Healthcare Organizations and Debt Collectors: A Match Made in Heaven

The Healthcare Financial Management Association, ACA International and major stakeholder organizations have released medical collection guidelines to their members. This has set in motion a scramble of credit bureaus, consumer protection agencies, healthcare organizations and others trying to synergize resources, build relationships and protect their bottom line. The ultimate goal, of course, is that these guidelines become widely accepted by the healthcare industry and its business partners.

But getting there is a little like online dating.  Healthcare organizations need to partner with the right collection agency that will settle unpaid patient accounts without wreaking havoc on the organization’s reputation. And collection agencies may want to branch out among healthcare clients, but they need to understand how the industry works and what potential healthcare customers need.

Service agreements between the two industries serve as the matchmaker for these types of deals. The stronger your services agreement, the stronger your partnership with your collection agency will be – guaranteeing success for both of you.

Don’t leave money on the table.

A Guide to Negotiating Service Contracts with Collection Agencies, Healthcare Edition takes you step by step through the process of identifying the right collection agency for your operation, creating a solid services agreement that protects you and your patients’ privacy and reputation. We’ll give you the Top 10 Terms to Include in Your Services Agreement as well as Model Language you can lift and use in your contracts.

We’ve also included a Model HIPAA Business Associate Contract you can repurpose with your own organization in mind.