Managing Bad Debts

Bad Debts can be avoided by:

• Carrying out an Online Eligibility Check (OEC) prior to the procedure
• Taking the Prepayment for any Out Of Pocket (OOP) from the client before providing the services
  • Full payment if Client has no Private Insurance or no Medicare Number
  • Out-Of-Pocket (OOP) if Fund allows. Ensure that your IFC references that the Client is responsible for full payment of the account to include any other charges should the Fund decline to pay
• Utilise Direct Billing to Medicare (Bulk Bill)
• Utilise Direct Billing to Medicare (DVA)
• Utilise Direct Billing to Health Funds (ECLIPSE)
• Request for comment on the Invoice that payment is due within 14 days

Should you need to send out reminders, this is completed as follows:

Patient Accounts that are unpaid in total

• Go to Reports - Statements (this should be a task for the third week of each month if you follow up accounts monthly or every second week if you follow up accounts fortnightly)

For 14 or 30 day accounts ...

• Select the previous month date range
• Select Print invoices for Patient Accounts if unpaid in total as they will require this detail for claiming
• Invoices will print with a 'stronger' comment such as 'This is a friendly reminder that your account is overdue. Please pay immediately'

For 30 or 60 day accounts ...

• Select the month prior to the previous month date range
• Select Print invoices for Patient Accounts if unpaid in total as they will require this detail for claiming
• Invoices will print with a 'stronger' comment such as 'Your account is well overdue. If not paid within 7 days, this account will be forwarded to the debt collector'

Patient Accounts where the OOP ONLY is outstanding

Complete the above steps, however, these can be sent out as Statement and not invoices if you wish. You have the option of printing letters as well with the Statements

Third Party Payers

Complete the above steps, however, these can be sent out as Statement. You have the option of printing letters as well with the Statements

Transactions and Letters ...

Please ensure that you have signed off on layouts and informedsupport@directcontrol.com.au what 'messages' you want to appear on reminders. This should be completed as part of your setup in the first few weeks of using Direct CONTROL