Now more than ever, it seems the majority of outstanding revenues are patient responsibility balances. Sending multiple statements, reminder letters, collection letters, and then making those awkward, inquiring phone calls can often be avoided when you have proactive approaches in place. There are several opportunities to inform clients of their financial responsibilities beginning with their very first encounter. People tend to be more receptive and open to discuss financial matters, at this point in the relationship, so it's much easier to collect money upfront then trying to collect it at a later date. And it's not as difficult as you think if you have some responses ready to use for the most common situations you will encounter with your clients. Remember, you are providing a service like anyone else with whom they choose to do business, and you have every right to expect them to honor their financial obligation for that service. When patients do not have insurance coverage, they need to be aware of your policies regarding self-pay patients whatever that may be. "Payment in full is due at the time of service, but we do offer a 20% cash discount to our self-pay patients." When patients are covered by insurance: "Please bring your current insurance card(s). We do collect all copays and/or unmet deductible amounts that may be due at the time of service." When a patient says they forgot to bring their insurance card: You should have previously collected their insurance information when they initially scheduled. Many times, on the insurance website, you can view the actual card and print a copy to keep on file. It makes it very easy to verify benefits quickly. "No problem Mr. Smith, I went ahead and already verified your benefits. It looks like you have a $20 copay per v…