Survey: One-third of doctors don't accept credit cards

A new survey suggests that one of the key components in making high-deductible plans work--the ability to collect those deductibles easily--isn't in place for many medical practices.

The survey, by SK&A Information Services, found that while the number of practices accepting plastic climbed 5 percent over last year, 33 percent of the country's medical practices still don't accept credit cards for payment. The survey, involving telephone interviews with 202,650 physician offices, was conducted in April of this year.

Researchers found that physicians are reluctant to accept such payments because patients are being slammed by high interest rates, not to mention that many patients simply can't qualify for credit cards in the first place. In other words, doctors aren't accepting the cards because they're too much trouble for patients, the data suggests.

The survey concluded that plastic surgeons are most likely to take credit cards, with 91 percent of offices accepting them, followed by opthalmology, at 84 percent, bariatrics, at 83 percent, and otolaryngology, at 83 percent. Pathology offices were the least likely, at 21 percent acceptance.

To learn more about this survey:
- read this Healthcare Finance News piece

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