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What To Expect When Making Dental Debt Collection Calls

As the owner of a dental practice, you have probably dealt with non-paying patients in the past. With high number of accounts receivable going into collections, your staff has probably made many dental debt collection calls to patients and former patients. Regardless of the reason they can’t pay, there are certain responses which patients are going to give you when they receive this call. So, what should you know, and what should you expect when making dental debt collection calls? These are a few of the most common responses given by patients who haven’t paid, or have been ignoring your attempts to collect for quite some time.

Dental Debt Collection Calls

Dental Debt Collection Calls
My Insurance Covered It, Right?
One of the most common excuses you are going to hear when making dental debt collection calls from patients is that they were under the impression that their insurer was going to pay the bill. In fact, this is one of the most common reason for unpaid portions of bills, when patients don’t know how much their insurer covers, and how much they had to pay. Some forget there is a copay, while others simply believe the entire bill is covered by their insurer.

So, what should your staff say in these situations? A good way to handle these calls is to say:” We are sorry for the confusion and are happy to go over your insurance at the next visit. However, you currently owe $XXX, how would you like to pay for this today?” By simply asking how the patient is going to pay, rather than telling them you are going to send out another bill, it forces them to make a payment, rather than giving you another excuse. It is a smooth transition which typically results in having the bill paid in full, without insulting the patient. Further, it lets them know that for future visits, their insurer is not going to pay the entire bill, so you do not have to worry about another account going into past due accounts.

How Much Is The Bill?

Another common reason patients simply don’t pay, and make the dental debt collection calls so difficult is that they didn’t expect the total amount to be as much as it was. This is more common with self pay, rather than insured patients. One option for your practice to consider is to offer setting up a payment arrangement when making the call about their bill. If they can’t pay it all up front, set up a smaller monthly amount, which allows them to pay the total over a period of several months. Although it will take a bit longer to collect, at least your practice is not going to lose the total amount of the patient’s unpaid debt.

Further, you can go on to inform patients you will go over in detail with them, the full cost of a procedure, the next time they visit the office. This will in turn allow them to evaluate what they can afford, and which work they have to do right away, and which type of work can wait until a future visit.

You never know what excuse you will hear, but these two are among the most common when dental offices make the dental debt collection calls. Being prepared for these responses will not only help your staff say the right thing and collect on unpaid debts, but also avoids the potential of insulting a patient, who will completely ignore your calls in the past. Further, it ensures patients are made aware of bills, costs, and their responsibility to pay, for future visits to the office.

Dental Debt Collection Calls

If you are tired of making dental debt collection calls, and the same old response from patients with each call, our dental collection agency can step in to help. Not only do we know how to deal with these responses, we know which methods to take with patients who give us these responses, and are trying to avoid paying their past due account. We are not only going to reduce the total past due accounts you currently have, but will help eliminate the occurrence in the future as well.

Ready to find the right dental debt dental debt collection calls agency?

Save time, money and aggravation by hiring a professional who can help you collect some (or all) of your outstanding revenue.

Click the button below and get a free dental debt collection calls agency quote today. After all, you can keep doing what you’re doing (and hope for a different result), or you can work with a collection agency that can help you recover what’s rightfully yours.

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Dental Debt Collection Agencies – When Is It Time To Outsource?

On a daily basis, dental offices are having problems collecting patient bills which go into accounts receivable. Whether you can’t find the patient, you can’t get in touch with their insurer, or they are simply ignoring you due to inability to pay an account, dental debt collection agencies can step in to help. But, when is it the right time to outsource your account receivable to a dental collection agency? These are a few factors to keep in mind, if you are having troubles collecting on accounts, and can’t reach certain patients.

Dental Debt Collection Agencies

Dental Debt Collection AgenciesWhen Is The Right Time?

For some, turning to dental debt collection agencies after about 4 months (or 120 days), it might be time to write off a patient, and try to work with a collection agency. Certain agencies advise that after a period of 2 to 3 months (60 to 90 days), it might be time to rely on a third party agency to help you collect on bills. Why? For the most part, after this time has elapsed you aren’t going to be able to reach the patient. The sooner you turn to a collection agency, the higher the likelihood of finding the patient, getting them to pay at least a portion of the bill, and collecting on accounts you thought might be closed for good.

What Size Balance Should I Send To Debt Collection Agencies?

Again, this will vary from practice to practice. But, if a bill is in collections, which is $75 to $100, or higher, it might be advisable to work with third party dental debt collection agencies professional service provider. Most agencies will not accept patient bills of smaller amounts, due to the amount of time, work, resources, and effort, required to go after the patient. So, if your practice simply has several small accounts which are overdue, it might be advisable to write them off. On the other hand, if you have several patients which are delinquent, with excessive bill amounts, a collection agency can step in to help.

Who Will Pay The Bills?

Who is responsible for the unpaid bills? It is important you have all relevant and up to date information about a patient, prior to turning the bills over to dental debt collection agencies. From their address and phone number, to social security number, and insurers if they are insured. The more information your practice has, the easier it is going to be for a collection agency to not only track the patient down, but also to get the bill paid off. Further, if you have several notices sent out to patients, and have made attempts to collect in the past, giving this information to the collection agency is also going to provide them with accurate information about all efforts which have been made, in an effort to collect on overdue accounts.

Depending on the amount of patient bills which are overdue, how long they have been past due, and the efforts your practice has made in the past, the right dental debt collection agencies are going to be able to step in to assist you, and at least collect on a portion of the bill amount. Not all patients will pay the account, and in many cases, only partial payments will be made. But the right collection agency is going to prove to be your best ally to receive at least a portion of the total amount your practice has lost.

Dental Debt Collection Agencies

If your dental practice has delinquent accounts, it might be time to work with dental debt collection agencies to help you collect on past due accounts. This is where we can help! Fill out the form below to provide us with information about past due patient bills, efforts which were made to collect, and all other patient payment information, so we can determine what the best option is for you, and whether or not we can work with you to collect on patient bills. Fill out the short form below today, so that we can begin the process, find out the best collection options, and help your dental practice collect on the past due patient bills which are in collections.

Ready to find the right dental debt collection agencies?

Save time, money and aggravation by hiring a professional who can help you collect some (or all) of your outstanding revenue.

Click the button below and get a free dental debt collection agencies quote today. After all, you can keep doing what you’re doing (and hope for a different result), or you can work with a collection agency that can help you recover what’s rightfully yours.

Get a Free Quote Today

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