Frontline Collections gives its top tips to avoid unpaid dental treatment fees and explains what to do if patients ignore your requests.
Prevention is always better than a cure when it comes to private dental treatment.
We can say the same when it comes to the issue of non-payment of dental treatment fees.
Frontline Collections has been helping dental practices for over 15 years with our award-winning dental debt collection solutions.
Over the years we have gained a huge wealth of experience in preventing the accruement of unpaid dental fees.
Almost every dental practice is the UK has suffered from unpaid dental fees at some point. Whilst every dentist is expected to act in good faith, the same can not always be said for patients.
It is very common for patients to have treatment but then fail to pay.
Our team of dental debt collection experts has put together a list of tips to prevent bad debts from happening.
Top 10 tips to help avoid unpaid dental treatment fees
- It is always good practice to discuss payment within the initial consultation. Normally, the pros and cons of any proposed treatment is discussed by the clinician. At this point they should also cover the issue of cost and how the patient intends to pay for the treatment
- Many practices use designated treatment coordinators to explain treatment options. These coordinators are usually experienced members of a team such as dental nurses or receptionists. They can help to explain treatment options, timelines and manage payment schedules
- Explain the differences in the relative cost of the various options presented. This is an important part of patient choice. It can help avoid confusion further down the line
- The use of written estimates and treatment plans is imperative for extensive treatments. These could be in the form of pro forma invoices accompanied by a letter. Write any estimates in plain English without the use of industry jargon for transparency
- Ensure the patient knows their obligations in respect of the payment of the fees for their treatment. A transparent payment policy avoids room for confusion for both the dental practice and the patient
- Expecting the patient to pay on the day of their treatment is not unprofessional, patients expect it
- The GDC might regard offering discounts and special offers as financial inducement to treatment. Only use them in an appropriate manner to avoid any policy breaches
- If a patient does not pay on time, then deal with the matter in a professional manner. Phoning a patient to prompt them for payment is entirely appropriate. Ensure you adhere to GDPR and data protection guidelines
- Make it easy for the patient to pay for their fees. It is 2021, and you can provide a variety of options in which a patient can pay for their dental treatment
- If a patient cannot pay what they owe due to extenuating circumstances, maybe a weekly or monthly repayment schedule could be an unspoken option to prevent the matter escalating.
Patient ignoring requests for payment so what now?
If a patient is not paying for their private dental treatment, it is always advisable to send a letter. A final reminder letter is always a good idea if payment is well overdue.
A final reminder letter can let the patient know you are serious about recovering what they owe your dental practice.
‘No dental practice ever loses a patient just because the patient has to pay for their treatment.’
Once all avenues have been exhausted and the patient is quite clearly avoiding payment for their dental treatment, it is time to get professional help to collect those unpaid dental fees.
Expert dental debt collection solutions
Since 2005, Frontline Collections have been the number one solution for dental debt collection. From high-end Harley Street dental practices and dental groups, to small local private dental surgeries across the UK.
Our services have been used by thousands over the years.
We deliver a specialist dental debt collection service that is second to no other. The service that we provide is extremely cost effective and on a no collection, no commission basis.
We have a dedicated team that deals purely with dental debt collection. And we even have a qualified clinician on hand to adjudicate disputed cases.
If a patient owes your dental practice money, then it really will pay to speak to the UK’s leading dental debt collection experts. Contact Frontline Collections today for more information regarding our low fixed-fee services.
Are you a dental equipment supplier and owed money?
Regrettably, sometimes it is not just dental patients that do not pay. On rare occasions it can also be dental practices too.
Our sister company is the multi-award winning B2B debt collection specialist Federal Management. They assist a large number of dental equipment suppliers and dental equipment manufacturers recover monies owed to them.
These debts however, tend to be much larger amounts and vary in causes. They often arise for the supply of dental equipment, dental training and also dental equipment maintenance.
From unpaid invoices for dental equipment to outstanding fees for dental training, they are specialists in this field across the UK.
Federal Management are the number one solution for debt collection for dental equipment suppliers and wholesalers.
