January 25, 2012

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Managing Your Dermatology Practice: Keeping Credit Cards on File - FAQ

Managing Your Dermatology Practice: Your 2012 Resolution- Stop Extending Credit!

Thanks for all of the emails and requests to receive a copy of Dr. Joseph S. Eastern's credit card policy letter based on his blog post, "Your 2012 Resolution- Stop Extending Credit!"

The following is a copy of the letter Dr. Joseph S. Eastern gives to all new patients on their first visit explaining his office's credit card policy.

His office staff keeps the patient's credit card number on file, and uses it to bill any outstanding balances.

PLEASE NOTE:

This generic letter is intended to be used as an example for a letter you might draft for a similar purpose. However, we take no responsibility for your use of its content, either verbatim or altered, or any inappropriate usage.

To Our Patients:

As you know if you have ever checked into a hotel or rented a car, the first thing you are asked for is a credit card, which is imprinted and later used to pay your bill.  This is an advantage for both you and the hotel or rental company, since it makes checkout easier, faster, and more efficient.

We have implemented a similar policy.  You will be asked for a credit card number at the time you check in and the information will be held securely until your insurances have paid their portion and notified us of the amount of your share. At that time, any remaining balance owed by you will be charged to your credit card, and a copy of the charge will be mailed to you.

This will be an advantage to you, since you will no longer have to write out and mail us checks. It will be an advantage to us as well, since it will greatly decrease the number of statements that we have to generate and send out.   The combination will benefit everybody in helping to keep the cost of health care down.

This in no way will compromise your ability to dispute a charge or question your insurance company’s determination of payment.

Co-pays due at the time of the visit will, of course, still be due at the time of the visit.

If you have any questions about this payment method, do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely yours,

 

 

I authorize ********************, PA to charge outstanding balances on my account to the following credit card:

 

Visa       Mastercard       American Express        Other: ____________________________

 

Account number ________________________________ Expiration Date ____________

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