Scheduling Smarts
What information must always be verified before scheduling a patient?
Name, DOB, Phone Number, Insurance
Which insurance requires an authorization to be linked into our system to be able to bill for exam, glasses, and contacts?
VSP
Which three details must always be double-checked for spelling accuracy?
Patient name, DOB, address/Phone
What is the first thing you should do when a patient walks in?
Greet them warmly with a smile
Who are the doctor's in the practice??
Dr. Gary King, Dr. Sarah King, Dr. Kevin Skidmore, Dr. Taylor Waggoner, Dr. Ashley Lane.
If a patient is scheduled for a same-day appointment, what must we do before they arrive?
Print welcome forms & check insurance benefits
If a patient is coming in for a medical office visit or a follow up, what type of insurance do we need to make sure that we have in their chart?
if a patient's insurance card says "Robert", but they say they go by "Bobby", how should you enter their name in the chart?
Use the legal/insurance name "Robert", add preferred name as note.
a patient is upset about the extra fee for retinal imaging. What should you say?
Explain it's recommended by the doctor for better health screening and isn't always covered by the insurance.
What day of the week do we close early?
Friday
a patient calls and says they "just need glasses", but insurance only covers a medical visit. What should you explain?
Insurance may only cover for a medical issue but we would be more than happy to get you seen.
What should you do if a patient doesn't have their insurance card when scheduling?
Go ahead and get the rest of patient's information and politely ask patient to call again once having the information handy to finalize getting the appointment scheduled.
You find a patient's address is outdated, what is the correct procedure?
Update in system / welcome form (if already printed out) and confirm phone number as well.
What's a polite way to confirm patient spelling without offending?
Can you please spell your last name for me< just to make sure we have it correct?
What's the fee for advanced retinal imaging?
$25
True or False, is it okay to book a Test w/VF at the same time as another Test w/VF?
FALSE, we only have 1 VF machine and testing can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes.
True or False; A patient can use vision as primary and medical as secondary to pick up what vision does not cover for a routine eye examination.
What happens if DOB is entered incorrectly in insurance verification?
Benefits may not pull correctly, claim could be denied.
Why should you review forms with patients instead of just handing them over?
Ensures accuracy and avoids missing information.
What's our policy if a patient has not confirmed their appointment and you are only able to leave a voicemail?
A Patient wants to book a contact lens exam but has never worn contacts. We seen them for an exam within the past 2 months. What should you schedule them for?
What are the consequences if we do not get the correct VSP authorizations?
Patient could not be eligible at time of visit or for materials received. Patient could received product or services and we would not receive payment.
Why is attention to detail important when entering insurance ID numbers?
One wrong digit can cause claim rejections / billing issues.
A patient thanks you for helping, what's a simple way to end the interaction positively?
You're welcome, We're glad you're here!
Print welcome form, pull and check insurance benefits, confirm insurance info is attached, verify spelling of patient name / DOB / address / phone number, make the technician's aware of the add on, make all necessary notes in patient's chart of why they are coming in for the appointment.