HotDocs' Debt Prevention feature is an automated invoice collection service designed to help clinics efficiently recover overdue payments if an invoice has been 'stored' and left ‘unpaid’ for more than 2 hours after the appointment time. This will reduce the need for reception staff to chase late invoices manually.

How does Debt Prevention work?

Debt Prevention integrates directly with your practice's invoicing system. Once an invoice remains unpaid for 2 hours in your software, HotDoc will automatically either:

1. Collect the funds from a stored card, if the patient entered their card at the time of booking. Please note:
   
   
   • If the charge is successful, the patient will receive an automated email invoice informing them of the charge. For more information please see: Payment Request for immediate charge 
   • If the charge is unsuccessful, the patient will receive an SMS sent to the mobile number in their patient file, prompting them to complete the payment request. For more information please see: How will the patient know their card has failed?
     
     
2. Send an automated message to prompt the patient to pay for their consultation, if the patient has not previously entered their card.
   
   The automated message will be sent via Push Notification, email or SMS to inform them that they have an amount owing to your practice, and to enter a payment method for collection. The patient will receive a request via the following channel:

• Push notification sent to the HotDoc app - If the patient does not complete the payment request, we'll send an SMS 2 hours later*
• Email sent to the email address in the patients file - (If we're unable to send a push notification), and if the patient does not complete the payment request, send SMS 2 hours later*
• SMS sent to the mobile number in the patients file - If we cannot contact the patient via push notification or email.

These prompts are designed to encourage payment while maintaining a friendly and supportive tone for patients.

Please see an example of the messages below:

Push Notification	Email	SMS

How to set up Debt Prevention

1. Log in to your HotDoc Dashboard and navigate into the left hand menu to Payments > Payments and click the Debt Prevention tab:
   
   
   
   
2.  Select the 'Enable automatic follow-up payment requests for outstanding invoice' checkbox to enable:
   
   
   
   
3. You're now Live with automatic payment requests for outstanding invoices:
   
   

How to exclude appointment types from automated Debt Prevention

1. Log in to your HotDoc Dashboard and navigate into the left hand menu to Payments > Payments and click the Debt Prevention tab:
   
   
   
   
2. Next select the '+ Add excluded appointment types':
   
   
   
   
3. Check the 'Don't Send' check box next to the Best Practice Appointment Type you wish to exclude, then click, Save.
   
   
   
   
4. Excluded appointment types will appear in the list below:
   
   
   
   
5. To remove an appointment from being excluded, click 'Remove':
   
   
   
   

How does this display in HoDoc Reporting?

1. If the patient entered their card at the time of booking (using either Online Booked or Practice Booked payments), you can see the Debt Prevention request activity In the Payments > Bookings Payments Activity section of the Dashboard, and paid requests will also be included in the Reporting section. This gives you real-time insights into payments that have been collected through Debt Prevention, and the amounts collected, for in-person and telehealth appointments. Reception staff know which late invoices have been paid and which ones require further follow up. 
   
   
   

Reception staff will know if it has been auto-generated as requests will have a ‘Debt Prevention’ tag. 

2. If the patient did not previously enter their card, you can see the Debt Prevention request activity In the Payments > Payment Requests section of the Dashboard, and paid requests will also be included in the Reporting section. This gives you real-time insights into overdue payments, amounts collected, for in-person and telehealth appointments. Reception staff know which late invoices have been paid and which ones require further follow up. 
   
   
   

Reception staff will know if it has been auto-generated as requests will have a ‘Debt Prevention’ tag.

FAQs

Can I customise when messages are sent?

No, you cannot customise when a message is sent. These messages have been automated to be sent 2 hours after the completion of an appointment to ensure adequate time for processing with your collection team, but also ensure the best chance of patients actioning the request.

Can I customise the messages?

No, you cannot customise the copy of the Push Notification, email or SMS. These messages have been designed to encourage payment while maintaining a friendly and supportive tone for patients.

What happens if the stored card fails to collect?

If a stored card fails to collect the patient will receive an SMS sent to the mobile number in their patient file, prompting them to complete the payment request. For more information please see: How will the patient know their card has failed?

How does this work with Automatic Invoicing?

If you have enabled Automatic Invoicing and Debt Prevention, the Automatic Collection logic will take precedence. You can safely turn these both on, and the existing Auto Collection process will still work.

How is Debt Prevention integrated with our invoice system?

The Debt Prevention function synchronises seamlessly with your practice’s invoicing platform, ensuring real-time tracking of overdue payments. We will sync if an invoice has been ‘Stored’ in Best Practice, and if it is still ‘unpaid’ after 2 hours, we will either collect from the patient’s stored card or send an automated request to the patient. 

We will check to ensure it is billed to Patient or Head of Family. We will not send a request for invoices stored as Other or Medicare Direct Bill.

Will our patients exempt from Payments receive requests?

Yes, any patient who has an invoice 'Stored' in Best Practice that has an outstanding amount 'unpaid' after 2 hours will receive an automatic payment request. Payment Exemptions only exclude patients from needing to add a payment method to book online. 

How many times can a request be resent to the patient?

You can resend a manual payment request up to 5 times. If the patient still does not pay after these attempts, it may be necessary to explore alternative payment methods such as collecting payment over the phone or in person.