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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
PrePaid Payment Plans Edie, we are
thinking about doing prepaid payment plans for our patients. Some people say they are legal and some people say they
are fine. What do you think?...Martha Dear Martha, I have had
several request for information regarding pre-paid plans for chiropractic services, I have put together these suggestions
for handling them in your office. Please be sure to check with your state because some prepaid plans may
be operating in direct violation of the law because it may be interpreted as an “insurance business” and must
be registered with your state. I am NOT an attorney. Here
are some suggestions for pre-paid chiropractic plans. 1.
Make sure everything is in writing. Clearly outline exactly what services are included.
2. The written
plan should state how many visits, specific services and time frame recommended by the doctor for the patient’s specific
diagnosis that is included in the fee. 3.
Specifically state how refunds will be handled if care is terminated for any reason. If
you have chosen a 1 year plan and the patient moves out of town in 6 months, how will the refund be calculated?
4. State in writing
when and how the patient should expect any refunds. I recommend that all refunds be made within 30 days
of the patient’s request.
11:17 am est
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thank you, Edie I am thoroughly
enjoying this site. I have worked as a CA for the past (almost) 5 years and most recently as the office manager, with challenges
of it's own! I love this job, love helping people and seeing the amazing results we see in our office, love chiropractic!
I am in the process of putting together an office manual and find this website particularly insightful. Thank you so much
for all of your hard work. Thank you! I always love to hear that this site helps.
I developed this site strickly to answer questions and give information that can help doctors, office managers and CAs.
How long do I have to keep patient records? I have boxes
and boxes of EOBs that I have been storing for my office and I want to start shredding them, how far back do I have to keep
them? I live in Pennsylvania. Glad you asked. Each state law is different. This is what I have found about Pennsylvania law. EOB’s are consider patient records.
§ 5.51. Patient
records. (a) A licensee shall maintain a patient record for each patient which accurately
reflects the licensee’s evaluation and treatment of the patient. Entries in the patient record shall be made in a timely
fashion. (b) The patient record shall contain the patient’s full name, address, date of birth,
sex and other information sufficient to identify the patient, the date of every entry in the patient record and the name of
the person making an entry if that person is not the licensee. (c) The patient record shall contain
sufficient information to document the clinical necessity for chiropractic care rendered, ordered or prescribed. (d) A
referral to another health care provider shall be reported in the patient record. (e) A licensee shall retain a patient record for at least 7 years from the date of the last chiropractic
service for which a patient record entry is required. A licensee shall retain the patient record for a minor patient until
1 year after the minor patient reaches majority, even if this means that the licensee retains the record for more than 7 years.
Industry Standard in No of Patients seen in 1 hour. I am a "New"
Office Manager to the Chiropractice field (4 days). Is there an industry standard to how many pts. seen in 1 hour?
Good morning, No, there is no industry standard.
It really depends on the doctors adjusting technique, the office layout and how much time the doctor wants to spend with the
patient. I know many doctors that see hundreds of patients a day and those that chose to see many less.
If your doctor wants to see more, please let me know and I will give
you suggestions on how to serve more patients in a day. Thanks
for asking, Edie
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