Guarantor
A guarantor is the person legally responsible for paying a patient's healthcare bill, who may be the patient or, for minors and dependents, a parent or spouse. ASCs identify the correct guarantor to direct patient statements and collect balances.
What is a guarantor?
A guarantor is the person who is legally responsible for paying a patient's healthcare bill. Often the guarantor is the patient, but for a minor or a dependent it may be a parent, spouse, or other responsible party.
Identifying the guarantor is part of registration, since this is the individual to whom statements are addressed and from whom outstanding balances are collected. The guarantor designation is distinct from the insurance subscriber, though the two can be the same person.
Why does identifying the guarantor matter for an ASC?
Directing statements and collection efforts to the correct guarantor is essential to actually recovering patient balances. If the responsible party is misidentified at registration, bills can go to the wrong person and balances can age unnecessarily.
For an ambulatory surgery center, capturing accurate guarantor information upfront reduces friction later in the cycle. It ensures that the patient-responsibility portion, which is often the hardest to collect, reaches the person who is obligated to pay it.
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