Objective: To decrease the amount of bad debt and increase the number of patients on a sliding fee discount plan or Medicaid.
Description: Due to a high rate of uninsured patients, the Indian Healthboard of Minneapolis focused on enrollment in Medicaid and an in-house Sliding Fee Discount program. Historically, they did not send patients with bad debt to collections, therefore people were sometimes not concerned with getting the discount or applying for Medicaid until they had a large bill from outside the organization. There was also reluctance to provide personal information in a small urban community due to privacy concerns. The Indian Healthboard of Minneapolis implemented a workflow change to locate a billing coordinator close to the patient registration area to facilitate the applications for Medicaid and sliding fee discount plans. It is important that there be trust between patient registration staff and the billing coordinator so that the registration staff promotes the service to patients.
Results/Evidence/Accomplishments: There was a 10% increase in Medicaid enrollment and 3% increase in the Sliding Fee Discount program from 2011.
Population of Focus: American Indian or Alaska Native, Adolescent, Adult, Children, Elderly, Transition aged, Limited English Proficient, Women
Setting: Community health center, Primary care facility, Urban
Level of Intervention: Community, City, County, Family, Individual, State, Tribal
Resources/Qualifications Needed: Funded by a one-time grant.
Contact
Theresa Turner, Revenue Manager
Indian Healthboard of Minneappolis
tturner@ihb-mpls.org
612-721-9800
1315 East 24th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55404
http://indianhealthboard.com