Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront From ER Patients With Routine Problems

Kaiser Health News published an article on payments upfront in the Emergency Room. The was article titled: "Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront From ER Patients With Routine Problems"

Article Overview:

• Growing number of hospitals have implemented the pay-first policy this was to reduce the number of individuals with routine illnesses from the ER.
• Federally required screening is done
• Half of all hospitals in the United States now charge upfront ER fees
• Emergency-room doctors and patient advocates blast the policy as potentially harmful to patients
• Hospitals turn away uninsured patients who often fail to pay their bills and are a drag on profits
• Dr. David Seaberg, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, who estimated that 2 to 7 percent of patients screened in ERs and found not to have serious problems are admitted to hospitals within 24 hours.
• A 2010 Health Affairs study found that 27 percent of those visiting ERs could be treated more cost-effectively at doctors' offices or clinics.

Outcome of Payments Upfront:

• Decline in wait times since it implemented upfront payments.
• One hospital implemented a 24-hour on-call nurse triage system to assist the patient whether to go to the ER or a nearby clinic
• 75 percent of patients with non-emergencies left the facility instead of paying the upfront fee.

To view the full article, please go to the following link: Hospitals Demand Payment Upfront From ER Patients With Routine Problems

For additional billing and coding resources, please click the following link: Medical Reimbursement, Inc. Resources