It is difficult to deal with patients and dental insurance agencies when it comes to payment of bills on time. At the same time, the dental practice must strike a balance between collecting the dues and maintaining a good name for the practice. A few tips will help guarantee outstanding dental collections, and likewise maintain high ethical standards.

It is crucial to develop an internal credit guideline that is strong for your team. The whole team should agree to the guidelines. Ensure the policy rules are clearly written and easy to implement. The main objective is to strengthen the collection procedure and shorten the duration of payment. Handling and collecting the money should be left to the financial adviser. Before administering any treatment, check on the credit worthiness of the patient.

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 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.

Before offering services to patients, it is necessary to get an authorization form from the insurer showing the amount the company is willing to pay. This will help you provide the correct bills to the patients before they leave your premises. You can also motivate patients to pay cash, by offering discounts.

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.

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.

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