With all the challenges long-term care and skilled nursing facilities face, it is important that they have effective collection processes in place. The internal collection process should provide the following:
- Detailed patient financial counseling to determine the patient’s financial responsibility during the initial meeting and contract signing.
- The same financial responsibility message communicated to family, to those obligated under the contract and, if possible, to the patient.
- Follow up handled promptly on any money due for services.
- Options for payment, payment plans and information about healthcare credit services provided to patients and their families.
- Statements regularly sent to patients, and where patients are cognitively alert (even though there may be guarantors of payment), direct conversations with patients about their responsibility.
