During a webinar held on September 22 hosted by Becker’s Hospital Review and sponsored by Rectangle Health, two industry leaders discussed technology-based strategies for dental practices to establish more engaging and effective payment collection systems.
The speakers were:
- Michael Peluso, Chief Technology Officer at Rectangle Health
- Richard Huot, DDS, Chief Executive Officer at Beachside Dental Consultants
The speakers discussed five strategies dental practices should adopt to secure payments seamlessly and efficiently:
- Secure payment upfront. Dental providers can do this by obtaining card information before a patient comes into the office to receive care. “This way, patients can focus on their care when they are in the dental practice, and they do not have to handle billing after what might be a painful procedure,” said Mr. Peluso.
- Offer easy, user-friendly payment options. Today’s consumers, especially in younger and urban markets, are used to consumer-focused transactions in their everyday lives, and Dr. Huot said these patients are “more likely to seek a dentist with those types of payment plans.”
- Offer flexible payment arrangements to the patient. Allowing patients to pay in installations makes payment easier for them and can also act as a marketing tool. “Offering such financing options shows dentists understand their services are expensive and some patients may need plans like this in order to get the care they need quickly,” Mr. Peluso said during the webinar.
- Make sure patients know exactly how much they owe. “More patients will accept care if they aren’t confused about the procedure they are getting and how much it will cost them,” according to Dr. Huot. The patient needs to be engaged in the billing process if the dental provider wants to receive funds promptly and efficiently.
- Avoid unnecessary in-person contact during the pandemic. Seamless, contactless billing can keep patients and staff safe. When providing care amid the COVID-19 pandemic, dental practices should eliminate all unnecessary, in-person waiting room interaction by getting a card on file upfront, securing payment via text message or engaging patients via other contactless payment methods.
To learn more about Rectangle Health, click here.
