PAY POINTS
42 MARCH 2016
|
Med Esthetics
Dr. Dayan agrees with the need to minimize discounting.
"We do our best not to use discounts as a way to attract
patients. Occasionally we may use discount programs as part
of an overall program that reinforces our brand," he says.
N
o. 6: Do work with one or more
patient fi nancing companies.
"We recommend working with a patient fi nancing com-
pany like CareCredit for a number of reasons," says Zupko.
"Financing allows patients to spread out payments and more
easily afford what they really want. For example, a patient
who comes in for a breast augmentation may have saved
enough for the implant procedure but be unable to cover
the breast lift she also needs. Patient fi nancing will allow
her to have both procedures without waiting. CareCredit
is endorsed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
(ASPS) and has been for more than 10 years. There is no
application fee for patients and procedure fees for practices
are reasonable."
Dr. Dayan uses both CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit.
For a list of patient fi nancing companies, see list at left.
N
o. 7: Do select an EMR system
that enhances your workfl ow.
"An integrated EMR makes keeping track of money easier
and it helps with patient communication," says Majeed.
"The physician or his assistant uses an iPad application
to enter a picture of the patient, click on Botox, enter
how much is injected and where, and the information is
immediately available at the front desk. There's no need
for the person at the checkout desk to ask, 'What did you
have done?' This gives aesthetic practices an edge because
patients view the use of the latest technology as a sign that
the practice is keeping up with the times and makes them
more confi dent in your practice as a whole."
"Integrated systems with PayJunction prevent errors
and fraud. Patient signature capture saves time and avoids
the need for re-entering data. All of this is important for
the fi nancial health of your practice," adds Dr. Rosenthal.
"EMA also allows online payments, something that can be
very important when you charge for consultations. The
patient can set up the appointment and pay online prior
to the consultation, which is safer than taking information
on the phone."
The EMR system that is best for a practice depends on
many factors, including size, practice goals, existing systems
and, of course, how much the practice can afford. For a list
of EMR systems especially targeting specialty practices, see
list at left.
Linda W. Lewis is the contributing editor of MedEsthetics.
Your electronic recordkeeping system should be
able to work seamlessly with your payment policies
and your preferred offi ce workfl ow. Here are a few
companies offering EHR systems designed with
aesthetic specialties in mind.
Advanced Data Systems EHR Software for Derma-
tology, adsc.com/dermatology
CosmetiSuite Practice Management and EHR soft-
ware for aesthetic practices, cosmetisuite.com
CureMD Dermatology EHR, curemd.com
Doc2MD EMR, doc2md.com
eDerm System EHR, edermsystems.com
EZDERM, ezderm.com
Modernizing Medicine Electronic Medical Assistant
(EMA Plastic Surgery and EMA Cosmetic), modmed.com
Nextech specialty-specifi c healthcare technology,
nextech.com
PracticeStudio Dermatology EHR System,
practicestudio.net
Precision Practice Management,
precisionpractice.com
RevenueXL Dermatology, revenuexl.com
Electronic Recordkeeping Systems
Patient Financing Options
The explosion of patient fi nance companies
has left many practice owners scratching their
heads about which to choose—listed below
are some that specifi cally serve aesthetic
practices. In addition to asking about enroll-
ment charges, ask how long the company has
been offering patient fi nancing, what kinds of
programs they offer your patients (loan limits
and interest rates vary wildly), and how you
can assess their patient approval ratings. The
ease and speed of the patient approval process
and the speed with which the practice is paid
are also important considerations.
Alphaeon Credit, alphaeon.com
CareCredit, carecredit.com
CarePayment, carepayment.com
Enhance Patient Financing, enhancepatientfi nance.com
MyMedicalLoan, mymedicalloan.com
Prosper Healthcare Lending, prosperhealthcare.com
SimpleSelect Patient Finance, simplepatientfi nance.com