Not everyone has medical coverage, but everyone is susceptible to medical issues. As a medical care provider, it can be difficult to correspond with uninsured patients regarding medical treatment and care that’s affordable for them. To create a more empathetic practice, it’s important to consider those who may struggle to acquire the care they need. Apogee Capital Partners suggests different ways how medical providers can help uninsured patients without compromising their income.
Confirm That They Don’t Have Insurance
Some folks who believe they’re uninsured have yet to check whether they qualify for government assistance. Ask your patient whether they’ve gone through the application process for government assistance with their local office. When applying, your patient may come to find they qualify for Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, or other coverage services.
Talk About Cost Upfront
The best way medical providers can help uninsured patients and avoid an unfavorable interaction with an uninsured client is to let them know about the expenses upfront. Medical care can get costly quickly, so it’s important that you and your patient are on the same page.
In some cases, pricing fluctuates should your patient require more treatment or care than anticipated. If you encounter this situation, let your patient know about the difference in projected expenses before providing additional services that put them in debt.
Offer Generic Prescriptions When Possible
Prescription drugs, though dire for some, come at a price—especially for those who are uninsured. When writing a prescription for your uninsured patient, consider whether pharmacies offer a generic version of the drug. Generic brand treatment tends to work just as well as name brand medicine and can save your patient hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year.
For Uninsured Patients Who Were Injured in an Accident
If your uninsured patient was the victim of an accident, you could issue a lien. A medical lien will ensure that you receive payment for your services once their attorney settles their personal injury case. Settlement checks always cover medical and litigation fees first, before going to the patient.
What To Do If Your Liens Start Adding Up
Medical liens take time to resolve. During the time that it takes for a former patient to resolve their lien, your practice continues to acquire expenses of its own (i.e., operations, payroll, equipment, utilities).
Apogee Capital Partners offers medical lien purchasing, so you can absolve yourself and your practice of its IOUs. We offer guaranteed service reimbursement for uninsured personal injury patients and lien servicing. Our full-circle approach to purchasing medical liens allows medical care providers to give their patients the treatment and care they need without fretting over finances.
