CareCredit Prequalification for Audiology Practices: Helping Patients Move Forward with Care

Hearing care often involves important decisions for patients such as selecting the hearing device that meets their needs, choosing binaural fittings and planning for follow-up adjustments. Audiology practices that enable patients to prequalify for the CareCredit credit card can help ease patient concerns about payment, reduce cost hesitation and allow staff members to focus on care decisions, counseling and ensuring an ideal fit.

How Hearing Care Costs Affect Treatment Acceptance

Advanced hearing solutions may include features like directional processing, rechargeability, wireless connectivity, custom earmolds and assistive listening accessories. Patients may also consider real-ear verification, follow-up fine-tuning visits and device protection plans. These sophisticated technologies are priced accordingly, which may be a challenge for some patients.

When cost hesitation arises, patients may delay fittings or accessory add-ons or put off recommended follow-up care. Yet according to Synchrony’s Hearing Health and Loss Prevention Study, 58% of surveyed hearing-impaired people who don’t have a hearing device like the idea of being able to finance one.¹ Offering a healthcare financing option can help patients feel comfortable moving forward with recommended hearing care that fits their needs and budget.

Prequalification Gives Hearing Patients a Convenient Step Toward Optimal Care

CareCredit’s real-time prequalification check is quick, self-guided and designed to reduce friction and financial anxiety. Patients can see if they prequalify for credit on their own device before finalizing their hearing technology or accessory add-ons, giving them quick clarity on their payment options.

The prequalification step won’t affect an audiology patient’s credit score. If they choose to move forward with a CareCredit card application, a hard credit inquiry will occur at that time. Being transparent about the difference can help patients make confident decisions as they evaluate financing and choosing recommended hearing care.

The CareCredit Prequalification Process for Audiology Financing

Outlined below is a step-by-step prequalification workflow your team can use from consult to checkout, including suggested phrasing.

Step 1: Introduce prequalification up front

• What to say: “To make paying for hearing care easier, you can check to see if you prequalify for the CareCredit credit card (and ask us about other pay-over-time options, like a Pay Monthly loan, if available). You can do it right from your phone. It’s quick and won’t impact your credit score.”
• When to use: During initial consult, immediately after discussing goals such as background noise support or streaming needs and before the patient makes their decision about technology level or accessories.

Step 2: Guide patients on how to get started with CareCredit prequalify

• To begin: Give the patient your custom link or practice QR code, or direct them to carecredit.com.
• What they enter: The last four digits of their Social Security number and their mobile phone number, then follow the prompts.
• What happens: A soft inquiry verifies their identity with no impact to their credit score and may generate a prequalification offer.

Step 3: Recommend that patients apply if they prequalify

• What to say if they prequalify: “Great! If you choose to complete your application for the CareCredit card, we will work together to finalize your devices and follow-up plan.”
• What to say if they don’t prequalify: “It’s always good to check. Let’s look at other ways to manage costs and decide on next steps together.”

Step 4: Inform approved patients they can use their new account right away to proceed with recommended care

• If the patient applies and is approved, they can use their CareCredit credit card account the same day for recommended services including fittings, binaural upgrades, custom earmolds, assistive listening devices, maintenance visits or protection plans.

Audiology Financing Helps Patients Move Forward with Treatment Sooner

Monthly payments can make hearing care more attainable, whether it’s for a planned fitting or an unexpected expense like replacing a lost hearing aid. These payments can also help patients choose the level of technology that meets their financial and healthcare goals, consider accessories and stay on track with follow-up visits. Knowing there’s time to make payments can reduce delays in care and help your patients move forward with their full care plan. In some practices, patients may also have access to a Synchrony Pay Monthly loan, which offers a simple pay-over-time experience for eligible purchases.*

How Financing for Healthcare Benefits Audiology Practices

Offering your patients a pay-over-time option can also support your audiology practice. Benefits of CareCredit for providers include:

• Improved conversion and case acceptance. When patients have financing options, they can choose a recommended hearing device or accessory efficiently and confidently.
• Stronger patient trust with reduced financial concerns. A self-guided prequalification experience allows you to focus on your patients’ goals, comfort and fit, while addressing cost concerns professionally and respectfully.
• Greater practice efficiency and growth. Fewer back-and-forth conversations about payment and less accounting follow-up can streamline scheduling and checkout, allowing your team to stay focused on care and service.
• Quick funding. CareCredit providers are paid within two business days, helping support steady cash flow.

Where CareCredit Prequalification Fits in Your Audiology Practice’s Operations

Use the prequalification process outline above. Below are natural patient touchpoints to introduce it without interrupting clinical conversations, with sample language you can adapt:

Reminder: If a patient applies and is approved, they can use their CareCredit account right away for eligible hearing care costs.

A Patient Financing Solution for Your Hearing Care Practice

If you want to help your patients manage the cost of your practice’s exams, procedures and products, consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for things like hearing care services and devices over time while helping to enhance the payments process for your practice.

When you accept CareCredit, patients 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 patient financing solution for your hearing care practice or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

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