Many people in today’s economic climate are doing the best they can to leave room in their budgets for their wants, while doing everything they can to meet their needs. Vacations, dining out and salon appointments remain popular priorities to many, yet there can be reservations about the costs associated with routine, essential dental health care. It can be intimidating for patients to commit to appointments that they fear can be costly, especially if their resources are limited and payment options are not offered or understood. Fortunately, with the right financial options and approach, patients will be better able to comfortably accept and pay for routine dental care as the necessity it is.
When it comes to regularly seeing the dentist and keeping follow-up appointments, a fair share of patients’ anxiety has less to do with pain and more to do with concerns about paying for the procedures. Some would rather stretch out their visits than find themselves in a situation where they are worried about being stretched too thin financially. Offering comfortable, organized payment arrangements for patients such as acceptance of credit cards and third-party companies, such as CareCredit, are great ways to remain flexible to a variety of financial circumstances, as well as receive payments for services on time.
Does your practice offer clear financial arrangements and payment options that are healthy for both the practice and the patient? Are they presented and accepted in written form? Take time to evaluate your payment parameters to determine if a fair amount of comfortable payment arrangements are available, and if they are being positively presented to patients. Bear in mind that some patients have had the unpleasant experience of encountering insurance limitations, so be sure to discuss insurance as a positive benefit, rather than an allowance or maximum, to be used in addition to payment plans if needed.
In addition to offering tremendous benefits to patients, these plans and positive presentations allow the practice to gain acceptance that may not have otherwise existed. When affordable options are provided, making decisions to accept treatment becomes easier, collections are more consistent, and committing to outstanding dental health care is more easily made a top priority in the lives of busy patients.
OnTrack offers resources that will help implement this strategy and track your results. Please visit www.myontrack.com for more information or speak to your Patterson representative about how to sign up to use OnTrack in your practice.
