Jan Keller

Getting paid on time is vital to the success of any dental practice. You can increase your chances of making sure this happens with patients by following a few simple guidelines.

 Communicate your payment and collection rules clearly to patients. Provide written confirmation of how patients have agreed to manage payment of their treatment. Use a Truth In Lending (TIL) form for all negotiations and include clear written information regarding your expectations. The patient should receive a copy of the TIL form while you keep and file the original form.

Tip #1

Make sure billing statements include a telephone number customers can call or website address customers can access with billing questions and a pre-addressed envelope.

Tip #2

The faster statements are sent; the faster you will receive payment. It is best to give the patient a billing statement (not just a walkout statement) on the day of service showing them treatment, their payment and any balance statement, including a personal thank you for their prompt attention to handling their account.

Follow Though is Key

If your policy is that late payers will go into collection after 60 or 90 days, then you must stick to that policy. A team member designated as the accounts receivable coordinator should call patients who do not follow through with the payment negotiations. Accounts of those who exceed your payment deadlines should be penalized and/or sent into collection, if that is your stated policy.

More About Jan Keller and Associates

Perhaps one of the most difficult things to do when going on vacation is staying on top of operations while trying to enjoy the time away. To keep in touch you have to call when the office is open and your perception of how things are really going are created by the person giving the report.

With cloud-based dental software, like Curve Dental, you can stay in touch at any time and stick to the facts.

All you need is a computer and Internet access to check production numbers, review the schedule for the coming week, or even run a report or two. You'll have access to all the same data and features just as if you were still in the office--but thank goodness you're not!

After a long, glorious, and uninterrupted day at the beach you can quickly jump on line and see what's going on. You don't have to call when the practice is open (which can disrupt time away from the office). Changes in time can make it somewhat inconvenient to call when the practice is open.

You can learn more about the advantages and joys of living on the cloud by chatting with one of our dental software consultants at 888-910-4376. Call today to learn more or visit our website.