I have between three patients in a nuclear/unnuclear family around $2000.00. The issue that I have not run across that often is the following:
Patient 1 owes a small amount of money
Patient 2 owes a significant amount of money
The mother owes a significant amount of money on both her sons above.
Patient 1 is the father of a three-year-old and still has parental rights although he never brings her to the doctor. She owes around $300, but is now on MaineCare so we do get reimbursed for her.
The grandmother (mother above) brings her in for all her visits.
She has been continually billed and warned about dismissal and collections for the balance on her two sons and on the balance of the grandchild. (I am not sure she is legally bound to pay for her -- but I can tell you her father is not).
It is quite obvious that we should turn over her two sons' accounts to collections. She has received the prerequisite letters and phone calls.
Do we continue to bill the biological father for the granddaughter? If he does not pay do we dismiss her as well.
What do people do if they have two children in their practice and one has to be dismissed, but the other one has no balance. Do you keep them in your practice or dismiss the entire family?
