Talk to them – you may be surprised what they say!
It is depressing the number of times I hear potential clients criticising insurance companies. In my experience the reasons normally cited are incorrect. Far from it. I've lost track how...
Pre-authorisation: a common issue
In by far the majority of cases, your patient will obtain authorisation for a consultation in advance of the actual date. But sometimes, the patient arrives for the consultation without a...
Have your fees been reduced?
Two different MHM clients - both consultant surgeons - have been advised by a specific insurance company that the fees for their initial and follow up consultations are being reduced. They are not...
You are responsible for collection your patient’s excess deductions
I'm often asked who is actually responsible for paying an excess or a shortfall. The patient is responsible. Interestingly the question was asked recently by a consultant surgeon who had started...
Electronic Invoicing
We noticed earlier this year another of the major insurance companies - Vitality - are no longer accepting paper invoices. The curious thing about this decision is why has it taken them so long? For...
The invoice has already been paid!
This specific issue comes up frequently when MHM is asked to review the outstanding accounts of a private consultant surgeon. There are two reasons normally why the patient believes the...
Are you sure you are charging the right fee??
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...
It’s a business
All MHM clients are very dedicated individuals. Having spent approximately 15 years training and finally becoming a consultant surgeon, they then go on to work incredibly long hours. They do so...
Remittance advice are important
Many private consultant surgeons do not appreciate remittances sent to them by the patient's private medical insurance company are important. They are not just for tax reasons. They are not just to...
The basics are really important
There are only 24 hours in a day. All of my guys are incredibly busy. I'm amazed at the volume of work they get through in a single day. They are either on-call, doing a ward round or in...
What address shall I use?
Using your home address for correspondence when you are a private medical practitioner is not a good idea! It is a very bad idea in fact. For example a couple of weeks ago - a private medical...
Time – use it wisely
I trained a medical secretary in the noble art of medical invoicing recently. Having your medical secretary handling medical invoicing isn't something I'd recommend though for a number of reasons....