Hospital Accounts Receivable Personnel
Everyone within the accounts receivable area in the hospital is responsible for making sure that all demographic and billing information is complete as possible. It starts in the registration area wherever the patient enters into the hospital computer and goes through the collection area after the billing has been processed until the patients bills have been paid.
Registration
The registration area is generally where every patient begins their journey through the hospitals computer system. It is very important that each person takes the time to collect as much information as they can from the patient and/or their family when the patient first presents for service. This includes the Emergency Room, Main Admitting area or a referral to an ancillary area of the hospital through the doctors office. Each facility has it's own policy and procedures as to who does these jobs and how the information is collected however the basics are always the same. AND, if done properly, the first time then every other time the patient comes in for a service the process is faster and only needs confirmation that the information is still current and correct.
Billing
If the registration area has done it's job properly the billing of the claims to the correct insurance with the correct information will be a fast as the programs that the facility has to process them. Should an error be made the claims must be corrected and resent and that slows down the process of getting paid.
Collections
The collections area of accounts receivable is probably one of the hardest or easiest ones to do depending on the quality of information gotten at the beginning of the patient's services. If the billing information is correct then the collections process becomes one of making sure the bill arrived at the intended insurance company and being processed.
Once processed, which really should be automatic with electronic billing going directly from the hospital's computer to the insurance company, then if the bill was processed correctly; the hospital has made any contracted adjustments to the final billing amount; if there is any balance it should be owed by the patient.
Thus, the final duty of the collection process is to make payment arrangements with the patient on the amount due by them according to the insurance company.