Kathy asks:

> and, we are having a difference of opinion about whether we should get into
> filing Insurance clains FOR the patient, or should support them in filing
> their own forms.  Your opinions?
>

I'm a bit behind -- just got home from Houston, so forgive me if someone else
has responded to this.  Kathy, if you have the personnel on hand to file the
insurance claims, I'm sure the patients would love it.  OTOH, it's much
faster for the parents to do one than for you to do 8!  We seem to take for
granted that it is the responsibility of the doctor's office to file all
claims, and I'm not sure that is justified.

When we had to take Timothy to a pediatric neurologist, I called them to make
an appointment.  Their response:  "We can see him at 10:00 on Tuesday
morning.  The visit will take approximately two hours.  The fee is $180, and
must be paid at the time of the visit.  We do not file insurance claims; you
will have to do that with your insurance company, however we will provide you
with the superbill (or whatever they called it) so that you can do this.  We
accept checks, cash, Visa or Mastercard."

So, I had all the info up front.  I could have whined and said I couldn't pay
it all -- I don't know what they would have done about that -- but I suspect
my other alternative was to not go to them.  Actually from a business
perspective, I thought it was a rather sound way to do business.

Of course, she didn't do a thing for Timothy, but that's another story and
$180 down the tubes.

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC
Administrative & Program Director
Lactation Education Consultants
Wheaton, Illinois

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