Dentaltown October 2016 - 54

finance

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Paying at Time of Service
A doc wants to switch his financial setup but worries how existing patients will feel about the change.
Dentaltown.com > Message Boards > Finance > Patient Finance Plans > Paying at Time of Service

mrmikeman
Member Since: 10/24/10
Post: 1 of 43

How many of you ask patients to pay at the time of service? I want to start doing this, but I
don't want to upset too many people. I should be starting with CareCredit this week, which will
make that option a little bit easier. Is this advisable? Thanks. ■
7/27/2014

regularguy
Member Since: 09/10/08
Post: 2 of 43

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If you want to avoid collection nightmares for your office manager, collect at time of service.
It is a matter of just training your patients. We are at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes
to buying our services and paying the bills. Maybe there will be times when you have to bend
your new rules a little. A majority of our practice is PPO where the patients get 30-50 percent
off our standard fees.
Why would any dentist want to take the hit on the reduction in fees and then take another
hit on not getting paid or getting paid really slowly on the amount we do get. No way! On larger,
costlier cases that require a lot of time, I will often have them come in a few days before their
long appointment and pay their estimated patient portion. Somehow when we do not do this,
their car won't start or they feel a little sick the morning of the appointment. ■
7/27/2014

Visscher
Member Since: 09/24/08
Post: 3 of 43

Once your staff is used to it they make it happen. The hardest part is changing them. When
patients ask if they can pay later, just say yes, as soon as the grocery store lets you walk out with
$200 of groceries and pay later, we will too. The real problem here are professionals who have
dragged the profession down to lower than thrift shop status in patient's eyes. ■
7/27/2014

chuck2008
Member Since: 09/03/04
Post: 4 of 43

I agree. Patients often ask whether they can pay later. I just say "no."
If they push further, I would tell them, "We are a dental office, not a collection agency." It
is important that when you treatment-plan, be sure to go over your financial policy with the
patient ... the amount that needs to be paid, when it needs to be paid, and how. ■
7/28/2014

toofache32
Member Since: 08/10/04
Post: 5 of 43

My office requires 50 percent of their portion up front just to schedule, then the remainder
paid on the day of service. ■
7/28/2014

eeznogood
Member Since: 02/23/06
Post: 6 of 43

We collect at time of service. One hundred percent of our fees are paid by patients at time of
service. This is called fee for service (FFS). If you are not a FFS practice and decide to change to
that model, you must expect to lose at least 50 percent of your existing patient base.
In order to determine if you can survive such a change, I suggest you start imposing that
on your new patients only. Depending on the number of new patients who accept to come in
knowing that you are FFS versus the number of those who hang up on your front desk the
second she tells them that, you'll know if it is a model that can survive in your area.
We used to accept assignment and decided to become FFS. We lost more than 50 percent
Continued on p. 56

OCTOBER 2016 // dentaltown.com

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