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Why is Rula charging my credit card?

Do you have questions about Rula’s billing practices? Understanding and anticipating charges can help you feel more in control of your care. This article will walk you through Rula’s patient responsibilities, no-show fees, credit card authorization, and answers common questions about billing charges.

 

Credit Card Authorization

At Rula, our primary goal is to provide seamless and efficient healthcare services to our clients. To help us achieve this, we require patients to keep a credit card on file. This practice ensures that we can efficiently manage billing for patient responsibilities and other associated costs.

 

Facilitating Patient Responsibilities

  • Deductibles: Insurance deductibles are the amount patients must pay out-of-pocket before their insurance plan begins to cover expenses. By keeping a credit card on file, we can promptly and accurately charge your deductible amounts as determined by your insurance company.

  • Copays: Copays are fixed amounts you pay for specific healthcare services at the time of your visit. Having a credit card on file allows us to quickly process these payments, ensuring your visit goes smoothly and you can focus on your health rather than financial transactions.

Covering the Costs of No-Shows

  • Appointment Efficiency: When patients miss scheduled appointments without providing adequate notice, it disrupts our schedule and prevents other patients from receiving timely care. Keeping a credit card on file allows us to charge a no-show fee, helping to mitigate the costs associated with these disruptions and encouraging responsible scheduling.

  • Financial Responsibility: No-show fees help ensure that patients understand the importance of keeping their appointments or notifying us in advance if they need to cancel or reschedule. This practice helps us maintain a high standard of care and availability for all our patients.

 

Why and when does Rula charge your credit card?

Rula will charge your credit card on file after a no-show or late cancellation (<24 hours prior to visit) and for any given patient responsibilities (such as copay, coinsurance, and deductibles) as assessed by the client’s insurance benefits. These responsibilities are estimated in our VOB process, but truly assessed post claim adjudication (which can be found on the client’s EOB).

The timing of these charges occurs may vary - but typically occurs as follows:

  • No-show / late cancellation charge: this typically occurs shortly after a no-show or late cancellation occurs (usually within 72 hours) 
  • Copay / coinsurance: this typically occurs shortly after a visit is completed (after your provider completes their clinical notes). Typically the amount charged is what is outlined in your VOB estimate. 
  • Deductible: this typically is charge post claim adjudication (3-4 weeks after your visit) as we do not estimate capture deductible charges upfront as we do with copays / coinsurance. 

 

Why did I have multiple charges for a single visit?

At Rula, we strive to provide clear and transparent billing practices to ensure our clients understand their financial responsibilities.

Sometimes, you may notice multiple credit card charges for a single visit. This typically happens when an upfront copay is assessed and charged at the time of the visit, followed by additional charges applied to your deductible after your insurance claim has been processed.

Example Scenario

  • Visit Date: You visit our office on May 1st and the charge is $100
  • Copay Charge: At the time of your visit, you pay a $30 copay, which is immediately charged to your credit card on May 1st
  • Insurance Processing: We submit a claim to your insurance company for the services provided on May 1st
  • Deductible Charge: After your insurance company processes the claim, they apply the entire $100 of the service cost to your deductible. We receive the EOB on May 21st and charge your credit card the remaining $70 on May 22nd

 

My visit was so long ago, why are you charging me now?

Claims processing by payer varies. While the average time to process a claim takes ~3-4 weeks, it can take longer. Until a claim is processed by your payers we often do not know the full patient responsibility. In other words, we are dependent on the speed in which your insurance company processesing the claim. 

Additionally, while not the norm, there may be insurance term denials that occur retrospectively. These could happen months past the original date of service.  

 

What security procedures are in place to store my credit card information?

Credit card information is stored securely and protected by encryption, in compliance with industry standards (PCI). 

PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. These standards are developed and maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council, which was founded by major credit card companies including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

 

Using an HSA or FSA Account

If you have an HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flex Spending Account) credit card you are intending to use to pay for visits, you can place this card on file to be charged.

In the event your HSA/FSA card is not accepted by the system, you are able to retain receipts/superbills and submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement. If you need a detailed receipt/superbill, please email support@rula.com.

 

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