Guarantor

Now, when it comes to verifying insurance benefits, it’s important for you to understand, for example, what a guarantor is, what are the different types of insurance deductibles, what is a copay, what is coinsurance, etcetera. So, let's begin with the guarantor. The guarantor is the person that is financially responsible for the patient's bill. Now there's a couple different rules that we need to follow when determining who the guarantor is.

The first one is that the patient, if it is an adult, is always the guarantor or responsible for their bill, unless they are an incapacitated adult. The guarantor should not be confused with the subscriber of the insurance which might be the husband, or the wife, or the head of household. 

Now, a patient that is presenting for care that is 18 years or older, unless they are an incapacitated adult, are responsible for their bills. They are their own guarantor. If we have a college student that is 18 years or older, again, they are their own guarantor or responsible for their bill. 

Now, if we have a minor unless that minor is an emancipated minor, the parent bringing the patient in for care that day is the guarantor and responsible for the financial bill, unless they bring in a divorce decree that says the other parent is responsible. Even though that other parent is not there, if we have a divorce decree that says they are responsible or the guarantor then we are going to change it for that day.

And then finally, if we have a minor that is emancipated from their parents, that means they're on their own, then they are responsible and the guarantor for their bills.