It is challenging to ensure insurance companies and patients pay promptly for services delivered in the dental care field. The dentist has to strike a balance between payments for the services rendered, and sticking to work ethics. The following information would ensure up-to-date dental collections are made while maintaining high levels of professionalism.
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
For prompt payment, it is important to prepare the bills electronically prior to discharge of the patient, thus saving time. The billing statement should then be sent promptly to the patient. The clearance of the bill and collection procedures must be communicated to the patient clearly in writing. A duplicate of the form should be given to the patient while the original should be filed by the dental office. Include your telephone contacts or website address for any issues that might need any clarification.
The person to make a follow up on the pending bills must understand the gravity and level of professionalism needed for the delicate task. The task involves telephone follow-ups and its good to take notes as you speak to the patient on the phone. The history and accounts of the patient must be very clear. Ensure the bill is given to the right person for payment. It is important to agree on a specific date and terms of payment. It is important to remind the patient of the consequences of defaulting on the payment.
An authorization request should be sent on time to the insurance company to allow the task to be accomplished on time. This should indicate the amount to be paid by the insurance company. This will assist the patient and dental office to organize and clear the bill before the patient is discharged without any delay. The patient may be motivated to clear the bill in advance by offering a cash discount.
Special payment arrangements should be put in place if the patient is unable to pay the whole amount at once. With such arrangements, you can choose to charge interest for this or not. The payment plan might involve equal monthly deduction, but the overall length of payment should not be prolonged. The contract should be written clearly with the penalties of nonpayment well defined.
It is important that you take steps to educate your office personnel in managing dental collections. The employees should have sufficient information of regarding the collection methods. If you do not have internal capacity, you should involve professionals in collecting the payments. Preferably, you should hire a reputable collecting agency with experience in the field. Although it has cost implications, it relieves the responsibility of dealing with bill defaulters thus saving time.
It is important to remember that dental practice is unique because it requires urgent action to be taken to help a patient in pain. It is important to ensure that you do not create an impression among your patients that money is all that matters. This is another reason why it is advisable to hire a financial manager to handle the job for you.
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
For prompt payment, it is important to prepare the bills electronically prior to discharge of the patient, thus saving time. The billing statement should then be sent promptly to the patient. The clearance of the bill and collection procedures must be communicated to the patient clearly in writing. A duplicate of the form should be given to the patient while the original should be filed by the dental office. Include your telephone contacts or website address for any issues that might need any clarification.
The person to make a follow up on the pending bills must understand the gravity and level of professionalism needed for the delicate task. The task involves telephone follow-ups and its good to take notes as you speak to the patient on the phone. The history and accounts of the patient must be very clear. Ensure the bill is given to the right person for payment. It is important to agree on a specific date and terms of payment. It is important to remind the patient of the consequences of defaulting on the payment.
An authorization request should be sent on time to the insurance company to allow the task to be accomplished on time. This should indicate the amount to be paid by the insurance company. This will assist the patient and dental office to organize and clear the bill before the patient is discharged without any delay. The patient may be motivated to clear the bill in advance by offering a cash discount.
Special payment arrangements should be put in place if the patient is unable to pay the whole amount at once. With such arrangements, you can choose to charge interest for this or not. The payment plan might involve equal monthly deduction, but the overall length of payment should not be prolonged. The contract should be written clearly with the penalties of nonpayment well defined.
It is important that you take steps to educate your office personnel in managing dental collections. The employees should have sufficient information of regarding the collection methods. If you do not have internal capacity, you should involve professionals in collecting the payments. Preferably, you should hire a reputable collecting agency with experience in the field. Although it has cost implications, it relieves the responsibility of dealing with bill defaulters thus saving time.
It is important to remember that dental practice is unique because it requires urgent action to be taken to help a patient in pain. It is important to ensure that you do not create an impression among your patients that money is all that matters. This is another reason why it is advisable to hire a financial manager to handle the job for you.
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