It is not always easy to make patients and their insurance companies pay dental bills on time. In fact, many dental practices struggle to ensure that there is a balance between monetary collections and professional obligations to their clients. However, the following tips would guarantee excellent dental collections, and maintain the highest standards of professional conduct.
The dental service provider needs to formulate a strong internal credit policy. It is important to have a consensus on the guidelines with all members of the team. The policies should be written, easy to understand and execute. The main aim of the policy is to reinforce the procedure for collecting and reduce the time for payment. There is a need for a financial coordinator to handle the finances and ascertain the status of the patient's creditworthiness before any treatment is provided
The preparations for the bills need to be fully automated for timely payments by the patients before they are allowed to leave the facility. This will allow the bills should then be delivered on time. The mode of payment and collection procedure of the monies should be plainly communicated in writing to the patient with a copy of the credit form, while the dentist retains the original. A telephone contact or online address should be given for clarification on unclear issues.
The person selected to handle finances should understand the weight of the matter and the formalities required to deal with the fragile nature of the work. The work may involve making several telephone calls to the patients and other stakeholders. It is important to take notes as you speak to the patient. The payment history of the patient should be known to determine credit worthiness. The person who is making the payments should be provided with a bill, which not only states the amount, but also the conditions for payment and the due date. The patient should be informed of the repercussions for nonpayment.
You should tell your patients to ask for an authorization form from the insurance company in advance in order to know how much the company will pay. This would help the dental office and the patients to finalize payments before they leave the office preventing delays. Patients may also be motivated to pay the bills by offering them cash discounts.
Provide an alternative plan in case the patient fails to clear the whole bill. This involves an agreement on the modalities of payment. It may or may not include interest. The patient may negotiate to pay in installments every month. However, ensure that the duration is not prolonged. The agreement should be clearly written with the rules on defaulting clearly spelt out.
Involving your patients in the dental collection management is a good idea. This equips them with the necessary information to handle patients. If the process cannot be handled internally, it is vital to look for established agencies with experience in collections to act on behalf of your dental practice. Though there is a cost of hiring such a service, it eliminates the responsibility of dealing with patients who are difficult and unwilling to pay.
It is important to keep in mind that dentistry, unlike some medical fields, demands prompt attention to the patient. Therefore, it calls for caution to avoid sending a signal to the patients that implies you only need their money. This is why there is need to employ a financial coordinator to deal with finances.
The dental service provider needs to formulate a strong internal credit policy. It is important to have a consensus on the guidelines with all members of the team. The policies should be written, easy to understand and execute. The main aim of the policy is to reinforce the procedure for collecting and reduce the time for payment. There is a need for a financial coordinator to handle the finances and ascertain the status of the patient's creditworthiness before any treatment is provided
The preparations for the bills need to be fully automated for timely payments by the patients before they are allowed to leave the facility. This will allow the bills should then be delivered on time. The mode of payment and collection procedure of the monies should be plainly communicated in writing to the patient with a copy of the credit form, while the dentist retains the original. A telephone contact or online address should be given for clarification on unclear issues.
The person selected to handle finances should understand the weight of the matter and the formalities required to deal with the fragile nature of the work. The work may involve making several telephone calls to the patients and other stakeholders. It is important to take notes as you speak to the patient. The payment history of the patient should be known to determine credit worthiness. The person who is making the payments should be provided with a bill, which not only states the amount, but also the conditions for payment and the due date. The patient should be informed of the repercussions for nonpayment.
You should tell your patients to ask for an authorization form from the insurance company in advance in order to know how much the company will pay. This would help the dental office and the patients to finalize payments before they leave the office preventing delays. Patients may also be motivated to pay the bills by offering them cash discounts.
Provide an alternative plan in case the patient fails to clear the whole bill. This involves an agreement on the modalities of payment. It may or may not include interest. The patient may negotiate to pay in installments every month. However, ensure that the duration is not prolonged. The agreement should be clearly written with the rules on defaulting clearly spelt out.
Involving your patients in the dental collection management is a good idea. This equips them with the necessary information to handle patients. If the process cannot be handled internally, it is vital to look for established agencies with experience in collections to act on behalf of your dental practice. Though there is a cost of hiring such a service, it eliminates the responsibility of dealing with patients who are difficult and unwilling to pay.
It is important to keep in mind that dentistry, unlike some medical fields, demands prompt attention to the patient. Therefore, it calls for caution to avoid sending a signal to the patients that implies you only need their money. This is why there is need to employ a financial coordinator to deal with finances.