Co-Pays: Make Collections Easier, Just Ask

Collecting point-of-service hospital co-pays from patients is a necessary part of the job, and one team in Anaheim was below the stated minimum of 65 percent success. With training and coaching from financial advisers, the team was able to increase its success rate from 57 percent to 72.6 percent in seven months. Both nursing and frontline staff were educated on the importance of collecting co-pays, and specifically how to ask for payment. By also assessing for financial assistance the team improved service, and patient and worker morale.

Here's What Worked

• Training your team about the co-pay collection process and how to ask for money
• Educating about the importance of co-pays and the availability of financial assistance
• Hiring a financial counselor, and making them both visible and available to patients

What can your team do to get needed trainings from other departments? What else could your team do to see how your work fits into KP's "big picture"?