Registration Policy [Healthcare Compliance Tips]

Create a patient registration policy and procedure.

Sadly, we find that practices assume that employees automatically understand the patient registration process.

And, this is not the case.

Your employee may know how to register, but that doesn’t mean they understand your practice guidelines.

The goal is to ensure accurate information is obtained, which will make the accounts receivables process easier for your practice.

Therefore, create a registration policy that new and old employees can follow regularly.

To get you started with policy creation, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do we have a process to verify patient demographics before and after patient arrival (i.e., birth date, insurance plan eligibility)?
• Do we verify primary or secondary insurance and place them in the correct order (i.e., “the birthday” rule)?
• Do we schedule in consecutive blocks and prioritize appointments based on care?
• Should we add self-scheduling, if so, how will we ensure it is functioning correctly?
• How do we handle cancellations, “no-shows,” and waiting lists?
• Do we send appointment reminders through text, email, or by phone?
• Does the patient sign the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP)?
• Do we keep scanned copies of the insurance cards?
• Are we collecting the appropriate copayment and deductible amounts to align with our accounts receivables system?

Since these questions are a guide, the answers can then be formulated into a policy tailored to your practice.

Remember, if your front desk employees don’t double-check registration, the back office (i.e., billers, coders) must fix the issue, which can hold up the process or create denials.

The goal is to ensure everything is running smoothly from front to back office, which reduces the amount of patient complaints and red-flags to insurance companies.

**The opinions and observations from the group/author are not a promise to exempt your practice from fines and penalties.  Research, modify, and tailor the advice to fit your specialty.