Chiropractic Financing Solutions for Your Patients’ Wellness Journey

As a chiropractor, you understand that your care doesn’t just treat patients right now — it also helps prevent future problems as a preventive care strategy. Regular visits can improve spinal alignment, promote better nerve function and lead to enhanced health overall.¹ But even patients who understand the value of chiropractic care may hesitate to commit to a treatment plan due to financial concerns.

Offering patient financing solutions can help support many patients' wellness goals. When patients know they have options, they’re more likely to stay on track with recommended care — potentially leading to better outcomes, stronger patient relationships and a healthier practice. And when the financing option aligns with their needs and values, it becomes more than a payment method — it becomes a path to continued wellness.

How Chiropractic Practice Supports Wellness

Wellness, from a chiropractic perspective, encompasses physical, emotional and preventive care. Helping your patients understand how chiropractic intervention supports each of these areas is essential:¹

• Physically. Alleviating tension in the spine can help the patient experience a better emotional state.
• Emotionally. The spinal column acts as a communication channel between the body and brain, so keeping it functioning at its best can help with overall body health and emotional well-being.
• Preventive. Adjusting spinal misalignments and guiding patients in maintaining better posture can help prevent future health and wellness problems.

Reminding your patients how chiropractic care contributes to their total wellness — not just pain relief — can help position you as a trusted partner in their overall wellness journey.¹ Even with that trust, however, financial concerns can still be a barrier to care.

The Role of Payment Options in the Pursuit of Care

Patients who need ongoing or multiple treatments for optimal wellness may face financial concerns that keep them from moving forward with care. A recent Synchrony study may surprise you — cost plays a bigger role in patient decisions than many chiropractors may realize:²

• One out of every two patients surveyed struggle to pay for their out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses, and the same proportion delays health or wellness care because of those out-of-pocket costs.
• Three out of four say they would seek more health and wellness care services if they had ways to pay for them.
• Fifty-nine percent said there are limited options available from their health and wellness providers when it comes to paying for out-of-pocket expenses.

The study also found a large gap between how patients want to learn about payment methods and how most providers handle it. Sixty-one percent of patients surveyed prefer to hear about payment methods directly from their provider. Yet only 5% of the time do surveyed providers say they handle billing and payment conversations.²

Solution: Patient Financing for Chiropractic Patients

Providing financing options — and discussing them clearly and openly from initial contact — can empower patients to seek out and follow up on their recommended care. Financial strain, after all, is very real: In a study on the state of personal finance in the U.S., over half of surveyed American adults (53%) report living paycheck to paycheck, including 36% of households earning over $100,000 a year.³

In another report, 1 in 4 adults surveyed said that the availability of patient financing or a payment plan would influence their decision to seek health and wellness care.⁴

Many chiropractic offices offer in-house payment plans, where patients can pay over time instead of all at once.⁵ The downside for the provider is the extended time it takes to collect the balance, as well as all the administrative work involved. That could mean your team spends more time tracking payments and less time focused on patient care. An alternative option is to offer financing through a third-party company, which allows the practice to receive payment right away.⁶

The CareCredit credit card is an example of third-party patient financing that provides value to chiropractors. With more than 35 years of health and wellness experience, chiropractors who offer CareCredit are paid within two business days of providing service. The card allows your patients to finance packages, bundled services and treatments completed within 90 days in a single transaction.*

CareCredit can also be used beyond your practice, which is especially valuable for patients managing multiple health want and needs. It’s accepted at Walgreens, Walmart and other pharmacies — ideal for prescriptions, supplements and medical supplies.

Benefits of Offering Financing Options

Despite the benefits of offering patient financing, many patients and providers don't often realize the advantages.

For patients

Providing patient financing isn’t just about payments — it directly supports better health by helping patients move forward with the care they want or need:

• Improved outcomes. Offering financing options to patients can help improve patient outcomes because when healthcare providers offer financing solutions, patients have more options when seeing a provider and following through with recommended treatment.⁷ Breaking down the cost barrier often means more patients can receive care. It can also alleviate some of their worry and stress.

• Consistent care. Financing allows for much better consistency in treatment, which is important in working toward patient health and wellness. It encourages regular visits and continuous care that patients who have concerns about costs might not otherwise receive.

For chiropractors

Patient financing can benefit your practice in multiple ways:⁷

• Patient empowerment. Offering patient financing options can help empower them to move forward with treatment, bringing your practice the satisfaction that comes with helping patients pursue the care they want or need.
• Practice efficiency. It can also lead to more consistent payments, reduce administrative stress due to reduced collection efforts and free up your team to focus on what matters most — delivering quality care.
• Patient loyalty. When patients have a positive payment experience, that's an incentive for them to come back, tell friends and build long-term trust in your practice.

What to Consider When Implementing Patient Financing Into Your Practice

Incorporating patient financing solutions into your practice requires thoughtful planning. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

• Choose the right partner. Select a reliable third-party financing company that fits your practice and patients. Look for a financing provider that offers quick, easy-to-understand payment options with minimal friction. Make sure it's a solution that helps your patients feel cared for — not just processed.
• Communicate clearly. Be upfront about costs and finance options from the start. Providing accurate estimates and clear explanations can help ease patients' worries, build trust and improve collection efforts.⁸
• Be proactive. Regularly discuss the benefits and costs of treatments with patients. When you are transparent about fees and provide straightforward payment plans, you can help encourage loyalty, improve cash flow and reduce collection issues.⁹

Financing Options Help Support Patients' Wellness Goals

Chiropractors play a decisive role in guiding patients through their wellness journey. Offering financing solutions — and training your staff to talk about them confidently — helps ensure your patients get the support they need.

Offer Flexible Financing at Your Practice

If you are looking for a way to connect your patients or clients with flexible financing that empowers them to pay for the care they want and need, consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Leslie Lang is a writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, banking and finance and technology. She has written for leading publications and organizations, including GoodRx.com, Healthgrades.com, Google, Adobe, Microsoft and more.

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