05/13/2022
What to do with Delinquent Accounts?
By: Dr. Dorothy Kassab,
Owner and Founder of Dental Claims Cleanup & Results! Collection Services
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Are you frustrated with patients not responding to your in-house collection process? Your team sends statement after statement, then an over-due letter, then a final demand, and there is still no response from patients?
Obviously, the most important task is to collect the entire balance at time of service or collect at least the patient's portion. The issue is that there will be instances when there is an unexpected patient balance because the insurance underpays for a claim, or the check goes to the patient because you are an out-of-network provider, or the patient showed up with no checkbook!
Those of you who get my articles know how I feel about this. Take theses steps to receive patient collections:
If possible, DO NOT start any work unless the patient pays or is ready to pay their portion at time of service.
If possible, DO NOT book a patient unless they agree that the patient portion is something they can pay on the day of service.
Make sure there is a signed financial agreement by the patient and there is verbiage in the agreement stating that the patient will be responsible for any collection fees due to recovery of their delinquent account.
If the check goes to the patient: charge the patient's portion at the time of service and give them a walk out statement due in 30 days. Tell the patient that the remaining balance is due then, regardless whether they receive a check from the dental insurance or not.
Create treatment estimates that clearly show patient portion for EACH visit.
Make sure the patient understands what they owe for each of those visits.
MOST IMPORTANT: Make sure that the team actually attempts to collect. So many offices allow patients to be seen with prior balances and do not collect anything when the patient comes in.
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