Flagging Delinquent Accounts
VTH Policy # Bill305
| Implementation Date: 03/08/2019 | Date of Last Revision: 05/10/2022 | Next Review Due: 05/09/2024 |
| Reviewed by VTH Administrative Team: 01/08/2019 | Reviewed by VTH Board: 03/19/2009 |
| Reviewed by Legal Counsel: N/A | Reviewed by Biosecurity Subcommittee: N/A |
Subject to modification by the VTH Director without approval.
Policy
Any client that has unpaid charges with the VTH that are over 90 days old and regardless of the dollar amount owed, will be denied routine service, drugs, and/or supplies unless charges have been paid. Emergency care, whether in-house or ambulatory, will not be denied. The animal will be stabilized and provided pain relief, but diagnostic testing should be performed with discretion.
Guidelines
Clients with delinquent accounts wishing to make routine appointments or request an ambulatory call will be informed by a member of Client Services that they cannot schedule routine appointments or purchase drugs or supplies until their balance is paid in full. During both regular business hours and after regular business hours, clients seeking emergency care in-house will be seen and client requests for emergency ambulatory care will be permitted.
Procedure (if applicable)
The Accounting Associate in the Business Office will flag all VTH client accounts that appear on the listing of delinquent accounts provided each Thursday. Once the “Delinquent Account/No Service” flag has been applied in the Hospital Information System, the accounts will be locked, and no appointments can be made.
Clients requesting routine appointments or ambulatory calls will be told by the person taking the call that their account is delinquent and routine appointments cannot be scheduled. Additionally, drugs and supplies cannot be purchased until the account balance is paid. Clients requesting additional information that requires explanation regarding their account should be transferred to the Business Office.
hen emergency care is administered in-house during regular business hours, clients with delinquent accounts will be notified by Client Services of the outstanding account balance including late payment fees, and will be asked to pay their balance. Additionally, they will be asked to leave a deposit (50% of the high end of the estimate with SSN, or total estimate without providing SSN) for the emergency care.
Ambulatory & Equine clinicians contacted directly by an owner will refer any Vetstar flag and the “Delinquent Account/No Service” list generated by the Business Office and inform the client of the current status of their account. The clinician will then contact Client Services to find out what is the balance owed. At that time, the clinician will request that the client pay their balance. The next business morning the client will be contacted by the Accounting Associate in the Business Office regarding the status of their account.
If it is determined that emergency ambulatory care is required during regular business hours, clients with delinquent accounts will be notified of the outstanding account balance including late payment fees, and will be asked to pay their balance. Additionally, and as noted above, they will be asked to leave a deposit for emergency care. If after hours, the Hospital Information System should be consulted for delinquent status. Flagging Delinquent Accounts Category: Billing VTH Policy # Bill305.
For any delinquent account which is paid in full (including late payment charges), the account flag and lock will be removed. No person, other than those in the VTH Business Office, are authorized to remove a flag or unlock a client account, other than for emergency purposes.
Definitions (if applicable)DE
Delinquent Account: An account receivable that is over 90 days old regardless of the dollar amount owed.
Flag: A notation that appears in red on the Client/Patient Processing screen in Vetstar which denotes special/important information regarding that client, including account balance, discount rate, payment history, do not solicit, etc.
VTH – The collective clinical services of the Large Animal Clinic, the Small Animal Clinic, and the Veterinary
Medicine South Clinic.