Treatment plans rarely stay frozen. A patient signs up for a crown, then the dentist finds a hidden fracture. A simple filling turns into a root canal. Clear aligner therapy stretches from 12 months to 18. Every one of these shifts changes the dollar amount. And when the amount changes,...
Is Your In-House Dental Membership Plan Legal in Your State? Discount Plan Laws, Registration, and Billing Setup
An in-house dental membership plan can be relatively easy to describe, sell, and bill. A patient pays a monthly or annual fee, receives specified preventive services or access to discounted treatment, and the practice charges the membership automatically until the patient cancels or the term ends. The harder question comes...
The Four-Installment Trap: When a Dental Payment Plan Triggers Truth in Lending Disclosures
A dental office may think it is offering a billing courtesy when it lets a patient divide a $3,000 treatment balance into several monthly payments. Depending on the terms and how often the practice offers those arrangements, however, that courtesy can become consumer credit subject to federal disclosure rules. The...
How Dental Practices Can Reduce Chargebacks and Disputes?
Beyond providing excellent care, dental practices must also navigate the challenge of financial conflicts in the form of chargebacks in a digital payment landscape. A chargeback is a disputed payment made by the patient‘s bank or credit card provider, on accounts of alleged unauthorized use, incorrect billing or inferior satisfaction...