Mosaic Life Care has announced recommendations for improvement made by a task force formed to evaluate its billing and collections processes that have been approved by its Board of Trustees.

“It is important to Mosaic Life Care to assist with aligning the poor and powerless with a path to help resolve their medical bills, even if that path is charity care. As an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), with a focus on population health, helping patients with their path is important so they feel comfortable in seeking care when it is needed, rather than perhaps letting a minor condition ultimately turn into a major, debilitating illness,” says Tama Wagner, chief brand/strategy officer.

In a news release issued Wednesday Mosaic said, “Even though Mosaic Life Care currently meets and exceeds state and federal laws and requirements pertaining to charity care and community benefit giving, the task force recommendations focus on expanding services for the poor and powerless. These efforts align with the innovation Mosaic Life Care pursues in transforming health care toward a more patient-centered experience. They are also in the best interest of the communities we serve in accordance with our organizational vision of making our service area the best and safest place in America to receive health care and live a healthy and productive life.”

The recommendations adopted unanimously by the Board of Trustees include:

• The organization is to place further resources, both internal and external, to become a more proactive navigator and improve the billing and collections experience for those we serve.
• Enlist an external review of financial assistance, billing and collections processes to ensure they are compliant with the recently clarified 501(r) regulations that are to be fully implemented by 2016. The organization is currently in compliance with a substantial portion of these new regulations, and will be fully compliant by that deadline.
• An external expert has been retained to look at the billing and collection policies and procedures of both the Medical Center as well as Northwest Financial Services and test the application of those policies and procedures against industry best practices.
• We have extended the ability for patients to take advantage of financial assistance resources by adding three more letters notifying them of this opportunity prior to accounts being sent into collections. Thus, patients will have a total of at least six months (180 days) from the time of their first statement to receive notification of our payment assistance option. Patients are still eligible to apply for financial assistance after being sent to collections for at least 240 days from first post–discharge billing statement.
• While it is in the best interest of consumers to resolve financial issues early by applying for charity care or other forms of assistance, interest will no longer be charged until or unless an account reaches the point of legal judgment, which is of course, always considered a last resort.
• Increase staffing for more support for patient assistance with completing financial assistance applications as well as Medicaid applications.
• Continue working on disability eligibility for persons who are in need of long–term assistance.
• Further enhance information, education and assistance on the front end of care rather than after care.
• Increase efforts toward public education of billing processes, statements and insurance navigation.