New agency gets results on past-due accounts

At the top of the list of unpaid debts in America are medical bills, according to Tara Meek, a fact that influenced her to open Physicians Credit Bureau in March of this year.

Another fact that influenced her was that she'd seen the problem from the inside. "My husband, Dr. Meek from Dubinick and Meek Chiropractic, was using a collection agency from which they were getting no results. They were very frustrated," Meek said.

One thing led to another. Meek was already thinking about developing a home-based business when her husband suggested she might collect past-due accounts.

"I researched for several weeks to learn tips and techniques on collecting past-due accounts. I bought collection software, got a business license, etc. Then I took a few accounts and, to our surprise, I collected more in the first couple of months than the collection agency they had been using had collected in the past three years," Meek said.

Although Physicians Credit Bureau has no traditional brick-and-mortar building, it has a Web presence at http://phycb.com.

"Technology is a big part of my business. I did research and read a lot of books to learn html. I designed and published my own Web site time well spent. Clients can place accounts online and patients can pay accounts with credit cards.

"In the near future, I hope to have an online check system so patients can pay their accounts by check. I get accounts from all over the United States. Day or night," Meek said.

Physicians Credit Bureau's mission, as posted on its Web site, is "to provide cost effective and efficient collection strategies, that provide maximum recoveries while maintaining the highest level of professionalism in the representation of our clients."

At the Web site, visitors may place an account for collection, access information on fees, articles about making collecting simpler, help with small claims, a letter service and "free stuff," complete with sample letters physicians can use to remind patients about a late payment.

"Our goal is to educate not only physicians and clinics on how to improve their in-house collections, but to educate all businesses on important techniques they need to be aware of before ever using a collection agency. Also, to let them know what their collection agency should be doing for them," Meek said.

"We don't get paid until you get paid," Meek states on her Web site. "Some collection agencies charge an up-front fee or a certain amount regardless of whether they collect or not," she said.

Meek added that specializing, as she has done with medical collections, is a good thing for the client business.

"I think it is important for businesses to find a collection agency which specializes in collecting accounts (specific) to their business. I don't collect late rent payments, but some collection agencies specialize in this. They know the ins and outs of what it takes to collect those accounts, much like I know how medical insurance is submitted and about car accident cases that get settled and the patient doesn't pay their medical bills. I know what steps can and need to be taken to collect medical accounts," Meek said.

While some health care professionals and medical facilities do their own collections, Meek said she believes it is more cost effective to use a collection agency for extremely past-due accounts.

Extra expenditures for businesses doing in-house collections might include buying special software, paying for training in skip tracing, paying employees for time spent perfecting collection techniques, and paying for the actual extra employee time required for collecting.

Also, she pointed out that anyone acting as a collector has to know state laws and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

"I believe there are only two or three other agencies besides us that specialize in medical collections in the United States," Meek said.

Meek said that her work is hard, but it also is rewarding.

"I like the feeling of accomplishment I get when I collect an account that my clients thought would be impossible," she said.