How Tebra Clinics Can Use Text-to-Pay to Improve Collections

For most independent practices, billing is one of the biggest operational challenges. Paper statements and manual payment follow-ups create delays, lost revenue, and administrative stress. Even with built-in billing tools, clinics still rely on calls and printed invoices. These outdated methods take weeks to generate results.

Text-to-pay collections Tebra automation changes that. By sending secure payment collection links via SMS, clinics can get paid faster. Patients like the simplicity. They can pay co-pays, deductibles, or balances directly from their phones. The result is a frictionless billing experience that improves revenue and patient experience.

This article explains how Tebra clinics can use text-to-pay to improve collections. Here, we’ll explore:

• Common billing challenges from traditional methods.
• How text-to-pay fits seamlessly into Tebra workflows.
• Success stories from clinics that have improved collection rates by 40%.

Do you want to know how your practice can streamline its revenue cycles? Keep reading.

The Challenges of Traditional Billing Workflows

In our previous article, we discussed what text-to-pay means especially in a healthcare setting. The need to adopt mobile payment solutions is becoming more urgent because of the following reasons.

Paper Statements Take Weeks to Reach Patients

Paper-based billing often leads to delays of 15 to 30 days before a patient even receives a statement. By the time the bill arrives, the visit feels long past, reducing the urgency to pay. Mailing costs, printing errors, and returned statements add more time and expense. For small practices, this slow process negatively affects cash flow and requires staff to spend hours tracking mailed invoices.

Staff Spend Hours Chasing Payments by Phone

Phone-based payment follow-ups are one of the most time-consuming parts of billing. Staff spend hours each week calling patients, leaving voicemails, and re-sending statements. These efforts often result in minimal success because patients are difficult to reach during business hours. This manual process can lead to burnout, especially in clinics with limited administrative support.

Patients Delay Payments Without Easy Mobile Options

Patients today expect convenience — especially when it comes to payments. Without quick digital options, they delay or forget to pay their bills. Many younger patients rarely open mailed invoices, but respond quickly to SMS. Offering secure mobile payment collection options encourages faster responses, leading to higher on-time payments and fewer overdue accounts.

Why Text-to-Pay Improves Collections in Tebra Clinics

Patients Pay Instantly From Their Phones

Text-to-pay allows patients to make payments the moment they receive a secure link. Most SMS messages are opened within minutes, and payments can be completed in less than a minute. Clinics using co-pay and balance collection SMS systems report that most balances are paid within 24 hours. The simplicity and immediacy of mobile payment options drive faster cash flow and higher compliance.

Automated Reminders Reduce Follow-Ups

Instead of staff manually following up on unpaid balances, text-to-pay integrates with Tebra billing automation for small practices to send automated payment reminders. These reminders can be scheduled for specific intervals — for example, one day, one week, and two weeks after a visit. Clinics save hours weekly while maintaining consistent patient engagement.

Secure Transactions Build Patient Trust

Security is essential for patient confidence. Text-to-pay collections Tebra workflows are fully encrypted and compliant with both HIPAA and PCI DSS standards. Each transaction link is unique to the patient and time-sensitive, protecting payment data from unauthorized access. When patients know their information is secure, they’re more likely to complete payments promptly.

Use Cases of Text-to-Pay in Tebra

1. Pre-Visit Co-Pay Requests Sent by SMS

Before an appointment, clinics can use text-to-pay collections Tebra automation to send co-pay requests directly to patients’ phones. This allows patients to make secure mobile payments before arrival, cutting down front desk time and ensuring the visit starts on schedule. It’s especially effective for multi-provider clinics that handle high daily patient volume. By collecting co-pays in advance, practices improve their cash flow and prevent billing bottlenecks later.

2. Balance Collection Immediately After Visits

Immediately following each visit, text-to-pay automates the sending of a secure payment link for any outstanding balance. When payments are requested right after care delivery, patients are still engaged and more likely to complete the transaction. This “instant billing” approach can cut average collection times by 70% and reduce paper statement expenses.

3. Overdue Payment Reminders Automated via SMS

When patients forget to pay or miss previous statements, Tebra’s text-to-pay feature can automatically trigger overdue reminders. These can be customized by tone or frequency, helping practices recover more outstanding balances without burdening staff. Automation ensures consistent outreach — no patient slips through the cracks. Clinics using this workflow have seen delinquent accounts drop by 25–30%.

4. Insurance and EOB Delivery with Direct Pay Links

Many clinics pair text-to-pay with electronic Explanation of Benefits (EOB) delivery. When a patient receives their EOB via text or email, a direct payment link is included. This integration eliminates confusion about what’s owed, encouraging immediate payment after reviewing insurance adjustments. Tebra’s billing automation for small practices keeps all this documentation synced and secure.

5. Post-Visit Balance Reconciliation and Payment Plans

Text-to-pay also supports patients who need flexible payment arrangements. Clinics can send automated payment plan options, allowing patients to split balances into manageable installments. This improves patient retention by reducing financial stress while ensuring the clinic receives consistent revenue. Automated payment schedules can trigger SMS reminders before each due date, maintaining accountability without manual intervention.

6. Automated Refund or Credit Processing

Occasionally, insurance corrections or overpayments require refunds. With text-to-pay, clinics can securely process partial refunds or apply credits to future visits, keeping both parties informed through real-time text confirmations. This transparency builds patient trust while simplifying internal reconciliation processes.

7. Self-Pay and Telehealth Billing Integration

For telehealth or self-pay appointments, text-to-pay revenue cycle management enables clinics to request payments at booking or completion. Patients can pay instantly using the same secure mobile interface used for in-office visits. This feature is vital for clinics offering virtual consultations, as it ensures payment capture regardless of patient location. Curogram’s integration with Tebra supports both on-site and remote care billing seamlessly.

Across these seven use cases, Tebra clinics consistently report improved patient responsiveness, reduced administrative workload, and faster balance resolution. The flexibility of text-to-pay makes it suitable for any practice model — from family medicine to specialty care — helping providers focus on patient outcomes instead of paperwork.

Benefits of Using Text-to-Pay for Collections

Faster Cash Flow and Improved Revenue Cycle

When payments arrive faster, clinics maintain healthier revenue streams. With text-to-pay revenue cycle management, deposits occur within days rather than weeks, improving financial stability and budgeting accuracy.

Reduced Billing Staff Workload

Automation eliminates repetitive follow-ups and manual statement creation. Staff gain time for higher-value tasks like patient engagement and insurance verification. Many clinics have reduced billing labor hours by 40% using Tebra’s text-to-pay automation.

Improved Patient Satisfaction With Easy Payments

Patients prefer convenience. Offering mobile payment options via secure text ensures faster, stress-free transactions. This convenience builds patient loyalty and reduces billing complaints.

Reduced Risk of Bad Debt

Timely payment reminders and fast transaction options lower the chances of accounts aging into bad debt. Text-based billing ensures balances are resolved quickly, reducing financial write-offs for clinics.

Real-World Examples of Collection Success

Family Practice Increasing Co-Pay Collections by 40%

A small family clinic integrated text-to-pay with Tebra and saw a 40% boost in co-pay collections within three months. Most payments were received within hours of visits.

Specialty Clinic Collecting Balances Faster With Automated SMS

A dermatology practice used text-to-pay to automatically send post-visit balance notifications. They reported 60% faster collection times and 20 fewer staff hours weekly spent on billing calls.

Multi-Provider Group Improving Collections by 30%

A multi-location group practice adopted text-to-pay revenue cycle management across all sites. Within six months, their overall collection rate improved by 30%, while billing staff requirements decreased by 25%.

Conclusion

Collecting patient payments no longer needs to be a slow, paper-driven process. With text-to-pay collections in Tebra, clinics can modernize their billing workflows. Doing so accelerates their cash flow and improves the patient experience.

Tebra clinics can use text-to-pay to improve collections across multiple use cases. These include pre-visit co-pay requests, post-visit balances, and overdue reminders. Secure mobile payment collection creates convenience for patients. Staff time also spend less time on follow-ups, letting them focus on care.

Ready to simplify billing and get paid faster? Book a quick demo to learn how Curogram integrates with Tebra. Through integration, your practice can achieve secure and automated revenue cycle management.

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