Whether you have been in business for many years or are just starting out with your dermatology practice, the issue of patient balances and the efficient collection of those balances is an industry-wide concern. Soft collections and strategies that help you to get paid for services are an important part of your business. Increasing your collections for dermatology services helps to improve your bottom line and ensure you’re operating on your patients and operating efficiently and effectively in your business.
Statements with patient balances alone are a form of soft collections but often not enough to ensure that an actual patient balance collection will take place. Collecting patient balances often takes more than a statement, phone call, or even just one person. Sometimes it helps to have a team behind you. Derm Care Billing Consultants helps to effectively collect patient balances, using multiple collection techniques to enhance your collecting ability.
DCBC is a dermatology-exclusive billing company with more than 35 years of combined experience in dermatologic care. Our mission is simple: to provide highly personalized service through skilled dermatology billers and certified coders who use modern billing technology to help practices achieve stronger collection rates.
What Are Soft Collections in Dermatology Billing?
Soft collections involve friendly, non-aggressive reminders intended to encourage patients to resolve their outstanding balances. These methods take place early in the billing cycle, well before a patient’s balance is moved into hard collections or sent to a third-party agency.
For dermatology practices, soft collections play an important role in reducing aging accounts, improving cash flow, and keeping patient relationships positive.
How to Increase Soft Collections of Patient Balances
Effective soft collection tools and techniques include:
- Statements
- Reminder calls
- Email notices
- Text message
- Patient portal reminders
- Payment link follow-ups
We offer a variety of increased collection services for dermatology practitioners, such as text-to-pay, email, and phone calls. Even adding payment links to your website will make it fast and simple for patient collections and will smooth the dermatology collections process.
The Importance of Accurate Information at Check-In
Statements with patient balances alone are a form of soft collections, but they often are not enough to achieve actual payment. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly reminder call, a text, or an emailed statement to prompt a patient to pay. That’s why the information you collect from the moment of their first visit is so important. We will help you improve your patient intake process.
Ways DCBC Will Help Collect Dermatology Patient Balances
- Provide your front office team with the training to properly collect all applicable patient information accurately (addresses, correct spelling of names, DOB, etc.). This includes properly recording the existence or absence of insurance.
- Provide training to your staff to ensure any applicable deductibles are clearly explained upfront.
- Manage patient statements and patient calls
- Training staff on coding for insurance carriers – completing forms the first time, on time and accurately helps increase dermatology collections.
Reasons Dermatology Practices Struggle With Patient Balances
Many dermatology practices run into the same barriers when it comes to patient balances. Problems often start with incorrect or incomplete patient information at check-in, missed or rushed insurance verification, or explanations of benefits that are too brief or confusing.
If follow-up workflows are inconsistent, balances can sit unpaid for weeks or months, especially when patients are not offered flexible, convenient ways to pay. Challenges grow when coders or billers are not familiar with dermatology-specific procedures and payer expectations, leading to delays, denials, or rework.
Because DCBC employs certified coders and experienced dermatology billing professionals, we help practices avoid these common issues with processes that are built around the realities of dermatology billing.
Why Choose DCBC for Soft Collections Support?
DermCare Billing Consultants stands out because our team brings both technical billing expertise and hands-on dermatology practice experience. We understand the clinical workflows, coding requirements, payer behaviors, and patient expectations specific to dermatology.
With certified coders, experienced billing managers, and knowledgeable office management professionals on your side, your practice gains reliable, informed support to improve patient balance collection and strengthen financial performance. We add to your bottom line with increased patient collection of outstanding balances, putting more revenue in your hands sooner.
Talk to Our Billing Consultants About Soft Collections
The right soft collections process and team is an efficient method of enhancing and increasing your collection of patient balances. Increase collections for your dermatology practice by hiring highly trained administrative staff with strong customer service and attention to detail background, like Derm Care Billing Consultants. We’ll add to your bottom line with an increased patient collection of outstanding balances, putting more money in your pocket sooner! Contact us today at (646) 630-8588 to get started.