No Shows are a big deal to any service industry. In medical practices, including eye care, this results in thousands of dollars of lost revenue. In a study done by SCI Solutions, the net loss of missed appointments cost the health care industry over $150 BILLION a year. That loss is a result of many different factors.
- When one patient misses an appointment - it also costs the provider an opportunity to see another patient. This may result in a longer wait for some patients to get in, and could cause a delay in diagnosis and treatment of silent conditions, such as glaucoma.
- The average cost per appointment missed across the healthcare landscape is $200.
- The office has to plan, prepare, and staff for the anticipated patient load of the day.
- Additional time will need to be taken to plan and prepare for that same patient after they reschedule. Plus the additional time it takes to reschedule that patient.
- The no show rate across the U.S. is as high as 30% in some offices. Even with a more reasonable 10% rate, the additional time and thus dollars add up.
- Those costs have to be accounted for in the cost of goods and services, which result in higher costs for patients across the board.
Practices have few ways to combat this ever growing cost of providing care. Some practices overbook their schedules. So if the average no show / cancellation / same day reschedule rate is 15%, they will book 15% more patients on their schedule. The concern that is expressed with this method is compromising patient care. Dr. Allen and Dr. Blazek, along with the rest of the Danville Family Eye Care team want to provide the highest level of care possible. While some patients are quick and easy, others are bit more complex and need additional time. We want to ensure we can take the time to fully listen to our patients, address their concerns, and treat you with the same compassion and concern we would want for our own friends and families.
The other approach that we adopted in April was to implement a No Show fee. This is set dollar amount that will be charged to patients if they cancel / no show / or reschedule an appointment with less than 24 hours notice. While we are not fans of the term "Attendance Policy" in some ways it fits in that Back to School spirit. We hope this clarifies our policies, and why we implemented them. The full Attendance Policy is listed Below:
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Thank you for trusting your vision care to Danville Family Eye Care. When you schedule an appointment with Danville Family Eye Care, we set aside enough time to provide you with the highest quality care. Should you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible – AND WITH MORE THAN 24 HOURS NOTICE prior to your scheduled appointment. This gives us time to schedule other patients who may be waiting for an appointment. Please read & sign the Attendance Policy below.
Late Arrival:
Patients that are more than 10 minutes late may be asked to reschedule. We understand that sometimes unexpected things happen - such as traffic jams, road closures, or a meeting that is running late. However, this can create a snowball effect that can literally put us running behind the rest of the day which is not fair to our other patients. If we had a cancellation or the doctor believes we can work you in without it impacting our other patients, we will try to accommodate you. In most cases though, you will need to be rescheduled.
No Show / Cancellations / Same Day Reschedule:
Danville Family Eye Care requires 24-hour notice if you will not be making your appointment. This notice will give us an opportunity to schedule another patient who may be waiting for a spot on the schedule. Any appointment canceled / rescheduled with less than 24-hour notice will be considered a No Show and charged a $50 fee.
Patients who need to reschedule with less than 24-hour notice due to extenuating circumstances may receive a 1 time courtesy waiver of the fee. Any abuse of this policy will result in its discontinuation.
Any patient who fails to show or cancels / reschedules with less than 24-hour notice a second time will be charged a $75 fee.
The third time a patient fails to show or cancels / reschedules with less than 24-hour notice may result in dismissal from Danville Family Eye Care.
Any NEW PATIENTS who fail to show up for their initial appointment will not be rescheduled.
Please note that all fees are payable by the patient. Your insurance company does not cover charges for missed appointments. Statements for the fees will go out monthly, and are payable prior to scheduling any future appointments.
We make every effort to ensure our patients receive a variety of reminders for their visit. Reminders go via an automated system via text & email, and for patients who don’t have either - our system will make a phone call. Please make sure you update us if any of your contact information changes.