 Provided by Clinician 1
Many have written about the never-ending stream of paperwork that we have to complete. Little of it is reimbursed, of course. I feel that my time is valuable. I try to complete these things in-between patients, before hours, after hours...and still it piles up. As our monthly bills pile up, I wonder...we aren’t getting reimbursed for these things overall. Oh, sure, we charge a $10 fee for FMLA forms, physical forms that aren’t done at the time of the visit, etc. However, these inconsequential fees are a pittance in terms of reimbursement for time spent on the forms.
Then I read blogs about charging patients “administrative costs” for these type of things. A fee to cover forms, correspondence with other providers, insurance companies, etc. All of the things we do day-to-day. Things that take away from patient care. Things that suck the life out of me. Well...let me think about it. SHOULD we charge a “blanket” fee for these administrative costs? Shouldn’t we be compensated for our time and effort? I mean, my account charges me for every email and phone call. So does our lawyer. Our mechanic and plumber charge us by 15-minute increments for their labor.
Ah...but we are “PROFESSIONALS.” We’re supposed to be “altruistic.” Don’t you know?! We’re supposed to want to HELP people. We should DO this from the GOODNESS of our hearts.
This week, I have been INUNDATED with piles of paperwork. Much more than the usual deluge. My boss is on vacation this week, so I am doing the work of two providers...crammed into one person’s schedule. Plus a post-full-moon week of patients’ idiosyncrasies. AND a new medical assistant student, who, while being very nice, is SLOW to room my patients.
So, as I worked an 11-hour day today, I thought about the plethora of paperwork. Multiple phone calls made. Counseling of patients and support offered. And I also know that we have $30,000 of Medicare billing, held-off from submitting it...because we’re waiting on the government and secondary insurances to get their act together. Gee...wouldn’t it be nice if I was an accountant or lawyer, and I could bill those extra three hours?
(sigh) The truth is...I’m not any of those other professionals. I just want fair pay for the work that I do. I want to make sure that we can pay the bills at the end of the month. I want to make sure that I don’t have to work 11-hour days when my boss is away...so I can see my boys at the end of the day...for more than a few moments...and talk with my husband awhile.
So...I don’t know...if charging patients a reasonable “administrative” fee helps...perhaps we need to consider this...to help stay afloat, and do what we in primary care do best. I just want to take care of PATIENTS, darn it. But we also need to keep in mind...our practices need to stay afloat as well. Explore those options as they present themselves...whether they seem to “clash” with our “traditional” NP altruistic thoughts or not.
 Kim Spering is a family nurse practitioner who currently works at Brndjar Medical Associates, P.C., a family practice in Emmaus, PA. Her past experience includes the fields of medical/surgical ICU, open heart/trauma ICU, labor and delivery, nursing education, nursing supervision, and as a nurse practitioner in both family practice and OB/GYN settings. She currently serves as a NP preceptor for her graduate school alma mater, DeSales University, as well as for local baccalaureate programs. She is passionate about patient education and helping patients understand that they are ultimately responsible for their own health. She also firmly believes that the public needs to be educated on the value of NPs and PAs in meeting the health care needs of the next decade and beyond. In her free time, Kim enjoys family vacations with her optometrist husband, Mark, and her two sons, Matthew and Connor.
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
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