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