It’s been several years since Renee Laliberte, OD, added the CareCredit credit card as a payment option at Main Street Optometry, her practice with two offices in Dexter and Pinckney, Michigan, and she says that she continues to value it as a smart decision made for the patients and the practice. “Accepting CareCredit is a great way to offer a payment option to patients,” Dr. Laliberte says. When patients see the total for their bill, it can be daunting, she says, but Dr. Laliberte’s staff explains how CareCredit can help make their purchase more manageable. “Approved patients can make convenient monthly payments,” she says. And Dr. Laliberte doesn’t have to wait to be paid.
There are point-of-purchase and other promotional materials displayed throughout the office, so often patients ask the staff directly about CareCredit. In many cases, the special financing option is presented to patients as they are picking out frames or trying on their contact lenses. “It’s always been a great method for second-pair sales,” Dr. Laliberte says. “The staff will mention it when talking about purchases and payments.”
Staff members can explain that CareCredit can make it easier to add that second pair of eyeglasses to their order, such as sunglasses or computer glasses, and contact lens wearers opt for CareCredit financing as well. “They can use it to pay for an annual supply so that they can reap the benefits of the manufacturers’ rebates,” Dr. Laliberte says. “Families also use CareCredit when they come in with all of the kids at one time because that bill can be overwhelming.”
In fact, many patients who could write a check for the full amount simply opt to pay with CareCredit because the special financing
terms are so appealing to them. They leverage the combination of in-house special offers on multiple sales, manufacturers’ rebates and
managed vision benefits to gain the most benefit—and pay for the out of pocket with CareCredit.
Dr. Laliberte adds that some patients come to the practice with existing CareCredit accounts or have heard about it from their dentist or veterinarian. She wants to make sure that those who are considering using CareCredit to finance their eye care know that she is an enrolled provider. Her husband, who manages the practice website, has included a CareCredit drop down tab on her website mainstreetoptometry.com. This section details the benefits of CareCredit financing and provides a link so that patients can apply from home even before coming in. The practice is listed on the carecredit.com provider locator, as well. She and the staff regularly hear from patients that they scheduled their appointment because she accepts CareCredit.
Applying for CareCredit is a simple process, whether patients choose to do so at home or in the office. “We can pull up the application on the iPad, and patients can fill it out here,” she says.
Dr. Laliberte says that she first heard about CareCredit special financing through her Vision Source® membership. “It was highly promoted through Vision Source®, and I thought that the concept made sense,” Dr. Laliberte says. “Many patients understand that CareCredit benefits them by allowing them to budget their money.”
