Read Ebook: How to Collect a Doctor Bill by Davis Franklyn Pierre

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 309 lines and 33438 words, and 7 pages

The best way to hold practice is to collect your accounts. More people change doctors because they owe big bills than for any other reason.

Never tell a debtor that you are hard up and need the money. He won't believe you, and will not only neglect to pay you, but will change to some other doctor. Tell them that you must have the money because it is yours and that you want the profit that may be made with it. Put it up to them as a plain business proposition and loan them the amount if they pay you interest and give good security. They will respect you when you make them pay. A man is judged in this country by his business success. Most men would rather pay a lawyer a thousand dollars to keep them out of the penitentiary for a year, than to pay a doctor fifty dollars to keep them out of hell for a life time.

Office and transient practice should be cash or an order note. The following form will prove valuable:

..............191..

After date, for value received, I promise to pay ............. or order...........Dollars, the same to be paid in...............payments of $.............each, until the sum of $............ has been paid.

For Value Received, I, the undersigned, hereby sell, assign, transfer and set over unto.............. all my right, title and interest in and to all of my salary, wages or any moneys due, or to become due, to the amount of.................Dollars, from any person, firm or corporation, and order the said amount to be paid to the bearer out of the first moneys due me after the presentation of a copy of this instrument. I hereby irrevocably waive all exemptions or other rights I may have by means of any law of any state in which I now, or may hereafter be employed or reside. I agree to pay all costs and attorney's fees that may be incurred in collecting the above amount.

Name.................................

Occupation.............. Address.................. Employed by............. Address..................

I have this form printed on cards and file them in a card file. This contract note not only helps to get the money, but it solves the problem of holding chronics and venerals. It is seldom necessary to present the order for payment. When you write a letter advising your client that you will be compelled to present the order to his employer if he doesn't come in and see you, he will show up in a very short time.

Subscribe to the Merchant's Exchange. If a man will not pay his store bills you cannot expect him to pay his doctor. Get the cash when you find his name on the list, or let the other doctor have the case.

After entering an account on your books, make no rebates or discounts. Buy a hog for four times its value, if necessary, but don't discount your bill.

If account is paid by check, remember the following points:

When a check is post-dated , if payed before the date mentioned, the money can be recovered.

When post-dated checks fall due on Sunday or a legal holiday they should be presented on the day following.

Changing the dates of checks without the consent of the drawers will make the checks void.

Checks that are not dated, or that do not contain any statement when they are to be paid, are never payable.

Bank checks are but orders on the bank for the payment of money, and are payable in the order in which they are presented at the bank.

Do not hold checks, but present them for payment as soon as possible.

If a check is not paid on proper presentation, resort may be made to the original claim. Have the banker endorse the reason for non-payment on the check.

Certified checks are checks that have been endorsed by the bank, and constitute payment as to the persons drawing them.

If a check is turned down at the bank notify the drawer at once.

If you receive a check and endorse it and place in your bank for collection, and it is turned down, do not return it to the drawer until you get a remittance to cover, without first erasing your endorsement.

FORMS AND COLLECTING LETTERS.

Nearly every form of letter that has been devised for collecting physicians accounts has been based upon those used by installment houses and those in general use by wholesale merchants who deal with retail dealers. They all carry the bluff idea. This is all right in dealing with installment customers with whom you have a contract that will take away the goods purchased, or with retail merchants who know they must meet their obligations if they continue in business. The credit men of mercantile institutions keep tab on their customers through the local merchants exchange and the commercial agencies, and are in a position to know to what extent it is safe to extend credit. The merchant cannot refuse to pay his bills and go to another wholesale house and buy goods, hence if he is a little tardy in meeting his obligations the bluff letter will awaken him to the necessity of paying the bill.

With the doctor's customers it is altogether different. He knows that he cannot be compelled to pay the bill, and that some other physician will be only too ready to come at his call.

It is then evident that the bluff idea will not work with the man who knows that he can get another doctor whenever he wants one, and that he is so protected by the exemption laws that the bill cannot be collected by resorting to law. So in reaching this class we must devise other plans if we hope to accomplish anything. Here, my experience has shown that sentiment is the key note in an effective collecting letter for physicians. I have found that the more human interest, sentiment and friendly feeling that can be woven into the letter the better it is. Every time that I write a letter to a client I try and refer in some manner to the patient or to some member of the family, and try to impress them with the fact that I have a personal interest in them. The following forms are suggestive of the idea, and have proven very successful in my practice. The classification is, of course used with every account--they are all No. 1 until they fail to pay. The word "Class" and the number are stamped with a rubber stamp. Letters of this kind should be pen written--typewriter and form letters will not answer, they lose the personal sentiment.

A duplicator that will easily reproduce 100 copies of a pen written letter may be had for about , and the letters may be "formed" on this, leaving space in which the personal matter may be written. If properly done they will have the appearance of a hand written letter. Don't have your letters too polished. Remember you are a very busy man--just writing a note to a friend. Omit the rhetorical embellishments from this class of correspondence in all cases.

The first of my series of letters is along the following line.

CLASS 1.

Dear Sir:--

As you are one of my First Class patrons, I know you will be only too glad to assist me at this time. I saw little Mary on the street the other day, and she is looking well and hearty. I am glad she is so well, as we had a hard fight to save her last spring.

Wishing you health, happiness and success, I am,

Yours very truly.

Now if this fails to bring the money, we will try Class No. 2.

CLASS 2.

Dear Sir:--

A good credit is the greatest asset that any man can have, and I find I can only maintain my credit by making prompt payment of my bills. To do this I must have a prompt settlement of the bills due me. I know that you value a good credit, and feel sure that you will not again disappoint me.

How is baby getting along? I guess he can almost stand by this time. Come in and see me any way, and we can no doubt make arrangements that will help us both out, and continue the best of friends.

Yours very truly.

In case he is not interested in your friendship, and does not show up with the money, we will try our third and last shot.

CLASS 3.

Dear Sir:--

Wishing you success, I am,

Very truly yours.

The personal matter must be fitting to the case. If your patients do not die, you might speak of the "innocent little babe who will grow up to womanhood unpaid for." Lawyers in Oklahoma hold a lien on the cause of action until their fees are paid. Wonder how that would work with the medical profession?

The point that I want to press home to you is that if you cannot get a settlement with sentiment, you cannot get it any other way. You cannot bluff them for they know they are execution proof. Read the exemption laws of your state and you will find that there is not a third of your patrons but could beat you if you tried to enforce payment by law.

Here are some thoughts that have been worked into form letters that may give you an idea that you can use in some special cases:

"Your continued silence after receiving our previous letters, compels us to infer that you neither propose nor intend to remit us the small balance on your account."

"The amount is justly due, and we now state positively that on account of our having been patient, lenient and courteous with you in the past we cannot let the matter drop at this time by merely writing you."

"From information we have received from different sources we appreciate the fact that you are amply able to pay the amount due."

"We are placing the utmost reliance upon receiving a remittance from you in the next few days."

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet