Self-Pay Patients (Audio Conference)

AUDIO CONFERENCE ON CD OR AUDIO ON-DEMAND

Sponsored by The PFS Director's Handbook

presented on September 30, 2008

Hospitals face increasing risk of bad debt and aging receivables in the consumer-driven healthcare climate, where patients are less likely to have the ability to pay for their own care. West Virginia University Hospital addresses the problem by collecting its self-pay dollars with the help of a successful patient portal access program, which utilizes technology to help prevent lost revenue from spiraling out of control.

Solutions to manage self-pay patients

Listen to HCPro's 90-minute audio conference, Self Pay Patients: Collect Full Payment with Effective Policies and Procedures. Patient financial services director Alex McFadden (West Virginia University Hospitals) and healthcare consultant Sandra J. Wolfskill, FHFMA (Wolfskill & Associates, Inc.) help you reign in bad-debt, show the pros and cons of in-sourcing your debt collection vs. outsourcing it, and outline successful discount programs.

AT THE END OF THIS AUDIO CONFERENCE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Identify consumer-directed health plans prior to a retirement service
• Define self pay portfolio v. insurance portfolios
• Determine the "right&" solution for your organization's self-pay collection efforts
• Distinguish the advantages for your facility between in-sourcing and outsourcing
• Communicate better with physician offices and patients
• Use home-based employees effectively
• Set policies for self-pays and determine who approves and manages them

AGENDA

• Impact of consumer directed health plans
  • Increased burden on individual
  • Higher deductibles/co-pays
• Importance of client service collections
• Patient friendly statements
• Charity dollars v. bad debt dollars within a self-pay portfolio
• Tools to determine charity care v. bad debt
• Converting self pay to Medicaid
• In-sourcing v. outsourcing of self pay collections
• How to screen for a trusted vendor
• Concentrate your provider staff on third-party receivables
• Sustaining the partnership
• Segmentation approach to self pay
• Priority account collections
• How to determine accounts with potential
• How to gauge uncollectible accounts
• Patient Discount Programs
• Tax sales
• Elective procedures
• Emergency department
• Policies
• Who needs to approve them
• Tips to get policies approved
• Considerations and action items
• Communication
• Best practices to interact with physicians
• Tips to communicate with patients
• Changes in AR practice affect financials
• Technology
• Making the most of what you have
• The future: Real-time claim adjudication
• Patient portal access program, case study
• Home-based programs for bill collectors
  • Advantages and challenges
• Keys for optimized billing and follow up with patients
• Assess key functions, tools and processes
• Question and answer session

BONUS MATERIALS

In addition to the expertise and advice presented during this audio conference, you'll also receive a slide presentation of the program materials and:

• Evaluation matrix for self pay outsourcing proposals
• Financial policy to support point of service collections
• Communication processes with physicians
• Financial resolution policy - language regarding financial resolution prior to services rendered
• Workflow diagrams to assist in staff handling of financial resolution

These materials are provided with PDF links.

MEET THE SPEAKERS

Alex McFadden, director of Patient Financial Services and Patient Access, West Virginia University (WVU) Hospitals. McFadden possesses a vast background in the healthcare industry, with expertise in decision support and cost accounting, annual budget preparation, cost reporting, patient access, and patient financial services. Under his leadership in his current role at WVU Hospitals, his access department has seen a decrease in Patient Financial Services Days in Accounts Receivable from 140 to a record low of 56.

Sandra J. Wolfskill, FHFMA, president, Wolfskill & Associates, Inc. (Chardon, OH). Wolfskill leads a firm dedicated to quality healthcare receivables consulting. Prior to founding the firm in 1996, she spent 15 years in healthcare financial management and consulting, including holding positions of Vice President, Senior Consultant, Director of Patient Financial Services, Director of Information Systems, and Chief Financial Officer. Wolfskill is the author of Charity Care: Tools for Managing the Uninsured Population, published by HCPro, Inc.

WHO SHOULD LISTEN?

Professionals based in hospitals or large physician group practices and health systems, with the following position titles:

• PFS director
• Patient access manager
• CFO
• COO
• CEO
• Compliance officers

PROGRAM MATERIALS:

Program materials are provided with PDF links.

AUDIO ON-DEMAND

In addition to the regular purchase options for HCPro audio conferences, we are pleased to offer another option, an audio on-demand. Audio on-demand allows you to download the program and play it back at your convenience through your computer or MP3 player. Purchase a CD or audio on-demand of the program and listen when you can. It's also a perfect training tool for new staff or as a refresher for veteran staff. CD and audio on-demand orders will be fulfilled after the date of the live program.

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