CareCredit patient financing comes to Australia

CareCredit® is the solution to higher case acceptance in dentistry and is launching across Australia.1 Forty thousand dental practices in the US and Canada already use this service, providing a win-win situation for the patient and for the practice.

I have been fortunate enough to work closely with the team at CareCredit in North America and have seen how they have helped practices and patients achieve optimum treatment results. This amazing service allows your patients to take up the recommended dental plan and budget to pay for it. Too many patients compromise their choices and thus their dental future due to lack of finances, or take too many years to finally complete their desired treatment.

Lack of immediately available funds is not only a patient frustration, but also a frustration felt by the entire dental practice. Too many front office hours are spent on following up lapsed or drawn out treatment programs.

Following up patients and helping them find a way to afford treatment is a great value-add service in quality care practices. How much better for all if the patient and the practice can have access to a means of financing treatment.

Dental teams often feel discouraged by the constant disappointment when their patients say "NO" to treatment due to financial issues. Now in one session you can assist the patient with a simple payment plan, which may enable the patient to say "YES" to your treatment plans.

CareCredit can assist in driving higher case acceptance rates in ALL dental practices. Patients can now be offered a simple payment plan, which allows them to enjoy the health, the smile and the comfort that they have wanted for many years.

Not all dental team members are comfortable or competent in discussing fees and financing options. This is a skill that is often not well trained or well done in the dental office. The professional team at CareCredit will help your team feel very comfortable, competent and successful in talking about fees and financing of dental care, through the provision of training for the practice and information for the patient.

It's up to us as a dental community to educate our patients on the importance of their dental health and the alternative payment options available to get the optimum dental treatment.

CareCredit offers patients a "Revolving Line of Credit" that can be used for subsequent visits without having to reapply for additional finance. Now they can use this facility to finally get the dentistry that they want or need. This may vary from a root canal and crown to a full "makeover". Patients will have a choice of 3, 6 and 12-month interest free terms, or a range of interest bearing extended payment plans.²

With CareCredit, the practice no longer needs to fund patient treatment. Patients can apply immediately while still in your practice and receive approval within minutes. This avoids the "cooling off" factor due to lack of finance.

In my experience with CareCredit and why I endorse them as I do, is their focus on the patients' welfare as much as on the payments. They care for the patients' needs and help them to get what they truly want!

I also feel comfortable endorsing CareCredit as it is provided by GE Money, part of General Electric. I am confident that the combination of GE Money's financial resources and their expertise in consumer lending will result in CareCredit being a success in Australia.

1.CareCredit is a credit facility provided by GE Finance Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN 88 000 015 485).

2.Available to approved applicants. Conditions apply. Fees and charges are payable. Interest is payable after any interest free period.

Kathy Metaxas is principal of Platinum Professional Development and can be contacted on (08) 9368-8777. For more information on CareCredit, call 1300-721-573.