Make sure you know how deep the water is
A consultant surgeon came up to me after a recent presentation asking for my opinion on a situation he’d found himself in. Having successfully operated within the NHS for some time he decided to...
Nice bottle of merlot – paid cash for it
It’s great when a patient pays cash - on the way out he or she produces a roll of £10 notes and pays in full. It happened just before Christmas last year to an MHM client. Couple of items to...
A completely different procedure
This issue has come up quite a few times over the years. Consider if, during the initial consultation, you advise your patient surgery is required. The patient is therefore given a CCSD code...
Outsourcing – the cheat’s way
MHM sort of cheats when we say we are an outsourced medical biller. We don't share premises with our consultant surgeons nor are we next door to the hospital. Neither do we speak to them every...
Patient Age: over 21
Lovely lady. Sounded just like my late Mom too. She sounded if she was aged between 21 – 99. I called her to clarify one small point on her registration form and pretty much knew what the...
It helps if you charge the right amount
Undercharging or not charging the right fee is much more common than you may think. Consider the two real examples below. THE ENT SURGEON Surgeon A is an ENT consultant surgeon. He performs an E1910...
Who collects the excess?
A question, which was asked recently at a private practice seminar MHM were presenting at. Interestingly the question was asked by a consultant surgeon who had started his/her private practice two...
The Insurance Company didn’t know
The patient arrives for the consultation. He hasn’t obtained a pre-authorisation from his/her insurance company. Should you see the patient? Yes, of course, you should; patient care must come first....
Pay attention or not charge the right fee
It actually happened too. Consider a CCSD code for a follow up consultation = 20310. Now consider the CCSD code for a ECG = 20110. A consultant surgeon couldn’t understand why he was not getting...
You MUST invoice daily
Following on from a recent blog and questions raised at a presentation to consultant surgeons, I was asked to further explain why you must invoice quickly. Unacceptable Delay The obvious one is that...
Excess amounts – the usual reason
Ever thought what is the most often quoted reason for non-payment by a patient of the excess? The same reason is quoted over and over again. It's not ‘I haven’t got the money” nor is it “I didn’t...
Has the patient already paid their excess??
Most excess charges are between £75 or £100. Sometimes they can be higher or even lower but often they are £75 or £100. Invoice for excess This in itself is not a problem. It's just as easy to send...