For each new plan year for the past decade, health plans have imposed higher medical deductibles upon Americans to use their health benefits. Except for annual physicals, routine office visits and immunization shots, this means patients have to pay more out-of-pocket for the cost of the medical services received before the health plan will share in the cost of care. Higher deductibles also means the financial well-being of providers are becoming more dependent upon payments

Long gone are the days when a patient with a health plan meant predictable, reasonable payments for the medical provider. Reimbursements to medical providers have steadily decreased over the last two decades. During the same time period, the cost of running a business has increased with mandates for new technology, increased office rents and growing payroll obligations. But now, health plans are imposing a growing new roadblock for medical providers- requirements of pre-au

Training Staff to navigate the often uncertain terrain of financial communications is a challenge in itself. How do you prepare and train your staff for what may sometimes turn into a rather heated discussion? First, acknowledge that such discussions are only inevitable, especially if a patient or caregiver is overwhelmed by a newly diagnosed medical condition and they are feeling put off guard. Add to that the cumbersome task of finding health benefit information and it ca