Four Best Practices for Easing the Dental Payment Experience

Sponsored Post | Author: Michelle Dowling, Vice President of Marketing at Rectangle Health

Have you ever thought there could be a better way to handle manual tasks at the office?

If you’re stressed, hesitant to explore what technology can do, skeptical of purchasing software, or all the above, automation can make your day to day easier, for both your dental practice and your patients. “Healthcare … This text opens a new tab to the Rectangle Health website…technology enhances payment experiences by expediting [..] processing with automation, offering financial flexibility, and reducing uncomfortable monetary conversations that can strain patient – provider relationships.” Automating repetitive processes can relieve time-consuming tasks and it easier to implement and adopt new methods than you may think.

Automation reduces the need for human intervention, creating flexibility for you and your staff. “… This text opens a new tab to the Rectangle Health website…Automation is at the forefront of expediting the healthcare transaction. From clean claim submission to treatment transparency, there is much to gain when the practice embraces automation in its workflow.”

Here are four recommendations for how your office can use automation to expedite administrative tasks related to payments, saving you time and improving patient loyalty.

Optimize the patient experience by automating dental payment

1. Secure: Storing a patient’s preferred method of payment on file

Tired of leaving voicemails that aren’t returned?

When patients choose to store a card on file, your practice doesn’t have to chase down payments. In fact, this option reduces uncertainty about how patients will settle their balances. Patients are familiar with keeping a card on file in their everyday lives and are accustomed to the convenience of this option.

Due to recent technology shifts and global conditions, this contactless method of payment is now an expectation of the patient. Safely storing a patient’s preferred method of payment can encompass both one-time and recurring payments and can be used to settle incremental patient-financing payments. The expediency of a card-on-file transaction results in smoother, frictionless payment experience for both patients and staff.

2. Simplify: Offering digital patient registration options

Want to simplify the patient check-in process?

Digital registration forms collect pertinent patient medical information without the need for physical contact associated with the traditional pen and clipboard. This form of automation reduces data entry volume for staff at the front desk and keeps patient information accurate and organized. Patients can complete these forms anywhere and at any time that is most convenient for them. They can also store a card on file in this offering, doubling down on safety and simplicity. Managing forms and documents electronically eliminates the waiting room, allowing your office to have a ‘digital front door.’

Moreover, today’s best practice management software systems offer the peace of mind of cloud-based servers and encrypted patient and payment information, making digital registration a more secure option than antiquated, paper-based methods.

3. Connect: Modernizing communication with patients

Want to reach patients in more effectively?

Phone calls and paper-based letters become a thing of the past with modern communication methods. “Important ways your practice can use … This text opens a new tab to the Rectangle Health website…digital tools to connect with your patients include sending them email and text notifications about appointments, using automation tools to remind them about payments, and offering patients digital options to fill out medical histories […] and fill out registration forms.”

Customized text messages and emails are effective ways to reach out to patients to remind them about payments and to notify them about practice updates. With these modern communication tools, you can stop facing processing delays related to contacting patients about payments.

4. Accommodate: Presenting payment plans

Want to make dental procedures more affordable for patients?

Payment plans allow patients to pay in installments and can be automated when they store their preferred payment method on file. With many patients opting for higher, out-of-pocket cosmetic dental procedures, payment plans have become a manageable way for them to pay for these costs, which are typically not covered by insurance. “Flexible … This text opens a new tab to the Rectangle Health website…payment plans offered to patients directly from your practice are a practical tool to strengthen the provider-patient relationship, increase loyalty to your practice, and attract new clientele. Patients who are happy with your available financing options to afford their care are likely to refer additional patients.”

Referrals that result in new business opportunities can lead to more profitability for your practice, keeping you busy in a better way.

Benefitting from more automation at the dental practice

Many practices have made some changes in the way they communicate and interact with patients. What we’ve seen is that as practices increase their investment in automation that expedites workflows, payment processes become more convenient and less cumbersome. The process that once involved collecting patient payments after care, manual data entry, long waiting room times, mailing billing statements, and writing off patient balances can now become digitized for greater workflow efficiency and fewer days in Accounts Receivable (A/R).

Not only does automation free up your day, but it also helps you to meet the payment expectations of your patients. When your dental practice can focus less on chasing payments and more on delivering care, patient experience is elevated and everyone benefits.

About Michelle Dowling

With over 20 years of experience in the payments industry, Michelle Dowling is the vice president of marketing at Rectangle Health. She has spent the last eight years dedicated exclusively to the healthcare community, helping practitioners leverage technology to maximize the revenue cycle and enhance the provider-patient relationship. Connecting with medical, dental, and specialty offices across the country, Dowling advocates that all practices can be financially healthy. … This text opens a new tab to the Rectangle Health website…Schedule a consultation with Rectangle Health today.