Examining Patient Financing

Good for your patients. Good for your practice.

We hear about it a lot these days—dental practices getting squeezed by lower consumer spending. The result is less treatment acceptance and lower revenues—and no practice is immune. Economists have even coined a phrase for this belt-tightening and credit-crunching …“the new normal.”

But, as any dentist will tell you, patients electing not to get the treatments they need because of financial concerns is far from what they’d like to see as “normal.” Luckily, there are some innovative payment options out there for dentists who want to help their patients, keep money coming into their practice, and avoid becoming debt collectors themselves.

Here are a few of our favorite tips for what to look for in a patient-financing program.

Your outside financing partner should be as flexible as you.

You always have your eye on individual solutions for your patients—from the routine to the cutting edge. And, we all know that “one size fits all” rarely fits anyone. So you should expect the same kind of flexibility from from your financing partner. Look for a payment option like the Citi Health Card that offers several no-interest plans as well as budget plans and regular revolving options. The more options your financing partner can provide, the more likely you’ll find the one that works best for your practice and your patients.

A good partner lets you focus on your patients, instead of whether you’ll get paid.

Almost nothing is as frustrating or drains productivity more than out-of-control accounts receivable. Who wants the hassle of tracking down past due payments? Keep your focus on care, and let a third party handle the payment process. Just make sure they offer fast payments in 2–3 days.

You shouldn’t be held hostage to high merchant fees.

One of the main benefits of patient financing is cash flow management. But be careful. A lot of partners will make you pay a big price for this convenience on the back end. Keep a close eye on the merchant fee rate for each financing option you select. The Citi Health Card has the lowest No Interest and Budget Payment Plan Merchant Discount Rates in the dental industry and providers can save up to 41% compared to other products.*

Peace of mind matters to you and your patients.

No one wants to wonder how they’re going to afford a procedure they need. That’s why the best financing partners provide your practice with all the materials your patients need to understand their financing options right from the start. And they also provide reliable support to your staff so they can answer patient’s questions. That way, your patients know exactly how they can pay, and you know exactly when you’ll get paid. Taking the payment out of the relationship lets everyone focus on care.

You have enough equipment in your office already.

Do you really want to deal with another payment terminal, snarl of wires, and who knows what else? Working with a financing partner who can accommodate your existing payment processing equipment just makes everything that much easier. For example, the Citi Health Card can be processed through a standard credit card terminal, a touch-tone phone, or via the convenient and easy-to-use online processing method.

Fast payments make for a healthy practice. We can’t stress this enough. Knowing that you’ll be paid consistently and on time lets you manage your expenses, budget for equipment upgrades, and keep your finances in order. Plus, offering a trusted payment option like the Citi Health Card can help you increase treatment acceptance and patient loyalty at your practice. Sounds like a good deal to us—less hassle, more savings, better treatment rates, fast payments, and full customer support.

For more information on the Henry Schein Financial Services Patient Financing program, please call 800-443-2756, Option 1 or e-mail hsfs@henryschein.com.

*Merchant Discount Rate is the cost to your practice and is calculated as a percentage of the total sale. Savings is based on No Interest and Budget Payment Plan rates charged by a major or national competitor.