3 Key Ways To MakeThe Collection Process More Effective.
Medical practices are becoming increasingly responsible for collecting medical fees directly from patients. Instead of medical aid schemes paying the full amount, patients are often expected to co-pay. Whilst not having to deal with medical aid schemes can be quite relieving, you still must handle outstanding medical accounts directly with patients.
Collecting what is owed to you by your patients can be acostly not to mention difficult and uncomfortable task. If not handled with the utmost care this activity can be detrimental to not only your practice’s success, but to your patient-doctor relationship as well. This could drastically tarnish your reputation during word-of-mouth referrals.
Below are3 key ways to makethe collection process more effective.
1. Make your payment policies as clear as day
Whatever your payment policies may be, make sure your patients are fully aware of them from the word go. If you collect co-payments or other fees before consultations upfront, inform them of this at check-in, so that they know what it is expected of them. This makes collecting what patients owe you simpler and reduces the risk of experiencing cash flow problems.
2. Make payment as easy as possible
Patients want to pay their medical bills, but if the payment process is tedious and not user-friendly, they are less likely to pay up. Accepting multiple forms of payment also encourages patients to pay off their account faster. Furthermore, making their patient accounts easily accessible to them eliminates the element of surprise.
3. Improve communication with patients
Patients often don’t understand their medical costs. A lot of the time, they don’t know that medical aid schemes only subsidise their medical bill instead of covering the whole amount. When blind-sided with a medical bill, it often leaves a sour taste in their mouth. Therefore, it is important that consistent communication efforts are made to inform and educate patients on their medical accounts. Not only does this help them keep up to date with their patient accounts, but it is also an effective tool in establishing fruitful relationships.
Data Spot-On is a medical billing administration company that handles your medical account administration. It it is our responsibility to contact patients regarding whether they are liable for all or part of their patients account.
Our highly experienced, professional and friendly staff will handle your collections with the utmost care and respect toensure your doctor-patient relationship is not jeopardised and money comes into instead of out of your bank account!