Unpaid balance follow-up letter
$15.00
Seems like the client with the unpaid balance is always the one who was the most challenging!
And then they have the nerve to stiff you! What do you do?
There’s not a whole lot of options, unfortunately, if you weren’t proactive. Collections isn’t recommended, generally isn’t effective, and unpaid medical bills no longer carry the same sting on a credit report as other kinds of debt.
But this letter has worked in some instances, for my clients. Why not give it a try? What do you have to lose?
Version date: June 2024
After sending a few invoices electronically and/or by mail, if you’re “ghosted” by a client, what now?
You’re human – and you work hard with your clients. It’s tough not to take this situation personally. I get it. No one likes being stiffed. In the future, there are lots of proactive ways to manage client balances, and you might look back on this as a learning experience.
But it’s hard to let go of that unpaid balance. Is there anything you can do, short of a collection agency?
Maybe.
I was taught never to let a client’s treatment status remain undetermined. Meaning, if a client hasn’t been seen in a defined period of time (say, 4-6 weeks with no contact), it’s good risk management to send your client a letter. Reach out to let them know that you are considering their case closed if they don’t get back in contact with you by a certain date (which you indicate in the letter). That way, if something happens, you’re less likely to be held responsible for abandonment or an adverse outcome.
If there’s an unpaid balance, why not combine a request to be paid into the follow-up letter? Keep it clinical; keep it professional; but let the client know that you do expect payment, either now, or in the form of a payment arrangement, or if they return to treatment.
It might not work, but it’s certainly less risky (and cheaper) than a collection agency.
