General Category > New!

Patient and Insurance credit balances

(1/3) > >>

I am working on old aging account from 2004 that have alot of credit balance due to the patient of the insruance company. Can i write these off? I also have accouts from 2005 to current.Please advise :)

No, you should make the attempt to refund the patient and/or insurance company.

Linda Walker

it looks like you meant to say patient OR the insurance company. What I would look at first is the charge, the posted amount and the write off. If its an insurance credit, that can only happen if someone adjusted too much off, or the insurance company double paid and you need to refund the money especially if its medicare/medicaid/tricare

if its a patient credit, (providers HATE to give refunds), you should determine why the patient also has a credit. In my experience this usually happens when the incorrect copay is received. Before you refund the patient check to see who has been there. If a patient hasn't been seen since 2004 you should definitely try to reach them to refund the money. You just can't make it "disappear" For those that are true credits and are being seen often, you can still contact them, but its just as easy to not take the next visit copay (which should have happened anyway) so that the credit can be applied to that visit. Most of our clients preferred to keep the credit since they generally came for thier check ups and follow up visit.

I have another question what if the patient is deceased or does not respond to my letter sent to the address we have on file and the number is disconnted. Can I then write off. What protocol do i take. I would also like to thank all of you who responded.

I have had that happen, where we have tried to contact a client regarding a refund. I have adjusted the credit and posted a comment in the clients account and in the chart that was flagged closed. If the client ever comes back, you can always refund the monies. I can just tell you that most providers don't do refunds and it takes forever to get yours. It took me 3 years to get the refund owed me from a dentist, and every provider I ever worked for would always leave them as credits.


[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

Go to full version