Common Mistakes In Dental Patient Statements And How To Avoid Them

The patient statement is part of effective communication between dental practices and patients within the RCM. However, these statements get misjudged, and dental patient billing solutions help detail the services and ensure prompt payment. A lack of clarity in the patient statement can lead to confusion that causes delayed payments and obstructs practice revenue collection.

Addressing and rectifying the common mistakes in dental patient statements and dental patient statement services like Capline is vital to enhancing practice communication regarding financial obligation and ensuring a safe environment and happy patients.

Mistake #1: Patient Statement Designing

Problem
A patient statement lacking design causes significant challenges, leaving patients unsure about why and what they owe to the practice. This confusion extends to the payments, resulting in missed opportunities for patient-doctor relationships.

Solution
Revamping the patient statement is an investment that provides substantial returns and potent strategies, such as highlighting text through colors, text styles, images, charts, font sizes, etc., emphasizing key details, and eliminating confusion.
Without adequate resources, a visually appealing statement can be time-consuming and challenging. Therefore, Capline can help design statement templates for a seamless process.

Mistake #2: From Segregated Patient Statement to Dental Patient Billing Solutions

Problem
Failure to integrate payment systems with existing statements detracts from the patient experience. This issue leads to serious consequences, including revenue decline and increased expenses.

Solution
The best way to deal with the problem is to utilize a single vendor for both payments and patient statements to have a smooth transition for patients from statement documents to the payment portal, allowing them to complete transactions in mere seconds. The comprehensive system accelerates the implementation time, simplifying training requirements and efficient workflow.

Mistake #3: From missing eStatements to Dental Patient Billing Solutions

Problem
The statistics say that 71% of dental providers are not offering eStatement options. Are you among them? Patients prefer electronic statements over physical statements, and by not embracing the technology, providers are losing communication and timely payments.

Solution
The simple shift of giving them the choice to receive online statements empowers them. They feel aligned with their preferences and lower the statement delivery cost for the practice. The electronic statements can result in immediate payment through quick-click options and direct links. It reduces the pending patient balance time and improves the cash flow.

Mistake #4: From overspending to Dental Patient Billing Solutions

Problem
The practices manage their statement printing and mailing internally, which leads to spending more than those who outsource the service. The cost associated with printers, stamps, envelopes, and staff salaries to handle the task can quickly add to the practice.

Solution
Collaborating with Capline Services for printing and mailing services can reduce costs. A reliable company can offer bulk discounts that add to savings in customer bills. In-house statement processing costs $1.00 per statement sent, and partnering with an outside vendor can reduce expenses. Now, the staff has more time to focus on patients within the practice.
The outsourcing costs $.70 per statement, nearly $90,000 in savings annually for 25,000 mailed statements.

Mistake #5: Data not obtained

Problem
Relying on statement designs and delivery mediums is inadequate to enhance the patient statement and collection process. Solid data is the primary component in determining strategies to boost patient satisfaction, and without that, it is a challenge.

Solution
How to enhance the process? It is a big question to ponder. Effective data collection is about analyzing and tracking the payments received within the period. What works and what does not comes through cross-referencing the information with support calls and later uncovering the insights into the strategies.

The data-driven approach allows us to focus on what works rather than what does not. Additionally, it reduces the time patients spend in accounts receivable and improves the RCM. Quick payment is directly related to patient satisfaction. The real-time feedback helps to incorporate the insights for optimal results.

When to send Dental Patient Statement

Outstanding accounts receivable create a way up for the dental practice, as it settles the bills for the service provided. That is ideal and often does not happen, especially if the practice accepts the assignment of benefits. The insurance companies require claims to process their share of treatment costs.

The second-best approach is to collect 100% of the patient portion on the day of service, followed by the claim submission. It ensures the practice receives timely payment. Discrepancies can occur, such as the difference in insurance estimation leading to underpayment and surprise payment for patients.

Consequently, dental practices should send detailed statements to patients, mentioning the insurance payments received and the remaining balances due. The balance statement is unavoidable and becomes critical. Therefore, scheduling statements on a single day each month is sensible, considering that staff are busy with other things. It looks like the opportunity to improve revenue and enhance communication about their financial responsibility.

Choosing the Right Dental Patient Statement Services

The foremost priority of the dental practice is to ensure prompt and fair compensation for the rendered services. To ensure a seamless experience, the dental practice should encourage patients to settle their payments on or before the service day.

The experts at Capline Dental Services can elevate the dental billing and collection rate. It streamlines the workflow, saves time for the dental staff, and improves the collection rate. It reduces collection dues and overhead costs. The key is to choose the right partner, like Capline Dental Services which is competent in delivering statements and invoices through traditional mail and digital channels.

The patient statement is vital in the billing process and, if accurate, enhances the revenue and manages pending dues by prioritizing financial transparency with the patients.
A handful of points before selecting a dental patient statement company to see the practice thrive.

• Define the scope and volume of the business for the customization of patient statements.
• Shortlist the experts in the industry through thorough research, seek referrals, and leverage dental associations for recommendations.
• Evaluate the services, including statement design, mailing solutions, and online payment management.
• Check for references, reviews, and testimonials about the partner's reliability and performance history.
• Working with a partner who chooses technology over obsolete methods facilitates a seamless transition.
• Verify that the outsourcing partner complies with the guidelines and regulations, ensuring data privacy is ensured.
• Finally, review the contract terms for pricing models, retainer fees, setup costs, and any additional charges for support. Evaluate their models with other companies to better gauge the quality of the service. The above points can confidently help the practice to compare the essential parameters and align the anticipated growth.