QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS .
Healthcare Dollars & Sense is the name given to what 3 HFMA revenue cycle initiatives? -
answer - Patient financial communications best practices
- Best practices for price transparency
- Medical account resolution
What question does Healthcare Dollars & Sense answer for patients and consumers? - answer
to help make sense of price and value in healthcare.
What are the 3 components/best practices of Healthcare Dollars & Sense - answer Price
Transparency, Patient Financial Communications, and Medical Account Resolution.
What is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)? - answer requires
ER departments to provide a medical screening examination to any individual who comes into
the ER department and requests an examination/treatment; prohibits ER departments from
refusing to examine or treat individuals with an emergency condition.
In an ED, when should you engage in financial discussions with patients? - answer During the
discharge process
In an ED, if a patient does not have a medical condition, when should you discuss the financial
discussion? - answer After the medical screening, and either during the registration or
discharge process.
If an ED patient does not have an emergency medical condition, can you then engage in
financial discussions? - answer No, you must ensure the medical screening is complete first.
Outside the ED setting, when can you have financial discussions with patients? - answer Either
during the registration or discharge process - as long as the patient flow is not disrupted.
, According to best practices, when should you make a reasonable attempt to have a financial
discussion with a patient? - answer Before a financial obligation is incurred (before care is
provided).
Why does best practices support financial discussions before care is provided? - answer To
ensure that patients are aware of their financial obligations and that providers are aware of the
patient's ability to pay or the source of payment.
Routine & Complex Scenarios: the best practices specifies that patients should be given the
opportunities to request what to help them with financial discussions? - answer a patient
advocate, family member, or other designee to help them in the discussions.
For Routine Scenarios: for patients with insurance coverage or a know ability to pay, who
should be involved in the financial discussions? - answer the patient or guarantor and properly
trained provider representatives.
For Complex Scenarios: for patients with non-routine or complex scenarios, such as uninsured
or underinsured patients, who should be involved in the financial discussions? - answer the
patient and financial counselor or supervisor.
Routine Activities: Provision of Care: who should be informed that their ability to pay will not
interfere with treatment or any emergency medical condition? The insured / able to pay or the
uninsured? - answer all patients should be informed.
Routine Activities: Provision of Care: when having a financial discussion with uninsured ED
patients, you should explain the goal of collecting information to identify payment solutions.
What is goal? - answer To find payment solutions or financial assistance options that may help
them with their financial obligations for the ED visit.