The coronavirus pandemic has forever changed the way healthcare is conducted in the United States. Even should COVID-19 recede, it seems likely that some of the standards and practices it spawned will remain. For example, if you are a medical practitioner who wants to provide a full range of services to your patients, you should incorporate telemedicine into your care model.
Meet the continuing demand.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law, changing the complexion of healthcare. As a direct result, Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurance plans now cover telemedicine services to one extent or another. In the majority of states, insurance companies are required to reimburse healthcare providers for telemedicine services in the same amount they would give for office visits.
The need to accept payments.
Even though the cost of office visits is covered by many insurers, patients frequently are still expected to contribute a copay. This is either because it is required by their insurer or because they are paying privately. In both instances, you as the provider must have a secure and reliable way to accept patients’ money.
Accepting payments over the phone.
In this common type of “card not present” transaction, your patient dictates their payment information to you. You then enter it into your payments system. Although this seems straightforward enough, data entry errors are common. Furthermore, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requires that you immediately destroy any written records containing cardholder data. If you fail to do so, you could be penalized.
Using telemedicine software.
If you invest in one of these programs that integrate with your financial system, you can collect payments directly from patients before or after their tele-appointment. Most software does so by displaying a menu that requests the payment from your patient. They then enter the details, accept the charges, and the process is concluded.
Accepting direct payments.
Another option is to set up your systems to allow your patients to make their payments by filling out a form that is integrated with popular third-party providers. To accomplish this, all you need to do is to embed an ecommerce payment gateway right into your form. This method has two key advantages. First, the company who supports the form template can ensure that it is fully PCI DSS compliant, thus safeguarding the cardholder’s data. Second, you can email the form to your patient before the visit. When all of the details are successfully completed beforehand, both you and your patient can focus on their health and well-being without needing to worry about administrative nuts and bolts.
It seems probable that telemedicine is here to stay. If you have not investigated integrating it into your practice to serve both your insured and private pay clients, there is no time like the present to look into your options.
