Lovely lady – sometimes it’s the obvious things
Lovely lady. She sounded if she was aged between 30 – 40. Called her to clarify one small point on her registration form and pretty much knew what the discrepancy was. I was right. She was born in...
Are you totally undercharging?
Take these examples: ENT Consultant Surgeon A is an ENT consultant surgeon. He performs an E1910 on two different patients. He bills both patient’s insurance company £1,600 each. No problem except...
Who is actually responsible for paying 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...
Backdating a preauthorisation
The patient arrives for the consultation but 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....
Using the wrong CCSD code can easily cost £725
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...
Do you invoice quickly enough?
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...
The usual reason for non-payment of an invoice
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 is not ‘I haven’t got the money” nor is it “I didn’t...
Why do you need to ensure you quote a reference number?
Most excess charges are between £75 or £100. Of course, 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...
Open Referral – the reality
Recently a family member in conjunction with his/her GP decided an appointment with a private consultant was necessary. As the family member had private medical insurance through his/her employer, a...
Excess and shortfalls – an update
Take this ONE client as an example. Out of 15 consultations, 4 (four) came back with excess/shortfall deductions totaling £575 in one week. So for a total of £2,500 worth of revenue £575 or 23% came...
What the hell is a benefits accumulator?
Benefits or Fees This issue came up during a recent meeting with a consultant surgeon. The question was how are fees accounted for against a benefits package. How does this possibly create a...
The Devil is in the detail
Have all the data you need ready before you start. There is absolutely no excuse for making such a basic error as NOT having all you need. Attention to Detail Especially when invoicing online....