Here are eight key notes on ASC payment trends:
1. Facility fees are increasing and patients have higher out-of-pocket costs.
2. Patients are taking plans with higher deductibles and may not have the funds readily available to pay for services upfront.
3. More procedures are elective today, and if patients feel they can’t afford surgery they might not have the procedure.
4. There are ASCs trying to help patients afford surgery by extending credit in-house, but overtime hours spent on the program can have a negative impact on the ASC’s financial health.
5. Other ASCs work with CareCredit to manage patient payments. Adding CareCredit allows ASCs to offer patients the service without in-house billing.
6. Using CareCredit, ASCs and practices get paid two business days after care.
7. CareCredit can assume risk for collecting from patients, which can be a huge burden for healthcare providers.
8. There are also financing options for patients with CareCredit, which are subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments are required and details are found at carecredit.com.
More articles on surgery centers:
11 hospitals, health systems planning or opening ASCs—May 11, 2015
3 tips for getting the most out of ASC software
5 key elements of emergency preparedness in ASCs
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