This is a very informative thread. Thank you, Mike, for your in depth discussion. This leads to some other topics which perhaps deserve their own threads, but at the risk of a hijack, let me ask here:
1. We do as Chris does and outsource our billing. We pay 6% of collections for the same services he describes. The arguments for in-house vs. out-house (no, that can't be right) billing have been made here over and over. My question is: how much do you think you pay for billing, as a percentage of your collections? For those who outsource, what flat percentage do you pay? For those who do it in-house, it is harder to estimate the cost, but what would be your best guess (including staff time, software, IT costs, stamps and postage, clearing houses, etc)?
2. Mike, could you elaborate on "We strive to anticipate to the penny what a patients share of cost will be and collect it up front, so we only send about a dozen bills per month out"? How do you achieve that? Unless you are only seeing 14 patients a month, it sounds like you are quite successful at it!
