What is a common objective of patient eligibility verification?

The common objective of patient eligibility verification is to minimize unexpected patient expenses. This process involves confirming a patient's insurance coverage and benefits prior to receiving healthcare services. By verifying eligibility, healthcare providers can inform patients about their potential out-of-pocket costs, copayments, deductibles, and coverage limitations. This proactive approach helps patients understand their financial responsibilities upfront, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their care.

Minimizing unexpected expenses is crucial for both patients and providers, as it fosters trust and satisfaction in the healthcare experience. Patients are less likely to encounter surprise bills after treatment when their coverage details are clarified beforehand. This not only enhances the overall patient experience but also aids in streamlining revenue cycle processes, as providers can collect payments more efficiently when expectations are set accurately ahead of time.

In contrast, increasing the number of patients in the system, ensuring guaranteed payments, and eliminating administrative staffing do not directly address the core purpose of eligibility verification, making them less relevant in the context of this objective.