As a result, DeGrote points out, some experts say more than half of all debt in the United States is related to health care. Wis. Statistics on the total writeoff of the laboratory industry are not available, but annual reports of publicly held labs suggest the sums are sizable. Given the magnitude of the problem, DeGrote is not a wild optimist. He knows some labs won't ever take accounts receivable seriously. But he does have a few pointers for those who are starting to understand the stakes.
Labs can use the phone book or directory assistance to get client addresses.
But that information is often outdated. But at the end of the day, he suggests, the accuracy of the data entry on the front end of the lab process has to improve. DeGrote's dream is to incorporate SearchAmerica directly into laboratory information systems, so that clerks' typing errors would be corrected instantly. Until then, he believes labs should help clients ensure that the information that arrives with each specimen is correct. It's not just that people are avoiding their bills.