'How will I pay for my surgery?' 3 tips for discussing financial responsibility with patients
Ask ASC staff what topic they enjoy speaking about with patients least and you can expect many — if not most —will say financial responsibility.
As out-of-pocket costs for patients has increased (quite significantly in a short period of time, as the data shows), so has the difficulty for patients to pay for their care. Further complicating matters is a lack of understanding among many patients about why costs have increased and why insurance does not cover as much of their care as it used to. Financial responsibility is a subject that can elicit feelings of anxiety, fear, and even anger for patients.
If ASCs want to collect what patients owe for care — which is necessary to remain solvent and comply with insurance contract rules—staff must be prepared to effectively discuss the sensitive subject of financial responsibility. Here are three tips to follow to help make these conversations easier and more successful.
