Ambulatory medical practices are increasingly reliant upon payments from patients for their revenue. This creates financial risk. Consider this example: A patient who participates in a high deductible plan visits your practice at the start of the calendar year. All payment for services rendered will come from the patient’s pocket. If you don't collect payment before the patient leaves your office, the likelihood of ever collecting it decreases significantly, especially if the patient never needs to return for another service. Collecting payment from patients is a different ballgame than collecting from an insurance company. It’s all about communication—connecting with the patient and enabling them to connect with you at the right touchpoints and through the right channels. In this blog, we’ll explore the relationship between good communication and an effective patient payment program for your medical practice. The trend toward increased reliance on patient pay holds true regardless of practice size or specialty. By 2019, 51% of the workforce was enrolled in a high deductible health plan. Expect this statistic to increase each year.1