There is absolutely NO reason ( legal, ethical, or insurance contractural-wise)physicians or other healthcare providers should NOT be paid the fees that are do them. We are no different than other professionals who charge for their services ( accountants, bankers, IT people, plumbers, electricians, practice consultants, etc.) Anybody try to walk out of the grocery store with a gallon of milk and not pay for it? Is the store owner any less honorable when he demands payment before customers hit the exit. Of course not!
Also the idea that physicians should NOT press perfectly legitimate financial issues with patients is crazy. Those physicians can fall on their own swords, I'll keep mine standing in the corner.
If a patient tells me they just can't pay the bill in full, that's OK we can always work something out. Even if they pay $5-10/week, at least it is a token of good faith and they respect my services.
Now that's out of my system, can anyone recommend a location in Amazing charts to scribe a patients credit/debit card info that will keep it protected enough to store it there? How about the alerts and directives area and label it non-releasable info? Also I believe mentioned in other posts on this topic, this guarded data would not be used until all other mechanisms for payment have been exhausted.
I will not apologize for wanting to be paid what is fairly and contracturally do me and my staff.
Nate
