Even as a dentist, you have to handle your financial affairs. These financial affairs include managing payments for services rendered. If you don't want to handle this aspect of the business yourself, there are a couple of different routes you can choose.
In-Office Billing Staff
You can hire one or more qualified individuals to manage your accounts receivable and accounts expendable. They would share the same office space with you, and keep you updated on your financials. When a patient owes money, they talk to the patient for you, rather than having to handle that unpleasant business yourself. Additionally, it keeps the patient/dentist relationship pleasant because you do not know who has paid their bills and who has not, and you treat everyone fairly and equally.
Out-of-Office Billing Staff
These people are still paid by your office and are your employees, but they work offsite in a separate office space. Some dentists like this arrangement because then there is less tension in the workplace because patients do not have to be referred to the billing specialist before they receive services from you. All of the financing and credit card services offered to patients are also handled off-site, so it just makes sense that the billing and payments department is off-site too.
Outsourced Dental Billing Services
There are companies that do nothing all day but handle other businesses' accounts. When you outsource your financial needs, everything from your salary to your employees' wages and patient billing is handled by these companies. Sometimes you can hire a debt collection agency that will address your billing needs and your past due collections. The money comes in, your accounts are all in order, and you never have to mention money to any patient in the chair.
Choosing the Financial Programs That Work Best for You and Your Practice
When you initially decide on who and what is going to handle your billing and payment affairs, you have to consider not only what works for you, but also what works for your patients and your employees. Patients have to pay, and should have multiple options available to them to help them pay their dental bills. Your dental assistants and hygienists and appointment schedulers all need to be paid, and should have options on how they will get their pay. Choosing the most convenient options for everyone helps you decide how you will hire and address your billing needs.
Dental offices, like Area Dental Associates - Comfortable Family and General Dentistry, give patients healthy and beautiful smiles. But the finances are part of the business too. If you want to outsource your financial dealings, consider some of these options.
Share13 January 2015
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.