Question

If a patient is consistently late, the most effective way for the medical assistant to handle the problem is to?

1) Refuse to re-schedule the patient for 90 days.
2) Notify the patient's insurance carrier.
3) Ask the provider to discuss the office policy with the patient.
4) Terminate the patient from the practice.

Answer 1

The most effective way to address a patient who is consistently late is to have the provider discuss the office policy with the patient, as it is both professional and constructive.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient is consistently late, the most effective way for the medical assistant to handle the problem is to ask the provider to discuss the office policy with the patient. This approach maintains a professional relationship while addressing the issue. It is also likely to be more effective than punitive measures, like refusing to re-schedule the patient for 90 days, which could escalate the situation and potentially lead to loss of a patient, or notifying the patient's insurance carrier, which is generally inappropriate as this is not typically within the insurance carrier's purview. Terminating the patient from the practice should be a last resort and only considered after repeated attempts to address the problem have failed.