For many independent providers, fostering positive patient relationships is an important and integral part of their practice. And these connections can also be key to managing successful revenue cycles. 

Amidst the shift to consumer-directed healthcare, many larger health systems, hospitals, and medical practices are struggling to recover payments. But independent practices can leverage strong patient relationships to encourage prompt and successful payment.  

We take a closer look at ways practices — and the billing companies that serve them — can implement a successful patient collections process in 2026 and beyond.

Collecting payment from patients has always been a challenge, but historically most issues involved uninsured patients. Today, changes with insurance and coverage terms are making it increasingly difficult for independent practices to manage their revenue cycles. 

And increasingly, even patients with health insurance are facing rising and often unexpected costs. In fact, according to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), notable shares of adults are worried about affording medical costs including out-of-pocket costs that aren’t covered by insurance with 62% of adults saying they are “very” or “somewhat worried” about being able to afford the cost of health services.

Today revenue cycle management isn’t just about collecting from payers and patients. The new paradigm involves patients who have payers covering them, but only partially — creating a fundamentally different reimbursement environment for providers. 

The timeframe to capture payments is narrow. Instamed’s Trends in Healthcare Payments Fifteenth Annual Report reveals that 79% of providers say it takes more than 2 statements to collect payment from a patient, with 38% reporting it takes 3 or more statements. Plus 71% of providers note it takes more than 30 days to collect payment after a patient visit, with 33% reporting it takes more than 60 days. 

Ratcheting up the stakes is the trend toward high-deductible plans and deductibles for most health plans are also trending upward. For example, according to KFF, the average deductible in ACA marketplace plans for 2026 is $2,912 with some plans surpassing $7,470.

While high deductibles are a widely recognized characteristic of ACA marketplace plans, deductibles in the commercial, non-ACA market show a similar upward trajectory. With the average single deductible amount (among privately insured patients facing deductibles) in 2025 rising to $2,000 or more for 34% of covered workers according to KFF. 

The digital revolution has touched all areas of our lives, yet healthcare lags behind in easing the payment process. According to PYMNTS Intelligence: 

This is true despite patients’ desire for having more digital payment options. For example, according to a recent Tebra survey, 32% of patients stressed the importance of a practice offering online form and payment options and 65% reported they would switch providers to get more of these types of digital conveniences. 

In the face of growing patient financial responsibility, providers are now looking to their front office team to support the revenue cycle by way of point-of-service collections. We provide 8 ways front-office teams can be more successful in their payment collection efforts. 

Requesting payment while a patient is in the office increases the likelihood of success. Make a point of routinely asking patients, “How would you like to pay?” while making eye contact and stating their name. To maintain patient privacy, consider handing the patient an electronic tablet that clearly displays their information and the amount due. 

Collection efforts also hinge on a front office team’s ability to interpret insurance cards and eligibility checks from payers, in addition to routinely confirming important patient demographics such as current address and contact information. Additionally, employees must be able to quickly find current balances, including balances in collection as bad debt can be reversed when payment is made. 

Train the team to use phrases such as “your insurance plan requires a copayment” or ““your insurance plan transferred the balance to you.” If needed, help patients locate the contact information for their insurance plan and refer patients to call for detailed information. 

Make sure coordination of benefits (COB) information is current and correct. Confirming primary and any secondary coverage prior to seeing a patient can help avoid COB and claims denial issues. 

Prompt payment hinges on the ability of a practice’s administrative and billing staff to read and understand a policy’s explanation of benefits or benefits summary (available from most clearinghouses) and to interpret that information for patients. These explanations and summaries help patients understand their coverage and their financial responsibilities for unmet deductibles before they leave the office or schedule a procedure. 

Medicare- and Medicaid-related denials can stem from a patient enrolling in the wrong benefits package. Verify benefits information before every visit by asking to see a patient’s card and making sure everything is correct and up to date. 

Claim denials and delays can result when patient information isn’t accurate or up to date. Even a seemingly minor error like incorrectly spelling a patient’s name can cause significant delays in the claims process that can also delay your ability to collect payment. At every visit, have patients enter and verify their information on a tablet or kiosk in your office. 

As appropriate, employees at the point of contact — whether scheduling, greeting, or discharging — can inform patients about the payment plan policy. To be successful, payment plans should be flexible.

For example, offer bi-monthly installment payments that coincide with patients’ paycheck cycles or extend a financial hardship policy for qualifying patients. However, writing off balances should not be done on a whim.

Set up a policy, vet it with current payer agreements and restrictions, put it in writing, and apply it consistently. At times, some patients may need more time to meet their financial obligations and offering flexibility with payment terms can help you recover more revenue. 

Use digital payment tools to make paying easy for patients. Collect copayments and balances at the point of service via tablets, kiosks, or credit cards (including keeping a card on file). Send electronic statements as soon as accounts are due and include a link to pay. For outstanding receivables, offer patients a text-to-pay option and an online payment portal. 

With high-deductible health plans and other trends shifting more financial responsibility to patients, it’s more important than ever for independent practices to establish clear patient collections processes. Get started by training staff and investing in automation tools that ease and expedite collection efforts and safeguard your bottom line and financial future.

For more information on improving your patient collections process, watch our free webinar on Getting paid: How to capture every dollar in 2026.