Medical Billing in the Age of Coronavirus

A record number of Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, but doctors and nurses are the busiest they have ever been.  At least, the ones in the hospitals are.  Many medical offices have suspended all non-emergency treatment; dentists and primary care physicians have postponed their patients’ routine appointments until the curve of the coronavirus pandemic has flattened and instructed patients to call them only in an emergency.  Doctors that deal in elective treatments, such as cosmetic surgeons and fertility specialists, have all but closed up shop.  In other words, just because you work in healthcare, it does not necessarily mean that you are exempt from feeling the economic pinch that the rest of Americans are feeling.  The non-emergency services you provide in non-emergency times are vital to the health and productivity of the community.  An Alabama creditors’ rights lawyer can help you develop a strategy for keeping your business afloat until the worst part of the coronavirus pandemic passes.

A Farewell to Surprise Medical Bills?

Surprise medical bills are a major driver of the medical debt crisis.  Many hospitals have contracts with physician groups, such that physicians who treat patients in the hospital, whether in the emergency room or after they have been admitted, are often not employees of the hospital.  Therefore, patients receive one bill from the hospital and then, several weeks later, another bill from the physician.  Since uninsured patients struggle to pay one medical bill, let alone two, this leads to lots of unpaid bills.  Meanwhile, the doctors who work in the hospital might not be in-network for patients with insurance, even if the hospitals are, so patients with insurance get an out-of-network bill that they neither expect nor can afford.

The COVID-19 crisis has led to discussion that there has to be a better way imposing heavy debt burdens on patients and making medical billing an exercise in frustration.  While the pandemic has raised questions about which bills hospitals and doctors should waive in order to treat COVID-19 patients, thereby flattening the curve of the pandemic, none of these decisions have become unofficial policy.

Business Loans for Small Medical Clinics

The financial stress on neighborhood orthodontists’ offices, pediatric clinics that provide routine services, and other small, private clinics is unmistakable.  One ray of hope is that any business, regardless of business structure, that employs 500 employees or fewer is eligible for a stimulus loan of up to $10 million from the Small Business Administration.  You can apply from these loans directly from the bank; therefore, they are easier and faster to obtain than most federal loans.  There are even opportunities to have the loans forgiven as long as you use the loan money to cover payroll.

Let Us Help You Today

The usual rules of collecting medical debts may be on hold for the next few months.  An Alabama creditors’ rights lawyer can help you figure out how to enable your business to succeed.  Contact Cloud Willis & Ellis for help today.

Resource:

thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/488622-covid-19-patients-should-not-face-surprise-medical-bills

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Medical Billing in the Age of Coronavirus

A record number of Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States, but doctors and nurses are the busiest they have ever been.  At least, the ones in the hospitals are.  Many medical offices have suspended all non-emergency treatment; dentists and primary care physicians have postponed their patients’ routine appointments until the curve of the coronavirus pandemic has flattened and instructed patients to call them only in an emergency.  Doctors that deal in elective treatments, such as cosmetic surgeons and fertility specialists, have all but closed up shop.  In other words, just because you work in healthcare, it does not necessarily mean that you are exempt from feeling the economic pinch that the rest of Americans are feeling.  The non-emergency services you provide in non-emergency times are vital to the health and productivity of the community.  An Alabama creditors’ rights lawyer can help you develop a strategy for keeping your business afloat until the worst part of the coronavirus pandemic passes.

A Farewell to Surprise Medical Bills?

Surprise medical bills are a major driver of the medical debt crisis.  Many hospitals have contracts with physician groups, such that physicians who treat patients in the hospital, whether in the emergency room or after they have been admitted, are often not employees of the hospital.  Therefore, patients receive one bill from the hospital and then, several weeks later, another bill from the physician.  Since uninsured patients struggle to pay one medical bill, let alone two, this leads to lots of unpaid bills.  Meanwhile, the doctors who work in the hospital might not be in-network for patients with insurance, even if the hospitals are, so patients with insurance get an out-of-network bill that they neither expect nor can afford.

The COVID-19 crisis has led to discussion that there has to be a better way imposing heavy debt burdens on patients and making medical billing an exercise in frustration.  While the pandemic has raised questions about which bills hospitals and doctors should waive in order to treat COVID-19 patients, thereby flattening the curve of the pandemic, none of these decisions have become unofficial policy.

Business Loans for Small Medical Clinics

The financial stress on neighborhood orthodontists’ offices, pediatric clinics that provide routine services, and other small, private clinics is unmistakable.  One ray of hope is that any business, regardless of business structure, that employs 500 employees or fewer is eligible for a stimulus loan of up to $10 million from the Small Business Administration.  You can apply from these loans directly from the bank; therefore, they are easier and faster to obtain than most federal loans.  There are even opportunities to have the loans forgiven as long as you use the loan money to cover payroll.

Let Us Help You Today

The usual rules of collecting medical debts may be on hold for the next few months.  An Alabama creditors’ rights lawyer can help you figure out how to enable your business to succeed.  Contact Cloud Willis & Ellis for help today.

Resource:

thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/488622-covid-19-patients-should-not-face-surprise-medical-bills

Share This :