Patient statements and patient support
Patient statements and support cover the billing that happens after the payer’s portion is settled, communicating what the patient owes and helping them resolve it.
Follows old ar recovery. Feeds into credit balances and refunds.
Where practices lose money here
Confusing statements go unpaid
A statement that just lists codes and dollar amounts without plain explanation gets set aside by patients who do not understand what they are looking at, which delays payment regardless of ability to pay.
No path between the bill and a resolution
A patient with a question and no easy way to reach someone who can explain the bill either ignores it or disputes it, both of which cost the practice time and money.
How we handle it
Run statement cycles on a consistent schedule after payer adjudication is complete.
Write statements in plain language explaining what the insurance paid, what remains, and why.
Offer and manage payment plans for patients who need to spread a balance over time.
Provide phone support in the practice’s name, so patients are talking to what feels like the practice, not a third-party collections line.
Track the point at which an unpaid balance moves toward collections, applied consistently and communicated to the patient in advance.
What you receive
Concrete output for this step, delivered on a set schedule rather than on request.
- A statement cycle report showing volume sent and balances outstanding.
- A payment plan tracker.
Where this sits in the cycle
This is the final billing touchpoint with the patient, after the payer side of the claim is fully resolved. How it is handled affects both collections and the practice’s relationship with the patient.
Questions about this step
Do patients know they are talking to a third party?
Support is provided in the practice’s name. The goal is a consistent experience for the patient, not a visibly outsourced one.
When does a balance move to collections?
This is set by the practice. We apply whatever threshold and timeline the practice chooses and communicate it to patients before it happens, not after.
Want us to review how this is handled in your practice right now?
The free billing audit looks at patient statements and patient support alongside the rest of the cycle, and comes back with specific findings.