React to this article in the Discussion Forum. In parallel payment systems tracking services, billing and financial operations are difficult challenges regardless of the size of the practice.
Most practices struggle with the challenges of new, prepaid managed care enrollees.
Staff understand the importance of obtaining accurate patient information to register the patient in the accounts receivable system and ensure they will be paid for services rendered. But they have difficulty understanding how to process patients and understand the services they are responsible for in a capitated environment. They are accustomed to billing insurance for services rendered on an itemized basis and collecting from patients for non-covered services and annual deductibles. Managing prepaid medicine is an entirely different matter. It requires a cautious approach to utilization and collecting a co-payment from the patient at the time of each encounter.