A career in one of the medical professions can be incredibly rewarding. But getting your financial rewards can sometimes be problematic. It is understandable that some patients may struggle to keep up with their medical bills as the costs of the latest treatments can be high. However, there are steps that any health professional can take to work with their patient to ensure that their bill is paid in full and that they, in turn, can continue to receive the level of care and professionalism that they deserve.
Offer Discounts for Clients that Pre-Pay
This is becoming very popular with both healthcare providers and their patients. Any discount is always welcome from a customer’s perspective, and as a service provider, you can approach your work knowing that the job is paid for. Offering moderate discounts for pre-paying clients is a very cost-effective method of ensuring you get paid, though it can be difficult to arrange for expensive and urgent treatments.
Maintain Accurate Records
Many health professionals have lost revenue just by failing to invoice clients. Surprising as it may seem, some lose track of who owes what from when, and billings fall behind. Keeping accurate records and doing your paperwork diligently will be worth the time and effort; invoices are worth their weight in gold.
Use a Billing Service
Not many people join a medical profession for the paperwork. Though an important part of the job, it never seems like it when you are working with a patient or discussing test results and medical developments with colleagues. Many health workers are using billing services to take the paperwork off their plate and let them carry on doing what they do best. There are career specific companies, such as Anaesthetic Billing, that have the experience and the knowledge to help you with your payments whatever your medical specialization.
Offer Discounts for Clients that Pay Early
Most of your clients will need some kind of payment plan, or you may have a date set for final payments. Offering a small discount for early payments is a very good way to encourage your clients to settle their bill in a timely fashion. Like with a discount for pre-paying bills, customers will see the discount as value for them, and for you it is cost-effective. Contacting a client for payments, filling in additional paperwork and mailing it – all these things take up your time and come at a financial cost to you. When clients are chasing a discount, however, they are eager to come to you and make the payment, saving you time and effort and making you more productive.
The modern health professional has many modern tools and methods at their disposal to get the rewards they deserve for their hard work and training. With some effort and discipline, or a little help from a billing service, you can take the paperwork pressure off yourself and relax knowing you have systems in place to make sure you get paid.
