Top Patient Billing and Collection Strategies for Dental Practices

Running a dental practice can be an uphill battle if you’re not getting paid for the dental services rendered. And that’s where many practices struggle.

Recovering unpaid dues from patients isn’t easy. Revenue is stuck in accounts receivable for months, and when it’s difficult to collect payments, practices end up writing off thousands of dollars!

If you’re facing a similar issue and find it challenging to recover unpaid patient balances, we’re here to help you.

This blog offers insights into effective patient billing strategies and how automation, communication, and professional dental billing services play a key part in helping recover your due payments and maximize collections with profitability.

Want to know how that works? Let’s get started.

What is Patient Billing?

Before we deep dive into the process, it’s essential to understand what patient billing is and how it works. You must also understand the difference between dental billing and coding for insurance claims and billing invoices or statements for patient balances. Confusion can lead to inaccuracy in billing, driving revenue loss, and impacting staff productivity.

Now, let’s make it clear. 

Patient billing means generating invoices that contain treatment expenses that patients need to pay and are not covered by insurance. For example, if an insured patient visits your practice for a crown treatment, which costs $1500. Insurance covers $1300, while the patient needs to pay $200. This is the patient’s responsibility, which insurance doesn’t pay, and you must charge patients.

You notify patients of their responsibilities, and patients are required to clear their dues.

Want to recover collections from outstanding balances? Let’s discuss strategies that help your practice reduce accounts receivable and maximize earnings.

Billing and Collection Strategies

Strengthen Front-End Tasks

Front-end management plays a critical role in patient billing by ensuring accurate patient information, insurance verification, and clear communication from the first point of contact. 

Your front desk staff is responsible for:

• Collecting patient demographic and insurance details
• Explaining financial policies
• Obtaining signatures
• Setting expectations about costs

The result? Fewer billing errors and patient disputes.

But, for that, you need to train your staff on how to:

• Obtain information from your patients
• Communicate with them about responsibilities
• Facilitate them with flexibility in payments
• Notify them of overdue payments professionally

Materials and resources in the table below help guide your staff, training them to master patient billing with expertise.

You may also save up on the front-end by automating your practice’s front office management, customized to your practice operations for effective patient communication and smooth recoveries.

Verify Patient Coverage in Real-Time

Insurance verification saves headaches for your staff and improves patient experience.

If you’re following manual processes, the best practice is to verify patient insurance at least 48 to 72 hours before scheduled appointments. This gives you time to address issues before patients arrive.

However, patients’ insurance can change at any time. Verifying it proactively may not detect any changes to the status when patients arrive for the treatment. This issue can be resolved if you automate your dental insurance eligibility verification. You can verify all the required information in real-time, allowing you to check the following details.

Create a verification checklist for your team. Include the following:

Document everything in the patient’s file with the verified date and the representative’s name.

Communicate findings clearly with patients before their appointment. If their coverage differs from what they expected, they’ll appreciate knowing beforehand rather than at checkout. This conversation also lets you discuss payment options if they’re facing higher out-of-pocket costs than anticipated.

Provide Clear Treatment Estimates

Treatment estimates set expectations and build trust. When patients know what they’ll pay, they’re more likely to proceed with treatment and pay their portion promptly, making your patient billing smooth. On the contrary, vague estimates create confusion and payment disputes later.

Break down estimates into clear categories:

• Total treatment cost
• Estimated reimbursement by insurance
• Patient responsibility remaining after insurance pays

Present estimates before treatment, whether at the practice or by notifying them via phone, email, or chat. For complex cases requiring pre-authorization, submit the necessary paperwork and wait for the insurance response before scheduling. Yes, it takes longer, but it prevents financial surprises that damage patient relationships.

You also need to update estimates when circumstances change. Insurance denials, treatment modifications, or coverage adjustments all affect final costs. Keep patients informed throughout the process. A quick phone call explaining changes maintains trust and reduces payment friction.

And don’t forget to document estimate conversations in patient records. Note:

• Your discussion with the patient
• The terms on which the patient agreed
• Any special payment arrangements set

This documentation protects your practice from legal complications if disputes arise later about what was communicated.

Explain Costs and Reasoning to Patients

Clear communication is crucial to determining your success with dental billing for patients. If patients don’t understand their bills, you’ll struggle with collections. Clear and compassionate communication bridges this gap.

Start financial conversations early. Discuss costs during treatment planning, not just at checkout. This gives patients time to:

• Consider their options
• Ask questions
• Arrange payment

After that, show treatment plans with cost breakdowns. Visual information helps patients easily understand complex billing details, which might be difficult with verbal communications.

Moreover, train your staff to discuss costs confidently. Your staff might feel uncomfortable discussing finances. So, educating them about effective patient communication is a must.

And follow up written cost estimates with verbal summaries. After handing patients their estimate, walk through it briefly. Respond to their queries and ensure they understand their financial responsibility. This simple step ensures clarity, preventing any confusion.

Offer Flexible Payment Options

Paying for dental treatments may not be affordable for every patient. For instance, a simple root canal procedure may cost an average of $1,000 to $2,000, and even if insurance covers some part, it’s still not affordable for an average insured patient to pay the complete balance upfront.

Here, you can help by offering flexible payment options. Doing so increases treatment acceptance and improves collections, making your patient billing efficient. Smart payment options or arrangements benefit your practice and the patient.

Accept multiple payment methods, such as cash, cheques, credit cards, debit cards, and digital payments. Multiple options make it easier for patients to pay. While you’ll have to pay some processing fees per transaction, it’s still beneficial for your practice. You can collect payments faster and start recovering revenue.

Create Clear Payment Plan Policies

While you’re offering flexible payment options to your patients, the best approach is to develop clear payment plan policies. Determine the following, as explained in the table below:

Write everything in your payment agreements and explain in detail to patients, so they sign it.

Policymaking is easier if you create a sliding scale for different payment scenarios, based on a patient’s household income and affordability. You may offer a small discount for complete payment at the time of service, or larger down payments for more extensive treatment plans.

Collect Payment at Time of Service

Collecting payment when dental services are rendered dramatically improves cash flow and reduces accounts receivable. It’s far easier to collect from patients at the time of treatment in your practice than weeks later.

This relieves you of the hassle of pursuing patients via billing statements and phone calls for recovery, and the financial strain your practice may have to endure due to write-offs. 

Use the following strategies to make the collection easier:

• Set clear expectations during appointment scheduling. Let patients know about co-pays and patient portions beforehand, preventing surprises and disputes when it’s time to pay.
• Train clinical staff to let patients know that the front desk reviews their payment when they check out, keeping the payment process smooth.
• Tighten payment policies for patient portions. Collecting at the time of service eliminates those balances from A/R entirely. For balances you must bill, send statements immediately, and follow up aggressively on accounts over 30 days.
• Equip checkout stations with everything needed for efficient payment processing. Card readers, receipt printers, and quick access to patient accounts help staff process payments quickly during busy times.

Implement a Collections Process

A structured collections process recovers money that would otherwise slip through the cracks. Many practices lose thousands annually simply because they are unable to follow up consistently on outstanding balances.

So, let’s review all the steps in the process that help maximize your collections.

Step 1: Establish a clear collections timeline

A timeline shows how your staff should bill patients. For that, you can send:

• The first statement immediately after service
• A reminder in 30 days
• A phone call at 45 days
• A final notice at 60 days

Step 2: Use multiple communication methods

Each patient has their own preferred communication methods. Some respond to mailed statements or phone calls, while others prefer emails or texts. Reach out to patients and notify them via different mediums.

Step 3: Train staff on effective patient communication

While talking to patients, your staff should be firm but friendly and polite. They should encourage clear communication by:

• Asking questions about payment barriers
• Listen actively
• Offer flexible solutions like payment plans

Your approach to patients should be professional and compliant while talking to patients.

Step 4: Document all collection attempts

Document all the details of your conversation with patients during collections, such as the:

• Date of conversation
• Method of communication
• Person contacted for recovery
• Summary of the discussion
• Agreed-upon resolution

This documentation proves you’ve made reasonable efforts to collect and protect yourself if disputes escalate, or if you need to follow your case to collections agencies or implement legal steps.

Step 5: Evaluate and send accounts to collections

Not every unpaid balance justifies collection agency fees. Evaluate account balances, patient relationships, and collection likelihood before making this decision. For small balances, sometimes it’s better to write them off than damage the patient relationship.

Organized dental A/R management is helpful in this regard to protect your revenue and maintain a healthy relationship with patients. From strong front-end processes to consistent monitoring and follow-up with patients, write-offs can be prevented, and aging can be controlled to a great extent.

But if the outstanding is huge and impacts your practice revenue, forward the case to collections agencies. However, this must be the last resort, and you should make every attempt possible to avoid this.

Manage Patient Disputes and Complaints Professionally

Even with perfect systems, disputes arise, and this is something your practice staff must deal with patiently to preserve patient relationships and protect revenue.

When patients complain about bills, let them explain their perspective fully before responding. Listening actively to everything helps you identify the issue and present a proper solution.

After that, review the patient’s account thoroughly before responding. Pull treatment notes, estimates, payment agreements, and insurance correspondence. Sometimes patients are right; maybe there was a billing error. If so, acknowledge it, apologize, and correct it immediately.

And in case your charges are justified, explain that to patients with proper reasoning while also mentioning insurance policies. Proactive communication helps prevent these disputes.

Document each step and eventual dispute resolutions carefully.

Create Patient-Friendly Billing Statements

Your billing statements are often the only communication patients receive between visits. Clear and professional statements improve payment rates and reduce confusion.

The following tips are helpful for patient-friendly billing statements.

Use simple and plain language

Mention common terms for procedures instead of industry-specific terms or dental codes that patients can’t understand. For example, for an adult prophylaxis, write “Cleaning” instead of “D1110 – Adult Prophylaxis“.

Organize information logically

Show the date of service, procedure description, total charge, insurance payment, and patient balance due clearly. Use columns and white space to make information easy to scan.

Include payment instructions and options

Guide patients exactly about paying. You can add details such as:

• Online portal URL
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Accepted payment methods

Clear instructions make it easy for patients to pay and clear outstanding dues.

Add a clear due date and notify patients of legal complications

Patients need to know when payment is expected and what happens if they don’t pay. This creates urgency, and you do so in a respectful manner.

Patient Billing Template

Based on the above instructions, we’ll share an example of a clear and easy invoice for patients.

Leveraging Technology in Patient Billing

Modern technology transforms patient billing from a manual and time-consuming task into a streamlined digital process. Using the right tools and automation helps:

• Reduce errors
• Accelerate payments
• Free up your staff for higher-value work

Practice Management Solution

Invest in comprehensive practice management systems that integrate scheduling, charting, billing, and reporting. This integration helps manage entire patient ledgers and eliminates duplicate data entry, ensuring information is up-to-date and accessible for your staff all the time.

Automated Payment Reminders

Use automated payment reminders via text and email. These generate notifications promptly to patients without requiring your staff’s time and effort.

Online Patient Portals

Implement online payment portals where patients can view statements and pay bills 24/7. This convenience factor significantly improves collection rates, especially among younger patients who prefer digital transactions.

Dental RCM Solutions

Opt for top-notch dental RCM services that leverage technology and automation for accuracy and efficiency. All the steps in your dental revenue cycle, from verifying patient eligibility to collecting patient balances, are easily managed. You also get real-time reports and insights on your practice’s financial performance with expert human oversight, offering you guidance on corrective actions for better outcomes.

Robotic Process Automation

Explore robotic process automation, which works on a pre-determined set of rules tailored to your practice requirements. It subsequently implements these rules for efficient billing workflows. It perfectly works on most billing cases, completing tasks in mere seconds. However, you may still need to collaborate with experts for complex cases, but RPA shares almost your entire practice workload with ease.

Compliance and Legal Considerations

Patient billing requires dental practices to comply with regulations. Violations carry serious consequences, including fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage.

The following are some compliance requirements you must consider during patient billing:

• HIPAA Requirements: Understand the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for patient financial information. Billing data contains protected health information subject to strict privacy and security rules. Train staff on proper handling, limit access to authorized personnel, and maintain secure systems.
• FDCPA Guidelines: Follow Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) guidelines when collecting patient balances. This federal law prohibits harassment, false statements, and unfair practices. Even though the FDCPA technically applies to third-party collectors, following its standards protects your practice from legal issues.
• Record Retention: Maintain accurate records for the legally required retention period. Most states require keeping financial records for at least seven years. These records include billing statements, payment receipts, insurance correspondence, and collection documentation. While these are mainly retained for insurance billing, they can also be helpful in managing patient billing disputes.
• Credit Balance Management: Implement proper credit balance management. When you’ve collected more than owed from overpayment by patients, you must refund the excess promptly.
• No Surprises Act: Comply with the No Surprises Act, which requires you to ensure transparency with patients by informing them of expected costs and preventing surprise medical bills.

Is Outsourcing Patient Billing a Best Practice?

Patient billing is a critical issue and more complex than dealing with traditional dental insurance claims. Recovery is more difficult in patient billing than with insurance. Pursuing them for collections, especially with aging accounts receivable, doesn’t guarantee payments.

But you can resolve the issue by outsourcing tasks to an expert dental billing company, like TransDental. These outsourcing partners handle the complexities of patient billing, managing everything seamlessly, and preventing your accounts receivable from aging with:

• Professional front office management
• Real-time eligibility verification
• Consistent cost and estimate updates
• Automated tracking of insurance claims and patient balances
• Billing audits to identify revenue leaks with fixes
• Frequent reports on financial performance

And you get that all at cost-effective pricing, which is about 4-5% of the total amount you collect from patient balances!

Moreover, it improves staff productivity as personnel aren’t busy chasing balances but are focused on important day-to-day clinical and administrative tasks.

Plus, your patients get the attention and quality care they deserve, which automatically improves your chances of maximizing collections. Satisfied patients mean positive reviews, the probability of returning, and recommendations to peers, which increases your patient base and maximizes earning opportunities for your practice.

Conclusion

Patient billing is a core process that requires proactive communication, transparency about costs and estimates with patients, and a professional approach to collecting revenue from unpaid dues. Facilitate your patients with flexible payment plans and convenient payment methods to improve your chances of earning, and offer a gentle approach for collections. And do that in a manner that strengthens your patient relations while securing your hard-earned dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)