In this episode, we break down how pre-collection billing—reaching out to patients before their bills are overdue—can transform a practice’s cash flow and patient experience. They explore how tools like BillFlash PayReminders help practices get paid faster, reduce admin work, and build better relationships through automated, well-timed reminders via text and email.

From improved financial stability to happier patients, tune in to learn why this proactive approach is a win-win—and how it could signal a bigger shift toward smarter, more people-focused healthcare.

Transcript

Narrator: 00:00

Welcome to the Billing Blueprint Podcast, your go to resource for innovative medical billing solutions. Each episode we explore the latest industry trends and share proven strategies to help your practice streamline operations and get paid faster. Now here are your hosts, Brad and Sarah.

Sarah: 00:21

 Okay, so have you ever noticed that, like, dealing with medical bills can sometimes be such a drag?

Brad: 00:26

 Oh, totally. It's like a whole thing, right? Both for patients and the practice is trying to get paid.

Sarah: 00:30

 Yeah, exactly. And it's crazy how these payment delays can actually affect the quality of care a practice can even offer.

Brad: 00:37

 Absolutely. You know, if a practice is constantly struggling to just stay afloat financially, they can't really focus on investing in new tech or providing the best possible experience for you as the patient.

Sarah: 00:46

 It's all connected, isn't it? So today we're diving into this idea of pre collection billing.

Brad: 00:50

 Pre collection billing?

Sarah: 00:52

 Yeah, it sounds kind of technical, but it's actually pretty straightforward and might even be a game changer for a lot of practices.

Brad: 00:57

 Okay, I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

Sarah: 00:59

 So basically it's all about reaching out to patients about their bills before they even become officially overdue.

Brad: 01:05

 So like a heads up kind of thing?

Sarah: 01:07

 Exactly. Like a friendly reminder, you know? Hey, just so you know, this bill's coming up.

Brad: 01:11

 That makes sense. I could see how that would be helpful for both sides.

Sarah: 01:14

 Right, and to really make this work efficiently, it seems like automation is key. We've been looking into Bill Flash and their pay reminders system.

Brad: 01:21

 Bill Flash pay reminders?

Sarah: 01:22

 Yeah, it's basically a way to automate those reminders and make the whole process smoother. Like sending you a text or email instead of those dreaded phone calls.

Brad: 01:29

 Oh, man, those calls are the worst. So much better to just get a quick digital reminder.

Sarah: 01:33

 Right, and the data backs this up big time. Get this. Pre collection communication can actually cut down the time it takes for practices to get paid by up to 50%.

Brad: 01:42

 50%? Wow, that's huge.

Sarah: 01:44

 It is. And on average, patients end up paying like, nine days faster when they get those reminders.

Brad: 01:48

 That's gotta be a huge relief for practices. They can actually plan their finances better and focus on patient care.

Sarah: 01:53

 So let's unpack this pre collection billing thing a little more. What does it actually look like in practice?

Brad: 01:58

 Well, at its core, it's all about starting that conversation with you, the patient, about your bill before it even becomes officially past due.

Sarah: 02:05

 Okay, so instead of waiting till it's late, they're reaching out proactively.

Brad: 02:09

 Exactly. It's about building a relationship based on communication and making it easier for you to manage your payments.

Sarah: 02:15

 And Bill Flash really seems to focus on those automated reminders through texts and emails, right?

Brad: 02:20

 Yeah, that's a big part of it. It's using those channels that people are already using every day to make sure the information gets seen.

Sarah: 02:25

 And it's not just spamming people, right? They have a strategy behind it.

Brad: 02:28

 Oh, yeah, for sure. It's not just sending reminders constantly. It's about those, well, timed nudges. And often they even include links directly to online payment portals.

Sarah: 02:37

 So you can literally click and pay right from your phone. That's gotta make a difference.

Brad: 02:41

 It totally does. And like you said, getting paid nine days faster on average, that's a big deal for practices. It really affects their financial stability.

Sarah: 02:48

 Okay, so bigger picture now. How does a practice's financial health actually impact the quality of care that you, the patient, receive?

Brad: 02:55

 Well, think about it. If a practice is struggling financially, they might not be able to invest in the latest equipment or hire enough staff.

Sarah: 03:02

 And that directly impacts the kind of care they can provide, right?

Brad: 03:06

 Absolutely. It's all connected. And then on the flip side, there's the whole issue of confusing medical bills.

Sarah: 03:11

 Oh, yeah, I think we've all been there. Those bills can be so complicated and frustrating.

Brad: 03:15

 Totally. And that confusion can lead to distrust and even a reluctance to pay, which just makes things worse for everyone.

Sarah: 03:22

 So this is where Bill FLA. And their pay reminders are trying to step in and make things better.

Brad: 03:26

 Exactly. They're trying to make billing more transparent and user friendly for both the practice and the patient.

Sarah: 03:32

 And it's not just a single reminder. And then, bam, you're in collections, right?

Brad: 03:35

 No, no, it's way more nuanced than that. They can actually Send up to 3 text and 3 email reminders per patient every month.

Sarah: 03:42

 So multiple chances to see the reminder and take care of it before things escalate.

Brad: 03:46

 Exactly. And what's really important is that once a bill is paid, the reminders stop.

Sarah: 03:50

 Oh, thank goodness for that. I'd be so annoyed if I kept getting reminders for a bill I already paid.

Brad: 03:55

 Yeah, it's all about efficiency and not wasting anyone's time.

Sarah: 03:57

 So from a practice's perspective, what's the financial side of using a system like this?

Brad: 04:02

 Well, according to what we've seen, they only get charged for reminders that are actually successfully sent.

Sarah: 04:07

 So it's pretty cost effective since they're only paying for what they use.

Brad: 04:11

 Exactly. And it makes sense, right? The more reminders they send, the more likely people are to pay.

Sarah: 04:15

 Okay, so we've got the what and the why. Now let's get into the how. How do these pay reminders actually work?

Brad: 04:20

 Well, BillFlash gives practices a lot of control over how those reminders are set up and sent out. They can decide how often the reminders go out and when exactly they're sent relative to the invoice and due date.

Sarah: 04:30

 So it's not just a one size fits all kind of thing?

Brad: 04:33

 Not at all. They can really tailor it to their specific patient base.

Sarah: 04:36

 Like, if they know most their patients are super busy and tend to forget about bills, they can adjust the reminders accordingly.

Brad: 04:41

 Exactly. They can be really strategic about it. And the best part is, once they set it up, the whole thing is automated.

Sarah: 04:46

 No more staff spending hours manually tracking down payments. That's gotta be a huge time saver.

Brad: 04:52

 It is, and it lets them focus on more important things, like, you know, actually taking care of patients.

Sarah: 04:56

 And what about the reminders themselves? What kind of information do they include?

Brad: 04:59

 So they actually include a direct link to Bill Flash's online payment portal, which.

Sarah: 05:04

 Is called payboot.com so you can literally click on the reminder and go straight to the payment page?

Brad: 05:09

 Yeah, it's super convenient. And then once you make the payment, the system automatically updates everything and stops those reminders.

Sarah: 05:15

 All right, so we've talked about fat prepayments, less administrative work. What other benefits does this pre collection approach offer?

Brad: 05:22

 Well, one of the biggest one is improved cash flow for the practice.

Sarah: 05:25

 Makes sense, right? Quicker payments mean a more predictable income stream.

Brad: 05:29

 Exactly. And that stability lets them invest back into the practice, which ultimately benefits the patient.

Sarah: 05:34

 It's that ripple effect again. Everything's connected. And what about patient satisfaction? How do people actually feel about getting these reminders?

Brad: 05:41

 You'd think it might be annoying, right? But actually, studies show that people generally prefer these friendly reminders over those scary collection calls or official notices.

Sarah: 05:50

 It's like a gentle nudge instead of a slap in the face.

Brad: 05:52

 Right, and it helps people stay on top of their bills without feeling harassed.

Sarah: 05:56

 And those stats from NYOB are pretty convincing. 21% paid after the first reminder, 20% after the second, and a whopping 32% after the third.

Brad: 06:05

 It really shows that those reminders do make a difference.

Sarah: 06:07

 Okay, so we've established that healthcare practices are all different. How can these pay reminders be customized to fit those individual needs?

Brad: 06:15

 Well, like we talked about, they have a lot of control over the timing. They can decide how many reminders to send up to three texts and emails per month based on their patient population.

Sarah: 06:25

 So a Practice with a lot of younger patients might go heavier on the text reminders, while an older demographic might prefer emails.

Brad: 06:32

 Exactly. It's all about knowing your patients and finding what works best.

Sarah: 06:36

 And it's not just about when the reminders are sent, but also what they actually say, right?

Brad: 06:40

 Oh yeah, definitely. Practices can customize the tone wording to match their style and their patients preferences.

Sarah: 06:46

 So it feels more personal and less like a robotic message.

Brad: 06:49

 Exactly. And that can make a big difference in how people respond.

Sarah: 06:52

 So it really is a very flexible system bringing it all together. What's the key takeaway you want listeners to remember from this deep dive?

Brad: 06:59

 I think the big thing is that these automated pre collection reminders are a win win for everyone. They help practices get paid faster and more reliably, which means they can focus on providing better care.

Sarah: 07:10

 And for patients it means a more transparent and less stressful billing experience.

Brad: 07:15

 Exactly. It's about making that whole financial side of healthcare less of a headache for everyone involved.

Sarah: 07:20

 And it really makes you think, doesn't it? What if more healthcare providers adopted this kind of approach? Could it actually make the whole system more efficient and patient centered?

Brad: 07:30

 It's a good question to consider. Maybe this is just the beginning of a bigger shift towards using technology to improve communication and build stronger relationships in healthcare.

Sarah: 07:39

 Imagine a world where you get helpful reminders about appointments, pre appointment instructions, even follow up care tips all through those channels you're already using.

Brad: 07:47

 Yeah, it's definitely an exciting possibility and it shows how technology could be used to make things better for everyone.

Sarah: 07:53

 It's about making healthcare less about the paperwork and more about the people.

Brad: 07:57

 And ultimately that's what matters most, right?

Sarah: 07:58

 Absolutely. Taking care of each other.

Narrator: 08:02

Thanks for tuning into the Billing Blueprint podcast. For more insights or to dive deeper dive deeper into today's topics. Head over to billflash.com. Don't forget to subscribe and we'll catch you next week with more strategies to keep your practice running smoothly and getting paid faster.

Sources:

PayReminders to the Rescue: The Benefits of Pre-Collection Billing for Healthcare Practices