Activity 5 – Implementing your new mixed billing policy

It is important that you work closely with your practice team to ensure that your new billing policy is implemented successfully. From the time your patient books their appointment, whether online, over the phone or in-person, to when they arrive at your practice and when they are finally at their consultation, they should already be aware of your new billing policy.   

This means that messaging at the reception area and with other members of the practice staff should be consistent throughout.  

Question: What steps can you take to ensure that your new fees and billing policy is communicated consistently to your patients?  

Question: How can you support the team at your practice to implement your new billing policy? 

Download task 1

Communicating with your patients about your new billing policy is an important part of implementing your new policy. Patient education on billing is a necessary part of the relationship between GPs and their patients. Patients need to be supported to understand why there are out-of-pocket costs associated with their healthcare.   

While a large proportion of communication with patients on your new billing policy will occur at a practice level, there will be a need to also communicate with your patients at the consultation level.  

Depending on your billing policy, you may need to identify the cohort of patients who are impacted and tailor your communication accordingly. The RACGP resource Discussing fees with your patients provide useful tips for informing patients about fees.   

Question: What are some strategies you can use to support the communication of your new billing policy at the consultation level?  

Question: What are some of the key messages?   
 

Download task 2

In implementing your new billing policy, there may be some patients who are unhappy with the change in billing policy and demand that they are bulk billed. Some patients who are used to being bulk billed may not accept your new policy and may become upset or even angry during their consultation. Good communication skills are vital to reduce and manage any escalation.  

In such situations, you may wish to remind the patient of the quality of care that they are receiving and that the cost of delivering general practice services has increased significantly. You may also need to explain to patients that the Medicare rebate is the patient’s rebate and does not fully fund general practice.  

The LOWLINE approach has been shown to be useful in situations like these:  

• Listen to person to understand what the issue is.  
• Offer reflective comments to show that you have heard what their concerns are. 
• Wait for the person to fully express themselves and do not interrupt or rush them.  
• Look and maintain appropriate eye contact to connect with the person.  
• Incline your head slightly, to show you are listening. 
• Nod to confirm that you are listening and have understood.  

Question: How will you respond to a patient who is upset about being charged a private fee?  

Question: What are some of the communication techniques you can use to manage a situation where the patient is upset or angry over the change in your billing practice?  
 

Download task 3