Want to perform a mini-audit of your front-desk collections? Start by looking for patients who owed a balance when they came in for their appointment. Did your front office staff collect balances from these patients at the time of their office visit? To calculate your collection percentage for a given period of time, divide the number of patient visits at which staff collected balances by the number of patients owing a balance during that time.
After your audit, set a collection goal for your front office staff. Most offices should be able to collect money from at least 90 percent of patients owing a balance. If your current collection percentage is low, you may need to set interim goals leading up to a least 90 percent. Make sure your front office staff are properly trained on collection techniques. Not everyone is comfortable collecting money, so select the right front desk staff to work as cashiers and communicate your collection goals. Some offices reward their staff with bonuses for improved collections.
If you need help implementing more effective collection policies in your office, TMA Practice Consulting can help through on-site staff training or as part of an overall operations assessment. The consultants also can develop a custom policy and procedures manual and collection scripts for your office.
TMA Practice E-tips main page
Last Updated On
June 03, 2016
Originally Published On
March 23, 2010