Optometry Coding: Has a Broken Payment Pact Come to a Conclusion?

If you have a patient who continues to break the terms of your payment agreements, you need to know how you can dismiss that patient and keep your practice's legal bases covered. While your practice can end the physician-patient relationship at any time for a number of reasons, non-payment is a valid reason to do so. When you do come at the point of sending a letter, see to it to include the following elements to dismiss a patient in a fair and straight forward manner.

Offer to continue care for a period of 30 days

When your practice decides to put an end to physician patient relationship, you should not put the patient in a situation that could compromise her health.

Important: Failure to offer care could provide the patient the opportunity to accuse you of abandonment. If the patient is discharged, then it's his or her responsibility to find another doctor, however it may take time to find another provider. Standard practice is to give the patient a 30-day time window in which to find a new provider.

Provide the patient with a referral

However, the 30-day period does not mean you should continue to give your services for free. If the patient does not have the copay or means to pay that day, you do not have to see that patient in the 30 days.

Remember: If the patient doesn't have any immediate health risks and you are still operating within the 30-day window, you might provide a referral to another provider.

Leave out reasons for dismissal

Remember that any written correspondence the patient gets from your office could potentially be used against you down the road. As such, above all, don't include any reasons for why you are dismissing the patient. I'd not give them a reason to call.

Send the letter certified

For a key document like a dismissal letter, many experts suggest sending it through certified mail with a return receipt. You'll then have a record of who signed for the letter. You should keep the receipt with the patient's chart. If the patient does call the office to question the dismissal letter, then whoever takes the call will be able to explain the reason for dismissal to the patient.

Make your statement upfront

In sports, it is said that the best defense is a good offence. You can put this motto to use by having your financial policy well documented and easily available. You can avoid sending letters of termination if you have a good written financial policy upfront. The aim of a good financial policy is to communicate to the patient 'this is what we expect of you in this office.'

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