Lessen risk, avoid billing delays by working with postal service.

the USPS and the USPIS to educate customers about the importance of paying the right amount of postage for each mail piece. The USPS has the ability to deliver mail “postage due,” meaning that if underpaid pieces are detected, payment can be requested from the recipient for the balance due. Pursuant to the Domestic Mail Manual, larger quantities of mail pieces determined to be underpaid may be returned to the sender to collect proper postage prior to being sent on. For medical facilities, insurance companies, even medical practices that send monthly statements to their patients, the return of this mail could be disruptive financially and administratively. Staff will need to spend time reprocessing the mail, and the extra time may result in a slowing of payments by patients. Additionally, medical facilities often mail records or other documents to their patients that contain sensitive or confidential patient information (eg, copies of medical records, summaries of care, paperwork for disability or workers’ compensation claims). Ensuring such information is mailed in a manner that protects patient confidentiality is paramount. When postage is underpaid, manual processing is necessary to collect payment. You can provide the best protection of your patients’ privacy by adhering proper postage to your mail, which will prevent the mail from being manually processed, returned, or held for proper postage. Adhering proper postage also will ensure the correspondence is delivered in a timely manner, facilitating continuity of care and efficient business operations for the medical facility. business may become the USPS’s business. The USPS is a business that charges for its products and services. The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is a federal law enforcement agency charged with maintaining the integrity of the US mail. Both of these organizations recently have stepped up education and outreach efforts with the health care community, as well as with the legal community and other businesses, in hopes of increasing awareness and protecting the nation’s mail system and the people who use it. As part of those efforts, the following are a few practical tips that will help ensure that your facility and staff are in compliance with current postal rates and regulations.