Q&A: Can I discount my fees?

Q: With the economy struggling, I thought I might try to offer some relief to my patients who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans. Would there be any problems with offering those types of patients a discount for paying in cash?

A: Yes, offering such a discount could cause problems. It could violate your contracts with payers if you offer a discount to offset patients' deductibles. In effect, you would be re-setting a fee at a lower rate than billed to the payer.