at all crazy for me to actually call the
>overdue people who have significant balances, as opposed to all of the
>machinations that can be time consuming and dead ends.
>
>What do you guys do?
>
>Garry
>
>--
>Garry E. Siegel, M.D.
>Private Practice
>Roswell, GA
>
--
art fougner, md
"If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else."
Lawrence Peter Berra
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