Rusty Ware
Sales Manager, New & Emerging Markets, Visa
Charlotte, N.C.
In response to the article "Fight `Truth` Decay" by Dr. Ronald Groba in the February issue, I would like to comment on the alternatives suggested by Dr. Groba.
While it is commendable that Dr. Groba`s office has found an alternative for his office, this practice may not be feasible for all offices, as was noted. However, before implementing a financing program that can, in some cases, be as cumbersome as insurance - private health credit cards or financing at high interest rates - why not look at options that are in place today, such as Visa.
Visa has more than 300,000 medical/dental locations that have recognized the benefit of accepting a card that consumers already carry! Visa has specific tools that allow patients to manage their expenditures comfortably while offering offices the ability to increase cash flow and decrease collections. Credit cards are used in two of 10 payments, and Visa is used in more than 56 percent of those transactions.
Visa Easy Pay is also another example of a payment alternative. By allowing the patient to authorize specific charges to his or her account when the exact payment is not known, using Visa gives him or her the control and flexibility needed when expenditures extend beyond insurance coverage.
