As deductibles and out-of-pocket costs have grown, the patient share of a practice’s revenue has grown with them. Collecting that share well — without turning it into a source of patient frustration — has become its own discipline.
Why Patient Collections Are Harder Than They Used to Be
High-deductible health plans mean more of the bill lands on the patient, later, after insurance has processed the claim — which is often weeks after the visit, when the patient has already mentally moved on from the appointment.
Set Expectations Before the Visit
Where possible, give patients a good-faith estimate of their financial responsibility before or at the time of service, based on their benefits. Patients who understand what they owe and why are far more likely to pay promptly than patients surprised by a bill weeks later.
Make Statements Easy to Understand
A statement full of CPT codes and adjustment codes with no plain-language explanation is a statement that gets set aside. Clear line items — what was billed, what insurance paid, what’s owed and why — reduce both non-payment and inbound billing questions.
Offer Multiple, Easy Payment Paths
- Online payment portal available 24/7
- Text-to-pay or email payment links
- Payment plans for larger balances
- Clear phone support for billing questions
Know When to Escalate — and When Not To
Sending every past-due balance straight to collections damages patient relationships and generates complaints. A structured internal follow-up process (statement, reminder, phone call, payment plan offer) before external collections preserves more revenue and more patients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after a visit should a patient receive their bill?
As soon as the claim has been adjudicated by insurance — ideally within 2-3 weeks of the visit. The longer the gap, the lower the likelihood of prompt payment.
Do payment plans actually improve collections?
Yes — offering a structured payment plan before a balance becomes seriously past due generally recovers more revenue than an all-or-nothing demand, and it’s far less likely to generate a patient complaint.
Should practices verify benefits before every visit?
For any visit where cost is a likely concern — new patients, high-cost procedures, or patients with high-deductible plans — real-time eligibility and benefits verification substantially reduces billing surprises for both the practice and the patient.
Get Started
Ask TBC Solutions how our patient statement and support process can reduce your self-pay write-offs.