Here, we examine one of the more common conundrums in orthodontic practices today. Quite a number of practices believe firmly in offering patients a monthly payment plan that allows that patient to fit the monthly obligation into his or her budget. Those of us at My Practice Engine fall into that method of thinking. Combine this with the fact that over time, technology has allowed doctors to see patients less frequently. In the distant past, patients had to consistently be seen on a monthly basis. Now, sites regularly discuss 5-8 week intervals between appointments.
Very clearly, reducing the frequency of appointments is a win-win for all involved. For a patient, having to make fewer visits to the doctor’s office is almost always preferred. For the practice, seeing the patient less frees up time to see other patients. Just doing the math, if you see patients every 4 weeks and then move to seeing them every 6 weeks, you now have increased the total number of monthly patients you can see by 33%. That’s without adding chairs, space, staff or any other cost.
The problem that arises comes from the fact that practices intertwine the monthly payment and the frequency of visits. As a result, a practice charging a monthly fee will see patients on a monthly basis so that they can make sure to collect that monthly amount. This eliminates the possibility of the office using all of that wonderful technology available for treatment. Here are some of the objections and solutions raised when discussing monthly payment and non-monthly visits.
Please note that we will not be discussing the quality of outcomes or movement of teeth using one method or another. There are a number of outstanding sources for that type of discussion. This is not one of them.
