4 Easy Ways to Help People Move Forward With Care

Financial concerns are often one of the biggest obstacles preventing individuals from moving forward with the care they want or need. According to recent research, 53% of patients and clients delay or forego treatment due to expenses or out-of-pocket costs.¹ In today’s healthcare landscape, offering patient financing and emphasizing patient education are essential to helping more people get the treatment they want or need, when they want or need it.

Why Is Patient Education Important in Healthcare Financing?

Patient education isn’t just about making sure they understand a treatment or procedure; it also extends to helping them determine the best patient financing option for them. When patients and clients are informed about available financing solutions, they’re much more likely to move forward with care. In fact, 62% of consumers surveyed conduct research about the costs and fees associated with health and wellness care.² This highlights the importance of providing clear, accessible information both in-person and online about your practice’s integrated payment solutions.

Practical Strategies to Help Improve Cost Conversations

Here are four actionable ways that health and wellness practices and providers can help their patients or clients become more prepared for treatment costs.

Some of the tools and resources below are accessible only to health and wellness providers already enrolled to accept CareCredit. Enroll now to gain full access to CareCredit's tools and resources.

1. Feature healthcare financing options on your website

Make it clear to visitors that you offer financing solutions like the CareCredit credit card. Display banners and buttons to remind patients that you offer options to help manage out-of-pocket costs.

What you can do: Add CareCredit banners and buttons to your website. This reminds your patients or clients that you offer financing options for out-of-pocket costs.

2. Share financing information with every patient

Since 52% of patients surveyed said they struggle to pay out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, it’s important to proactively discuss payment options.¹

What you can do: During financial conversations, use tools like CareCredit’s Payment Calculator to show how costs could break down into convenient monthly payments.

3. Highlight payment options before appointments

Research shows 55% of patients surveyed prefer to learn about payment options before scheduling an appointment.¹ Sharing information about healthcare financing can help prepare patients for cost conversations and increase the likelihood of treatment acceptance.

What you can do: Sharing — early and often — that you accept CareCredit helps build trust and quell cost concerns. Prewritten social media posts and appointment reminder banners can help with that.

4. Prep your team to talk about financing

Sixty-one percent of consumers surveyed prefer to receive payment information directly from their providers, whether via email, mailed materials, phone calls or in-person conversations.¹ Providing training resources helps ensure your team is ready to answer questions about patient financing, making the process smooth and supportive.

What you can do: Train your front desk and phone staff using CareCredit’s tips and scripts so they’re ready to answer questions about financing both in person and over the phone.

A Patient’s Journey With CareCredit

It’s easy to see how this works in practice:

• A patient or client finds your practice online and notices you accept the CareCredit health and wellness credit card. They may already be one of the millions of cardholders nationwide who have it.
• They click your CareCredit custom link in their appointment reminder email to learn more about flexible financing options so they arrive prepared for a cost conversation.
• Upon arrival, they scan your custom QR code on office signs to check if they prequalify and apply if needed. If approved, they now have a way to manage their treatment costs.
• You discuss the recommended treatment plan using the Payment Calculator to show how costs can break down into monthly payments.
• The patient uses CareCredit to pay for care up front, and your practice receives payment within two business days.

A Simple Step Can Make a Big Difference

Getting ahead of the finance discussion can make all the difference in your patient or client’s experience. It helps ease their cost concerns, builds trust and enables your team to confidently answer related questions.

Healthcare payment and financing solution

The CareCredit health and wellness credit card helps improve the payment experience for patients and clients, and your financial performance.

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