When you provide dental treatment, patients and insurance companies must pay for your dental services. Dental patients may occasionally refuse to pay their dues for various reasons. Teaching your front desk staff how to prepare for these scenarios can help maintain your business’ revenue without compromising patient experiences.  

Common Reasons Patients Refuse Paying Their Bills

Patients have bills, life stressors, and tight finances. Helping your team understand why patients may refuse to pay dental bills reminds them that we're all human. A few reasons why people may not want to fulfill their payments include the following:

• The patient has dental insurance and assumed it would cover all or more of the charges.
• The patient paid for some services in-office but received an additional bill by mail.
• The patient did not know how much they would need to pay before the services.
• The patient believes the services were not worth how much they cost.

The above scenarios show that patients often refuse payments over a lack of clarity. No one wants to pay for something they weren’t expecting. Providing transparency can alleviate many of these issues. 

Tips on Handling Payment Collections Appropriately

So, how can you handle payment collections to avoid the above problems? Below, we offer tips on providing transparency throughout the payment process, preparing for challenging conversations, and automating the process for convenience on both ends. 

Dictate Finances Up Front

Your practice should have clear financial policies surrounding all service costs and payment deadlines. You should clearly explain this information to patients before they agree to any treatments so they know what finances to expect. 

For example, you can tell them how much their insurance covers and what they need to pay before their appointment. If additional services pop up during the appointment, like a cavity, your dental team should inform them of the associated costs. You can easily present this to them by using treatment plans by Dental Intelligence

Requiring patients to sign financial agreements can help with future complications. If they receive bills in the mail and claim they weren’t aware of such costs, you can show them the signed paperwork agreeing to the services. 

Create a Script for Overdue Payments

Calling someone to discuss overdue payments is nerve-wracking. We recommend developing a script so your team can confidently relay the message. You want to sound friendly, personable, and stern.

You cannot anticipate how patients will respond, so try to consider potential questions ahead of time. Preparing answers to common questions will make the conversation easier for your team. 

Regardless of how the patient responds, remember to stay calm and professional. You should have an escalation process for complex scenarios. 

Document Everything

Documentation is key in proving that your office took the required steps. You should keep track of paperwork for all provided services, fulfilled payments, and communication. Any time you speak with a patient over the phone or in person about payments, keep notes of the conversation for future reference.  By using Follow Ups, you can quickly keep track of when you talk to a patient about an overdue payment.

Automate Payments With Simplified Software

The above tips can help ease payments, though they will consume your front desk’s time and resources. For more streamlined results, consider using an automated payment collection platform that takes care of the process for you. At Dental Intelligence, we provide a simplified and intelligent solution for dental payments that includes the following features:

• Individual and bulk text message reminders
• Secure digital payment collections
• Flexible payment options, including debit, credit, Apple Pay, and more
• Messaging templates
• A payment platform for tracking patient fulfillment
• Paperless statements

With Dental Intelligence, practices typically collect an additional $25,000 within three months, averaging collection speeds 12 days faster than traditional methods. 

Offer Financing for Affordable Payment Plans

Some patients cannot fulfill their payments because they don’t have the funds. Offering financing schedules allows such patients to make partial payments over time on a schedule that works for them. Financing improves collection rates, patient satisfaction, scheduling, and revenue streams. 

You can typically integrate patient financing within your payment collection software. Dental Intelligence offers patient financing through Wisetack, so you get paid no matter what. 

Easily Collect Payments With Dental Intelligence

Do your patients often refuse to pay their dental bills? Learn how to master payment collections with Dental Intelligence. Receive a demo from Dental Intelligence today to see how our platform can streamline your payment system.