Failure to get paid is no accident
There is always a reason why you aren't getting paid. And the number one reason is that no invoice has been sent. Take, for example, the consultant surgeon I was working with recently. The issue as...
You want better cash flow? RAISE YOUR STANDARDS!
One of the most often asked questions is "how as a private consultant surgeon can I improve or increase my cash flow". The answer, as regards medical invoicing, is very simple to answer: RAISE YOUR...
It’s a lot easier if you actually talk to the patient
Many times I come across a consultant who is having problems getting paid by self-funding patients. This is often followed by a reference to numerous reminders and sometimes even final demands being...
Take it seriously or else…
you will struggle to make any money. Private medical practice is a business must be run as a business. A surprisingly large number are NOT run as a business which is fine provided you don't...
What do you expect if you don’t ask for the right amount?
It is depressing the number of times I hear consultant surgeons complaining about insurance companies. In my experience the reasons normally cited are incorrect. Far from it. I've lost track how...
Harry Hubris and How NOT to run your Practice
Harry Hubris was, and probably still is, the classic example of how not to run a business. I first met Harry about 5 years ago at a conference where I was speaking after which Harry asked me if I...
Why have they taken my money back!
Some insurance companies decline to accept invoices that are sent more than six months after the consultation or surgical episode. Fair enough. They should have been invoiced. BUT… A statement was...
Not everything is covered by the insurance company
It is dangerous for an insured patient to assume his insurance covers everything. Often it does not. This will impact on how much you get paid. Short term issues Private medical insurance is...
Where do you find a CCSD code?
A question asked at the recent presentation. Insurance companies use medical coding to identify and detail a medical procedure. For example: if you are an Orthopaedic surgeon you will understand...
Courtesy Patients. A Courtesy to Whom?
Sometimes a private consultant surgeon may decide he or she does not actually wish to charge the patient. There are numerous reasons for taking such a position; all equally valid. For example, the...
Does your insurance company make mistakes?
One of my Orthopaedic surgeons saw a patient in clinic last week for a follow-up consultation. The follow-up was after the surgical episode which took place about three weeks earlier. Declined I was...
Does Your Practice Have a Plan?
I was watching the youngsters playing football over the park the other day. It reminded me of how precisely not to resolve an issue and neither score a goal or resolve a problem. All Together...