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Efficiencies in Collections
Confessions of a Lazy Collector)
Confessions of a Lazy Collector)
Wednesday, February 5
11 am Pacific Time
Approximately 30 minutes
Includes 30 days access to webinar recording
$79
Bill Gates reportedly said, “I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” Collecting accounts can be a time-consuming process. But there are tricks and strategies that help you be more efficient. This webinar contains many of the tricks and techniques Doug learned during his 40+ years of collecting accounts.
Can you answer these questions?
- Which collection tool is the most effective?
- Are you calling people when you should be writing them?
- When is "do nothing" the best strategy for handing some accounts?
- Which accounts are the most important ones to handle first?
- What is the biggest time-waster many of us are guilty of (Doug did one of these for many years)
- Are you using your computer system to its maximum potential?
BONUS: Register for this webinar and you can attend the Ask Doug Anything webinar on March 26 for FREE!
Did you miss a webinar?
Recordings of all our webinars are available for 30-day and 72-hour rentals.
Upcoming webinars
What the New Collector Needs to Know about Collections - Thursday, February 27: We’ll talk about the things a new collector needs to know to get started. Or maybe your office doesn’t have a good collection strategy, and you’d like to review your collection procedures. This is the webinar Doug wishes he could have attended on his first day of collections! (60 minutes, $99)
The Dos and Don'ts of Discounts - Thursday, March 13: Discounts can get you in trouble. However, some are perfectly legal. Sometimes it's a gray area. Some are clearly illegal or unethical. Can you offer discounts for paying at the time of service? Senior citizen discounts? Discounts to the doctor's friends and family? Discounts to referring doctors? Can you waive deductibles? Copays? (30 minutes, $79)
Ask Doug Anything - Wednesday, March 26: This is our quarterly webinar of just questions and answers, focusing on HIPAA and collecting from patients. (Up to 60 minutes, $49)
Dealing with Divorce - Wednesday, April 9: In this webinar, we'll talk about how to handle an account when patients & clients go through divorce. We'll also talk about how to handle situations when the parents are already divorced, and a parent is bringing a minor child to your office, but wants you to collect from their ex. (30 minutes, $79)
Dealing with Divorce - Wednesday, April 9: In this webinar, we'll talk about how to handle an account when patients & clients go through divorce. We'll also talk about how to handle situations when the parents are already divorced, and a parent is bringing a minor child to your office, but wants you to collect from their ex. (30 minutes, $79)
Recordings of the webinars will be made available to registrants, so if you can't attend "live" or need to review what was said, you can listen at any time during the next 30 days. Extended 1 year access is also available. You have unlimited access during this time period, so you can watch as many times as you want.
Free collection tips each week
Each week we issue a free collection tip, or answer a collection question. This is emailed to the address you provide, and posted on our website.
This is an easy way to expand your collection knowledge, at only 30 seconds a week. You can see our two most recent tips on the left.
This is an easy way to expand your collection knowledge, at only 30 seconds a week. You can see our two most recent tips on the left.
These collection tips are not to be used as legal advice. The tips should be used only for your own personal education. Please do not forward these tips to other people or organizations, or distribute, use in newsletters, or use in any other way, without the express written permission from Ask-Doug Seminars, Inc.
There is no limit to the number of people who can sign up to receive the tips from a single business or organization.
There is no limit to the number of people who can sign up to receive the tips from a single business or organization.
On-site Seminars
Ask-Doug Seminars can provide training for your conference or association. Choose from a one hour presentation up to six hours of training.
Collection tip for January 28
Q. When a patient didn’t pay their $700 account, we turned them in to our collection agency. The agency collected $600, and sent us $400 (33 1/3% commission) and we agreed to accept that as payment in full. Later we received a $150 payment from the insurance company. Who gets the money?
A. Since you didn’t know about pending insurance when you agreed to reduce the account balance, the settlement discount is no longer relevant. The original balance was $700, payments total $750 ($600 + $150), so patient gets a $50 refund. However, you have an obligation to report the payment to the collection agency. The agency should charge the commission just on the $100 that was kept.
Collection tip for January 21
Q: We are a pediatric office. If a parent schedules an appointment for their child, but grandparent brings the child in, are we allowed to request payment of the co-pay from a grandparent?
A. Yes. Often the grandparent will pay, or will call the parent for their credit card.
A. Yes. Often the grandparent will pay, or will call the parent for their credit card.
Collection tip for January 14
Q: A patient sent us a check, but accidentally wrote the date with "2024" instead of "2025." Can I change the date on the check?
A. My recommendation: pretend you didn't notice, and deposit the check anyway. Most banks never look at the date.
A. My recommendation: pretend you didn't notice, and deposit the check anyway. Most banks never look at the date.
What do people say about our webinars?
"LOVED IT. It was my first experience with your company and I am hoping to have many more!!!!! All my questions were answered in a way that we can take and apply them all." Dental, Ohio
"I enjoy the Ask Doug Webinars and have learned from them." Ambulance, South Dakota
"I always pick up some new information or comfirm we are doing things correctly." Optical, Washington
"I did not know what to expect but I was pleased with the information presented." Chiropractic, Colorado
"Had some great info." Hospital, Missouri
"Very informative." Medical, Maryland
"I enjoyed the webinar. For me it could be a little bit longer but that is because I always want more information" Billing Service, Oregon
"These seminars are short and to the point." Dental, Vermont
"Appreciated the ability to ask questions." Medical, Colorado
"Excellent presentation" Disability Services, Indiana
"Was very organized. Was just what was stated and very helpful to have such quick response and chance to get clairification in person." Chiropractic, Oregon
"My questions were answered almost immediately, thank you! :)" MRI, Missouri
"I related it to situations at our office." Psychiatry, Kentucky
"I got a lot of answers to questions I deal with every month on accounts." Physical Therapy, Nebraska
"The webinars have been extremely informative and I have enjoyed learning more about the ins and outs of collections." Dental Management Consultant, Texas
"We learned so much information (maybe too much:-)" Medical Group, Tennessee
"I like that it was short and to the point not a lot of extra nonsense." Health Center, Nevada
"I enjoy the Ask Doug Webinars and have learned from them." Ambulance, South Dakota
"I always pick up some new information or comfirm we are doing things correctly." Optical, Washington
"I did not know what to expect but I was pleased with the information presented." Chiropractic, Colorado
"Had some great info." Hospital, Missouri
"Very informative." Medical, Maryland
"I enjoyed the webinar. For me it could be a little bit longer but that is because I always want more information" Billing Service, Oregon
"These seminars are short and to the point." Dental, Vermont
"Appreciated the ability to ask questions." Medical, Colorado
"Excellent presentation" Disability Services, Indiana
"Was very organized. Was just what was stated and very helpful to have such quick response and chance to get clairification in person." Chiropractic, Oregon
"My questions were answered almost immediately, thank you! :)" MRI, Missouri
"I related it to situations at our office." Psychiatry, Kentucky
"I got a lot of answers to questions I deal with every month on accounts." Physical Therapy, Nebraska
"The webinars have been extremely informative and I have enjoyed learning more about the ins and outs of collections." Dental Management Consultant, Texas
"We learned so much information (maybe too much:-)" Medical Group, Tennessee
"I like that it was short and to the point not a lot of extra nonsense." Health Center, Nevada
In depth training for new collectors
Training is the best way for a new collector to collect more accounts as quickly as possible. If you have a new collector, use Ask-Doug Seminars webinar videos for valuable training.
Ask-Doug Seminars has created a 25 lesson plan for new collectors, using recordings of previous webinars. Each lesson is 60-75 minutes long. Your first lesson is available immediately after registering for this course. Then on the days you choose to have a lesson, a link for that day's lesson will be waiting for you in your email inbox. You can choose to receive 1-5 lessons per week.
Ask-Doug Seminars has created a 25 lesson plan for new collectors, using recordings of previous webinars. Each lesson is 60-75 minutes long. Your first lesson is available immediately after registering for this course. Then on the days you choose to have a lesson, a link for that day's lesson will be waiting for you in your email inbox. You can choose to receive 1-5 lessons per week.