03/16/2026    David Secord, DPM

9 Ways to Smooth Collections at Your Practice (Jon Purdy, DPM)

The most gratifying experience I’ve ever had in
this realm was a guy in a suit who came in,
presented his info and the clock started ticking.
At some point, there was a loud discussion at the
front and I went there to see what was occurring.
This gentleman had been there, waiting for 4 hours
and not placed into an exam room as no one at my
office could get anything but a busy signal at his
insurance carrier. He was told exactly what is on
the sign in the office lobby: you are responsible
for knowing the details of your policy, including
how much of your deductible you’ve met and the
particulars of your coverage. We will try and
confirm your benefits, but the responsibility is
ultimately yours.

We offered—again—to see the man out-of-pocket,
print a claim for him and let him seek
reimbursement from his insurance company—which is
the route he eventually chose. Some months later,
he stopped by the office to apologize, as he
experienced what we experience in attempting to be
paid for services rendered. Busy signals, excuses
and months of waiting for a check in the mail.
Once the public gets a taste of just how onerous
it is to become reimbursed for our efforts (unlike
any other profession) they soften up a little.

While I had a receptive ear, I also let him know
that the first procedure is 100%, the second is
50%, the third is 25% and then free, free, free. I
challenged him to name another profession which is
paid less for more work. I also pointed out the
difficulty in being paid for an E/M and a
procedure on the same day and he was incredulous.
I also let him know how reimbursement has not kept
up, in any way, with inflation. It is fortunate
that we do this out of love, because it isn’t for
the monies.

David Secord, DPM, McAllen, TX

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