patients' fees in advance of
procedures. Connecting
patients to the lender
allows the facility to cap-
ture more revenue quickly
and gets the administrative
staff out of the time-con-
suming and aggravating
financial bookkeeping,
billing and collections busi-
ness.
"The lack of outstanding
patient balances also makes
for an overall cleaner claim
for us to submit to payers,"
says Ms. Blackwood.
She suggests selecting a
patient lending partner
with fast application and
approval processes, as well as customer service reps who respond
quickly to questions from patients or staff. "We prefer a company
that immediately answers emails without us having to get on the
phone," she says.
The lender should also educate patients about details of the pay-
ment process and help them determine all of the costs they'll be
responsible for, including fees from the facility, the surgeon, the anes-
thesia providers and the imaging groups that perform pre-op MRIs
and CT scans. "Patients are asked for money from a lot of providers,
so they need to know exactly how much the episode of care will truly
cost," says Ms. Blackwood.
J U N E 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 8 9
PAYMENT OPTION Third-party financing companies provide patients with
the loan or credit they need to undergo an otherwise unaffordable proce-
dure.
Gulf
Coast
Outpatient
Surgery
Center
