Franciscan clinics to request prepayment from uninsured

[a kennedy]

Uninsured patients will be asked to pay something in advance before getting care at Mayo Clinic Health System's Franciscan Healthcare offices starting next month.
The move follows an industry trend to get patients to meet their financial responsibilities and reduce bad debt. Last year the organization says it served nearly 8,800 uninsured patients but recovered just 7 percent of the $6.6 million in charges billed.
It's a policy the industry also says will help connect uninsured patients with financial aid sources and avoid the stress of debt collection during recovery.
"This is about trying to make sure we engage our patients in a conversation around the financial obligations of medical care," said Tom Tiggelaar, chief financial officer for Mayo's Franciscan group. "By simply making this request - speak to a financial counselor - it opens that door for that discussion."
Patients at clinics in La Crosse, Onalaska, Holmen, Sparta, Tomah, La Crescent, Caledonia, Waukon, Prairie du Chien and Arcadia will be asked to pay $100 for a hospital visit or outpatient service and $75 for a clinic visit.
No one will be denied care if they can't pay, nor will payment requests be made before emergency room visits.
"We stand by our mission of providing care to the community," Tiggelaar said.


Read more: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_b01359e0-df54-11e0-ad40-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1Y1bI8Zmu

I NEVER thought our community hospital would start this....we've got two in our city, and I'm sure now the other one will start this also. So sad.....

[HereSince1628]

1. Considering the discount given to the insured

Getting a 7 percent return on billing rates many times greater than those of the insured might not really be as bad as it sounds.

The matter of the asymmetries in billing costs between insured and uninsured is too little discussed.

[Fumesucker]

2. I think what we need is indentured servitude for medical care..

If they save your life then you are their servant for the rest of that life, you owe it to them, you sign the papers before they start working on you.








































:sarcasm:

[brendan120678]

3. Yes, they will be requesting payment...so what?

They still have this policy, according to the article:
"No one will be denied care if they can't pay, nor will payment requests be made before emergency room visits."

I see nothing wrong with requesting payment prior to services being rendered.