A provision in the Affordable Care Act offers patients who qualify for an advanced tax subsidy when purchasing a product through the exchange a grace period in which they may neglect to pay their premiums for up to 90 days. During the first 30 days of the grace period, insurers have to pay any claims incurred by the patient. But for the next 60 days, nothing is guaranteed. If the patient visits the doctor, the insurer can “pend” the claim – wait to pay the provider until the patient pays his premium. At the end of the 90-day grace period, if the patient has not paid the premium, the insurer can cancel the coverage and refuse to pay the pended claims, or recoup the payments it’s already made. That puts the provider’s office at risk.

Practices are encourages to check first with the insurer to make sure everything is in order before proceeding with the visit. If the premium has not been paid, the provider can give the patient the option of rescheduling the appointment or paying in cash and then applying to his insurer for the payment. But this extra step for verification takes time. Insurance companies are scrambling to staff up in order to answer phone calls, as well as offer portals to verify eligibility for these patients. Read more here.