Wayne, I completely understand what you are saying. The patient portion of the fee for visits and procedures is increasing for all of us. It makes less and less sense for us to ignore or write-off the patient portion of the reimbursement.
I realize that doing procedures changes the equation to some degree, and I am sensitive to the fact that reimbursements are unfair and unduly favor the proceduralists. I didn't mean to understate the value of a collection agency; I was just explaining to David why some might hesitate to use one.
I thought it was a breach of contract to charge the patient upfront or before the insurance company tells you what the patient owes?
One approach is to wait for the EOB, as Wayne describes. Real time information on the patient's copays and deductible would allow you to collect what the insurance company says is due...at the time of service. That is why I said it would be valuable to have that information.
