Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1134178
20 ASC MANAGEMENT indigency policies and economic hardship policies. These policies will bolster the facilities compliance with federal and state guidelines while isolating accounts where patient responsibility is handled differently due to confirmed hardships. Discounts / Professional Courtesy- As healthcare providers, we have all experienced real-life scenarios or encountered policies that allow for professional courtesy and patient discounts to healthcare costs. According to the OIG, discounts and professional courtesy may not be appropriate unless the total fee is discounted or reduced. This means that the payor (Medicare or private payor) should receive its proportional share of the discount or reduction that was offered to the patient. Offering the discount to the patient only, while still collecting allowed reimbursement from the insurance carrier, can be viewed as a mis-statement of actual charges and may be a fraudulent practice. The compliance guidance continues by identifying that best practice is to stay away from providing any form of professional courtesy or discount. Prompt pay discounts are sometimes used to encourage patients to pay most of their outstanding medical bill during a specified period. These programs, though potentially supportive of improved patient responsibility collections, must be structured appropriately to ensure that they do not violate applicable laws and even payor contracts. The federal fraud and abuse laws mentioned above apply to this practice as well and should be reviewed thoroughly and preferably with legal counsel to prevent non-compliance. ASCs must also monitor state statutes that may prohibit the discounting or routine waiver of patient responsibility. In closing, high deductible health plans have catapulted patients into being one of the main payors in healthcare today. As a result, and in combination with the growing federal and commercial payor focus on compliance, much attention is being given to patient responsibility collection practices. The Office of Inspector General's compliance guidance lays the footprint for an ASC's expansive compliance program. New technologies can offer support to business operations through the education of patients and streamlined process improvement of patient collections. Adherence to compliance standards is imperative to the health and prosperity of any facility. In the words of Paul McNulty, Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General, "If you think compliance is expensive, try non-compliance." n REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 AND SAVE! KEYNOTES BY 26 TH ANNUAL MEETING: THE BUSINESS & OPERATIONS OF ASCS OCTOBER 24-26, 2019 SWISSOTEL | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 185 SPEAKERS, INCLUDING 200+ SPEAKERS Register here at www.beckersasc.com/annual- ambulatory-surgery-centers-conference/ Call 800-417-2035 or email Jessica Cole at jcole@beckershealthcare.com or Scott Becker at sbecker@beckershealthcare.com The Best Business-Focused, Strategic Discussions in the ASC Industry with a Special AEU Credit Track BECKER'S ASC REVIEW Kevin O'Leary MBA, Chairman, O'Shares ETF Investments, and Star ABC's Shark Tank Mel Robbins Serial Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author, Internationally Recognized Social Media Influencer and Motivational Speaker Tucker Carlson Host, Tucker Carlson Tonight and Founder, The Daily Caller