Patients of all kinds are likely to come to their appointments with certain expectations for how the appointment will go, but also for how the billing process will be. The better you are at meeting their billing expectations, the happier they will be with their experience in your office. Happy patients are more likely to make referrals and help your practice to be even more successful.
Provide an Itemized Bill
People generally like to know what they are paying for, and doctor’s visits are sometimes unclear in their costs. Providing an itemized bill helps your patients to understand what they were paying for and to feel more comfortable about spending the money in the first place. For many patients, being able to understand what money is going where and when each bill was incurred helps them to relieve their stress and to plan their finances better for future visits. Better informed clients are happier and more understanding of their bills and more willing to pay them.
Offer Multiple Payment Options
There are so many ways to pay for things now, but often doctor’s offices only offer one. Patients want convenient payment options that meet their needs and help to make their lives easier. Only 15% of healthcare providers allow patients to pay with a text message. That means that by providing a texting payment option, you can set yourself apart from other healthcare providers. Adding payment options won’t be a difficult thing for you to do, but it will have major results in patient satisfaction.
Offer Payment Plans
When patients receive an expensive bit of care or testing, they may not have the funds to pay it off immediately. If you push for immediate payment, they may fail to pay ever or have a bad taste in their mouth about your practice. By offering the option of a payment plan, you can help them to actually complete payment and relieve their stress and anxiety. When patients are not in a good position to pay upfront, it can also help to refer them to financial assistance options that might be available through your HMO or in your area.
Billing is one of the most stressful parts of an already stressful experience. Improving the way you bill patients can help them to have a better experience and feel more comfortable returning to your office and continuing to use your healthcare practice.
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