Quick collections tips

Based on attendance at the Medical

Group Management Association's educational sessions in San Diego, patient collections remains a top concern for members-and even more so in a declining economy.

In one session, Tracy Spears, a medical consultant and collections expert for Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Transworld Systems Inc., urged attendees not to wait long to get aggressive about collecting from patients who are delinquent on their bills. "The more often they hear from you early on, the more likely they are to pay," she said.

Other collections tips include: