Medenta’s Lesley Turner looks at how to deal with a variety of post-patient finance agreement questions…
When a patient finance agreement has been signed off, both the practice and the customer may think ‘that’s everything sorted’, and, in the majority of cases, it is. However, there will be some occasions where customers will approach you and have queries after the agreement has been signed or during their repayment period.
This is quite normal as some patients’ circumstances may change, or they may want to tweak something in the agreement.
You may be able to answer some of these queries yourself, or they may need to be directed towards us at Medenta, or to the lender, Wesleyan Bank. So, here are a few frequently asked
post-agreement questions and how to deal with them…
Can customers take payment holidays?
This may be something you encounter, and the short answer is that we do not offer any payment holidays. Even though they aren’t offered, you can tell the customer to contact our team directly, and they will be able to discuss the reasons why they are making the request. Below, I’ll explain what our team will be able to assist with.
What should a patient do if they fall into financial difficulties?
It is normal for people’s financial circumstances to change, particularly in these times, and we are aware that may be the case for some customers who sign a patient finance agreement.
If a customer finds themselves in this situation, then the dedicated payment support team are available from 8 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday to discuss their individual circumstances.
Our trained staff are there to help people in all different situations; they will complete an income and expenditure review and develop a plan with the customer to help review their finances.
Can customers change the date of their Direct Debit?
The short answer is yes, and it’s very easy to do. All the customer needs to do is give us a call on the freephone number and a member of the team will be able to deal with the request.
There is just one thing to make the customer aware of; if the Direct Debit date changes, this may impact the value of the final payment. However, we’ll confirm that with the customer in writing following the request.
Can customers repay their agreements early?
They certainly can, and again, it’s a simple process to go through. All the customer needs to do is give us a call and we can provide a settlement figure over the phone or in writing, which is valid for 14 days.
It’s really straightforward, and if a patient wants to repay their loan and they have a debit card, we can take a payment there and then if that’s what they would prefer. We know that sometimes a family member may be looking to repay the loan and, if that’s the case, then as long as the card holder is present, we can take a card payment.
Alternatively, we can provide bank details for the patient to repay their loan from their high street bank account by using online banking, or they can even send us a cheque.
It’s about whatever is easiest for the customer, and another thing to remember is there are no early settlement fees involved.
Can customers make partial payments?
Yes, they can, and all the customer has to do is give us a call and we can sort this over the phone. And if they want to make additional repayments, this can also be arranged.
How can customers contact Wesleyan Bank?
If a customer has any questions about their loan, then the team are on hand to answer their calls from 8 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday. We’ll go through some standard security questions just to confirm we’re talking to the customer, and then a member of the team can help to resolve any issues they may have.
We’re used to dealing with a variety of different queries, from confirming when a loan is due to changing a customer’s address, so when a customer does call, they can be sure that we will be able to resolve any issues they have.
To contact Wesleyan Customer Services, call 0800 058 2965, or to contact Medenta, call 01691 684175.
About Lesley
Lesley is a Business Development Manager at Medenta.