Successful Debt Collection Techniques

by Abby
(Dallas, TX)

While working at the doctor's office, we got a backlog of unpaid bills. This was a problem, especially when it came to paying quarterly taxes! It was hard to hear stories about people who were sick not being able to pay! Our office manager implemented the following actions, which really helped in bringing down the number of unpaid bills!

Phone calls made directly to the patients from the office. We called and asked them to pay their bills before a certain date or the bills would be turned over to a collection agency! If they were not reached by phone, we sent certified letters stating that unpaid bills would be turned over to collections!
Unless a bill was paid, patients would not be able to schedule another appointment. This was especially effective when it came to back-to-school physicals.
It was really hard to respond with thick skin, especially to stories about people in tough times! As part of the front office staff, we really had to come down on people and say, "No." My office manager made the point that we offer a service that people should pay for. You can't go into the Wal-Mart and plea with the cashier that you're out of money and expect to walk out with groceries. Patients have to pay for services rendered. End of story.
We did some research on medical insurances that had a history of not paying. We informed patients of insurances we would no long accept. This meant losing some patients, but it also meant we could take on new patients!
Finally, after a certain amount of time, patients' outstanding bills were turned over to collections. The patients were informed that our office would no longer see them.

These are strategies that have greatly reduced the number of outstanding debts.