Rehab Center Behind on Bill Collection

According to a recent audit, there’s $2.4 million in the Jackson County, Illinois, Rehab and Care Center’s accounts receivable that has not been collected.  And $700,000 of that?  Goes back at least to 2002.

The story, covered extensively <i>The Southern Illinoisian</i>, highlights the difficulty hospitals and nursing homes have in navigating private and public pay clients.  Merle Taylor, administrator of the Rehab and Care Center, said these accounts are complicated and often it’s very difficult to collect on them.

Some bills are waiting on Social Security to determine where the money should come from.  In other cases, a patient may be admitted to the facility as a private-pay, only to later apply for public assistance.  This also slows up receiving payment.

The audit did come with a bit of good news. The Rehab and Care Center is operating in the black this year after making severe staff cuts last year.

Still, Evans said the care center could be operating $700,000 more in the black had somebody been watching those accounts more closely.

The facility is currently debating whether to simply write off the bad debt, or whether to implement improved procedures to collect on past due accounts.