Strategies to Improve Patient Payment Collections

Getting patient payments on time helps healthcare practices stay financially healthy. This means doctors and nurses can focus more on patient care instead of worrying about money. When payments are collected quickly, the office can buy new equipment and pay their staff on time. Also, when the payment process is easy, patients trust their healthcare providers more and are happier with their care.

Below, we'll discuss ways to improve payment collections using Office Ally’s tools. These tools can make billing easier and keep patients happy.

Set Yourself Up for Success Before the Appointment

Smoothly collecting payments starts with good preparation before the patient arrives. A few simple steps can make the process easier for your staff and patients.

Collect All Patient Information Before the Appointment

Make sure you have all the patient's details before they arrive. These details include their name, address, and insurance information. Having this information ready helps avoid confusion later and speeds up check-in. You can use tools like Intake Pro to streamline this process.

Verify a Patient’s Insurance Eligibility

Verify if the patient's insurance is valid before their appointment. Verifying insurance eligibility beforehand ensures that there are no unexpected surprises on the day of the appointment as a result of changes in insurance or lapsed coverage. Office Ally’s insurance eligibility verification tool can help with this step.

Determine Patient Responsibility for Payments

Find out what part of the bill the patient needs to pay. As a small practice, this may be as simple as communicating the patient's copay and deductible information. For specialists or providers of more extensive procedures, you will want to ensure the patient knows how much their treatment will cost before it starts. Knowing this in advance helps you explain costs clearly to the patient resulting in less anxiety and more timely payment. 

Office Ally’s patient payment solution simplifies the payment process. It provides an easy way for patients to view and pay their bills, reducing the need for follow-ups and ensuring timely payments.

Collect Payment as Soon as Possible

Set the expectation to collect copayment before or immediately following the visit. If the patient leaves before you can collect, make sure that you send a bill in a timely fashion so you can collect payment while the visit is fresh on their minds. Office Ally’s Statement Mailing services can help you save time, resources, and money on the process of sending billing statements. After sending bills, follow up with patients to ensure they have received and understood their statements. This follow-up can be done through phone calls or messages through a patient portal. 

Office Ally’s Patient Ally is a portal that lets patients access their electronic medical records easily and facilitates communication. You can send reminders and provide billing information, improving patient payment rates.

Online & Mobile Payment Options

Allow patients to pay online or through mobile apps. These options are convenient and can speed up the payment process. Office Ally’s Practice Mate provides these features to make patient payments easier.

Accept Credit Card Payments from Patients

Make sure your practice accepts credit card payments. Credit cards are a common and convenient way to pay bills, and this option can help reduce delays in receiving patient payments.

Upfront Payment Discounts

You may want to provide discounts to patients who pay their bills upfront. This encourages quick payment and reduces the need for follow-ups. Clear communication about these discounts can motivate patients to pay sooner.

Streamline Billing Process with Office Ally’s Solutions

Collecting patient payments on time is important for running healthcare practices smoothly. Using the right tools can make the billing process easier and more efficient. Office Ally offers several solutions to help with this.

Using Practice Mate, Intake Pro, & EHR 24/7 helps you collect and manage patient information accurately. Service Center, Office Ally’s all-payer clearinghouse portal ensures that claims are submitted correctly and on time.

Patient Ally improves patient communication by providing easy access to health information and billing details. The Patient Payments makes it easy for patients to pay their bills promptly.

These tools can help your practice improve payment collection rates, reduce administrative work, and simplify patient interactions. Explore Office Ally’s solutions today to see how they can help your practice.