Cost is one of the main reasons a new patient hesitates, and for many of them the real question is insurance. If your website doesn’t answer it, they have to phone, or they pick the clinic that does.
The goal is a short, honest section that tells people what you bill, what they pay on the day, and how to check their own coverage.
First, know what you actually offer
The words mean different things in different places, so decide exactly what your clinic does before you write anything.
In Canada, “direct billing” usually means the clinic sends the claim to the patient’s insurer, and the patient pays only the part the plan doesn’t cover. Not every insurer supports it, and clinics often have to register with each one. Some plans pay the patient instead, so the patient pays up front and claims it back. Provincial plans, workplace plans and motor vehicle or workplace injury claims all work differently.
In the US, the usual terms are being in-network or out-of-network with a payer, a copay or coinsurance, a deductible, and a receipt you can use to claim (sometimes called a superbill). Some clinics are cash-based and don’t bill insurance at all.
Rules, payers and plan details differ by province, state and insurer. This is general information, not legal or billing advice. Check with each payer and your regulator before you state anything on your site.
What patients want to know
Answer these in plain words:
- Do you bill insurance directly? Yes, no, or for some plans.
- Which plans? List the insurers you are registered or in-network with, if the list is short and you can keep it current. If it is long, say so and tell people how to check.
- What will I pay on the day? Be honest about copays, deductibles and the part the plan may not cover.
- Do I need a referral or a doctor’s note? Some plans and some regions require one.
- What if you don’t bill my plan? Say that you provide a receipt with the details a plan usually asks for, if that is true, and that the patient can claim it back.
- How do I check my coverage? Suggest asking the insurer how many visits are covered and whether physio or chiropractic needs a referral. The patient’s own plan is the authority, not your website.
Be careful with promises
- Never write “we accept all insurance” or “covered by your plan”. You can’t know that.
- Avoid saying a visit will cost nothing.
- Date your list of plans, or say “last checked in [month]”, so people know how current it is.
- Say that coverage depends on the patient’s plan and that the clinic can’t guarantee it.
- If you can’t confirm eligibility before the first visit, say that clearly rather than letting a patient find out afterwards.
Where to put it
Not only on a hidden “Fees” page.
- A short line near the top of the homepage. For example: “We bill most major insurers directly. See which plans, and how to check yours.” Our homepage checklist puts insurance fourth on the list of questions patients ask.
- A dedicated page with the full detail, linked from the homepage, the booking page and the footer.
- The booking page itself. If your booking software lets you add a note to a treatment or to the booking page, use it to say what to bring: an insurance card, plan number, referral if required. Our guides for Jane and Cliniko show where treatment and page text can be added.
- Your Google profile. If you have a description or FAQ area, a line about insurance helps there too. (Profile checklist)
A short example of the wording
Adapt this to what you truly do:
Insurance and payment
We bill [list of insurers] directly. If you’re with one of them, you pay only the portion your plan doesn’t cover, and we’ll tell you the amount at your first visit when we can.
If your insurer isn’t on our list, you can pay on the day and we’ll give you a receipt with the details most plans ask for.
Coverage depends on your own plan. Before you come, it’s worth asking your insurer how many visits are covered and whether you need a referral. We can’t guarantee coverage, but we’re happy to help you work out what to ask.
Collect insurance details early
Many clinics ask for plan details before the first visit. If your booking or intake system supports it, collect them with the intake form, so the front desk can check eligibility before the patient arrives rather than at the counter. Be mindful of privacy rules about health and insurance information where you practise.
A check to run
- Open your website on your phone and try to find out whether you bill insurance, within thirty seconds.
- Ask a friend who doesn’t work in healthcare to do the same.
- Check that the plan list is current, and that the front desk would give the same answer as the website.
- Make sure the answer appears before the booking button, not only after.
If you would like us to read your website the way a new patient does, including how it handles cost and coverage, we will do it as part of your marketing audit.