Concerning the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Health Care Act, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling that is a victory for liberty but is questionable for health care. Although this ruling has no direct impact on medical billing personnel, had the law been upheld, this would have added yet another layer to their jobs. As it is, medical billing and coding companies will have no need to concern themselves with this aspect of the law.
Still, it is useful to these persons to be knowledgeable about this ruling for many of their clients may have questions pertaining to this provision that a professional billing person can answer. This will tell your clients that you are serious about looking after their interests and provide them with the comfort of knowing you are keeping up with the changes in this area. Hence, when you advise them on other matters, you will have earned their trust and this will go a long way toward developing loyalty, which is always good for business.
So what did the Court say?
We will not bore you with the details. In short, the Supreme Court ruled that the Individual Mandate required all persons without health insurance to either purchase such or pay a penalty in the way of a “shared premium” to the IRS. The Court ruled that Congress has no right to tell people who do nothing to do something. In other words, the people cannot be compelled to buy health insurance against their will.
Knowing what is true and what is misconception can help you in medical billing in general. We hope this information helps.
The next installment deals with the ruling on Medicaid expansion, which will directly impact your business.