Increase Collections At The Time Of Service

The easiest and most cost-effective way to keep your outstanding accounts receivables under control is by requesting payment at the time of service. It seems pretty easy, but you’ll need help from your front and clinical teams.

The different parts of your team will each have a different understanding of when patients are finished with their appointments. Assistants or hygienists sometimes escort your patients past the front desk and to the door to leave - regardless of whether they’ve paid or not! It’s normal for the clinical team to assume that when chair-side tasks are finished, the appointment is finished, but this can be easily fixed by changing the policy to require your assistants or hygienists to walk the patient to the front desk at the end of the appointment. This way, opportunities to collect at the time of service aren’t being missed.

Another important step to ensure you’re collecting payment at the time of service is to always provide the patient with an estimate for treatment costs. This can be something you delegate to the front teams, but they’ll need help. Too often, the front desks at dental offices seem so busy that patients find themselves overwhelmed. And when patients have to wait, the chances that they’ll schedule treatment and have time to review cost estimates is diminishing with each passing minute. One of the easiest ways to remedy this problem is to schedule whatever possible in the back. In addition, when treatment plans are entered and sequenced by the clinical team in the back, the front team can quickly produce cost estimates.

For more tips on how to increase collections at the time of service, or for help on training your team, please contact Dental Bookkeeping.

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