How to Help Patients Get the Chiropractic Care They Need

According to Unnus, over 35 million Americans seek chiropractic care every year. That is more people than the entire population of Texas! Since its start, the chiropractic industry has proven to be lucrative. The industry has room to continue to expand exponentially if made more accessible. Many Americans have back, neck, hip, or other joint issues that can improve via professional chiropractic care. Yet, chiropractic care is unattainable for millions of patients. Let’s talk about why.

Why Allow Your Patients to Finance Their Chiropractic Care?

Many patients would appreciate the ability to obtain chiropractic care. Chiropractic services must pay for out-of-pocket by patients who lack adequate insurance coverage. Even patients who have healthcare insurance that covers chiropractic care may face high deductibles, which force them to pay out-of-pocket for necessary care. They need the help of a chiropractor to resolve a serious health issue, they cannot afford to get help. Rather than going into debt or refraining from seeking help, many patients who have health insurance turn to pharmacists and doctors to mitigate their debilitating pain. However, primary care doctors do not specialize in chiropractic care, and taking medication does not address the long-term issues of joint pain.

Allowing patients to flexibly finance their treatments would enable them to access chiropractic care whenever necessary. Creating personalized solutions to the cost of chiropractic care reduces patients’ stress and debt while increasing the amount of money earned by the medical practice they visit. In other words, offering various payment options enables a greater number of patients to receive care, which results in a much larger profit margin for chiropractic care practices. Patients who have the opportunity to finance medically necessary care can budget their next few months and better afford to live their everyday lives while getting the help they need.

Having multiple funding options allows patients to have a positive financial experience in medical practice. It develops patient-provider relationships based on trust. When patients enjoy the service they receive, they are more likely to recommend their care provider to their loved ones and even strangers! This allows chiropractors to reach new audiences without paying for advertisements. Having more customers also presents chiropractic offices with more consistent income, helping the office to continue running year-round.

Chiropractic Finance Options

Care Credit

Care Credit’s cards can use to cover medical deductibles and copays as well as treatments that insurance companies do not cover. These cards can use similar to a regular credit card. Only for covered or elective medical services. Patients hoping to use Care Credit to pay their medical bills must meet several requirements. For instance, patients generally need to have a credit score of 620 or higher to qualify for the card. Additionally, there is a $200 purchase minimum for Care Credit patients.

Care Credit enables patients to apply online or by telephone. Patients’ terms of financing depend on a patient’s loan amount. Patients who have more debts on their card have a longer period to repay Care Credit. Yet, the longer a term is, the higher the APR. Generally, patients have a 27% APR. 0% APR is available if debts are repaid in a six-, 12-, or 24-month term, and minimum monthly payments are always met. Interest is compounded if payments are not finalized prior to the end of a patient’s promotion period. Applications result in a hard credit check which drops an applicant’s credit score by a few points. But, there is no activation fee for newly created accounts. 

Providers who wish to partner with and accept payments from Care Credit must be willing to pay a finance fee. Ultimately, providers must choose to pay out-of-pocket to offer the ability to finance through companies such as Care Credit or offload all patients who cannot afford to pay for chiropractic care upfront. The latter option would result in a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential profit. 

LendingUSA

LendingUSA offers loans starting at $1,000. Patients can sometimes receive 0% APR if their loans are repaid in six months, but interest is compounded if they cannot afford to repay their debts quickly. APR on loans can be up to 30% with an 8% origination fee. LendingUSA has fixed rates and low monthly payments. Customers are usually required to have a credit score of at least 620 to qualify for a loan through this company. 

Accepting financing from loans can bring chiropractors’ patients’ loyalty. Businesses receive payments in full and quickly through LendingUSA. Additionally, practices that take LendingUSA loans are protected. 

Denefits

Denefits is not a loan provider or credit card company. Instead, they simply create payment plan contracts between a service provider and their patient or customer.  Denefits does not run a hard credit check on prospective patients, and they accept 100% of payment plan applicants. 

Denefits can help chiropractic care practices serve a more extensive customer base, leading such practices to earn more money. With many flexible payment options that involve adjustable terms and APRs. Chiropractors have the power to decide what financing options work best for them. Through Denefits, medical practices and providers keep 100% of a patient’s downpayment. They are guaranteed to received payments ontime. An app makes it easy for both providers and patients to manage their Denefits payment plans. Moreover, Denefits offers in-house financing options so that chiropractors can offer their patients the ability to secure financing through their practices without contacting or visiting an outside financing company. 

Establishing a payment plan makes receiving chiropractic care more accessible and affordable for patients. Denefits’ payment plans enable medical practices to obtain new patients. Then maintain long-running relationships with previous patients because of the loyalty resulting from a mutually beneficial relationship. Denefits APR is a set rate that does not change once a contract is accepted. With Denefits, interest does not compound. 

Comparing the Options

All of the above options present great opportunities for patients who have to pay out-of-pocket for chiropractic care. While Care Credit and LendingUSA offer 0% APR options for patients who meet their outlined criteria. They may punish with hundreds of dollars of interest and late fees if unable to repay their debts fast. Compared to the 27% and 30% APRs offered by the companies listed above. Denefits’ APR -which remains under 20%- is very competitive for patients. For all patients who cannot obtain financing due to their credit, Denefits offers the ability to create payment plans. Denefits is not a competitor for other financing companies. It can work alongside other options to help medical practices provide affordable services to all patients. 

Endnote

Check out the Denefits website today to find out how you can offer payment plans. All of your patients allow you to welcome new business and earn more money!