When was the last time you asked someone for money directly? This isn’t an easy conversation no matter which side you’re on. If you owe someone money, you’re going to feel meek. If you’re owed money, you may feel slighted in trying to get back what you’re owed. With patients, it’s no different. Attempting to collect patient portion is one of the hardest tasks you can ask your staff to do. Making it easier is a process that takes time and dedicated attention. Let’s look at some ways we can make a difficult conversation a lot easier.
What’s the best way to get my dental patients to pay?
In an ideal scenario, your patients are paying right after treatment. Yet we all know this isn’t so simple. To get patients to pay while they’re in your office requires tact and a knowledge of the patient’s personal situation.
Imagine your patient recently took on an expensive car repair bill, and most likely strapped for cash more than usual. Instead of asking for payment, remind them of the various options they have for repayment, or that you will be sending them a reminder statement next week.
- Ask patients about upcoming holidays, birthdays, or other celebrations that may impact repayment
- Remember to implement repayment options over the phone or via online portal
- Keep a list of repayment “VIPs” who you can offer more options to during financial difficulty
Of course, any attempt to collect payment at time of service should be utilized, but don’t let it jeopardize your relationship with a patient who may then put off even a smaller bill. It’s all about knowing and trusting your patients to give you an idea of what their unique situation is and play to that.
What if my dental patient doesn’t want to pay their bill?
Some patients may flat out tell you that they won’t be paying at time of service or ignore your calls when your staff attempt to collect. To these patients, what you’re rightfully owed isn’t at the forefront of their mind. To remedy this, ensure that your reminder system is optimized to collect payment:
- Instead of sending complete statements, offer payment in “chunks” toward the complete payment
- Ensure that communication lines are open to collect payment, whether through email or phone even on weekends or holidays
- When all else fails, incentivize patients on a new treatment option to get them back in the office to collect in person
Once again, we’re working to help patients understand that paying their bills is crucial to continuing treatment. By treating patients as people, not numbers, they are more likely to take advantage of flexible payment options and eventually get to a point where they begin to pay at time of service.
How do I foster relationships that work for my practice?
Almost everyone was told that “patience is a virtue” while growing up. Dentistry is no different. Communicating with patients requires a genuine interest in their lives. They are more than just a walking credit card. For some patients, they may trust you in caring for their entire family, and it’s important to treat that relationship as greater than gold.
- Send quarterly newsletters to remind patients of new treatments, technologies, and updates to your practice
- Create personalized birthday or celebration cards for milestone events in your patient’s lives, graduations, etc
- Offer open communication and feedback from patients through social media and take constructive criticism to heart
In the end, patients want a dentist who feels like a part of the community, not simply an office in a strip mall. Talk to patients about your kids, local sports, or new restaurants that have a great lunch special. The more you commit to your patients, the easier it will be to collect when their treatment costs are due.
What is the importance of outsourced patient billing?
No practice can flourish without an optimized revenue cycle management (RCM) system. Everything from dental billing to accounting needs to be implemented efficiently. When it comes to getting paid 100% of what you’re rightfully owed, your practice deserves a dedicated partner in profit. eAssist Dental Solutions was created by dentists for dentists, and our platform is the nation’s largest suite of solutions for revenue cycle management. Create your own bespoke package of RCM from multiple platform services:
- Dental billing
- Patient billing
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Insurance verification
- Patient recall and scheduling
- And more
What will outsourced patient billing do for my bottom line?
Without an adequate communication and repayment strategy, your patient AR can balloon seemingly without end. After a certain point, your staff can become tired of chasing after unpaid patient portion, and the money goes uncollected and written off as debt. Instead of getting rid of money you’re owed, you can collect it. eAssist platform experts have years of experience in front office settings just like yours, but now with the ability to work your AR remotely. This reduces turnover and overhead costs, plus, you get an extension of your team, not a replacement.
Your partner in increased collections and peace of mind
By continually chipping away at patient AR, you can increase cash flow without increasing costs. With no contracts to sign and no obligation when you schedule, our Business Development Specialists will listen to your unique needs and help to deliver a solution that works. Schedule a consultation below and see how eAssist can help your practice collect 100% of what you’re rightfully owed.
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