- Joined
- Jun 12, 2016
- Messages
- 593
- Reaction score
- 563
For anyone who is "behind the scenes" when it comes to insurance/billing/paperwork, etc. why is it necessary for patients to both fill out the information on paper AND provide the insurance card? I understand that a copy of the insurance card is needed to be kept on file, but why does every doctors office make the patient write it down?
I ask this because we discussed health literacy today and even me as a 3rd year medical student and someone with a 10+ year career in healthcare before going to med school gets ANNOYED at the amount of paperwork that must be filled out at the doctors office. I get it, we live in a "paperwork is medicine" period of time, but for patients who can't read or have lower grade reading levels, this is adding yet another hurdle to their attempt to get care.
Is there a way to change this? It feels incredibly unnecessary.
I ask this because we discussed health literacy today and even me as a 3rd year medical student and someone with a 10+ year career in healthcare before going to med school gets ANNOYED at the amount of paperwork that must be filled out at the doctors office. I get it, we live in a "paperwork is medicine" period of time, but for patients who can't read or have lower grade reading levels, this is adding yet another hurdle to their attempt to get care.
Is there a way to change this? It feels incredibly unnecessary.
