Allied-health group recovers gap fees without losing patients

Challenge

The clinic group held ~$140k of patient gap-fee balances spread across 1,800+ patients. Average balance was small ($40-$280), making 30%+ commission economically unviable on the smaller end. The group’s previous attempt at internal phone-based chase had degraded patient retention metrics in two clinics —€” patients with chasable debts were leaving in disproportionate numbers.

Approach

Adeva Pro took over recovery using clinic-branded SMS and email outreach, directing patients to a self-service payment portal. Tone explicitly designed for ongoing clinical relationships — firm on the debt, soft on the person. Hardship pathway visible for patients on Centrelink or with documented income drops. Reconciliation flowed back automatically into the practice management system.

Result

Recovery rate landed at ~62% across the cohort within 90 days. Patient-retention metrics in the affected clinics returned to baseline. Cost per recovered dollar dropped to a small fraction of what 30% commission would have been on each balance — and the smaller end of the balance distribution became economically rational to chase for the first time.

Key takeaways

• Patient-respectful tone preserved clinical relationships.
• Practice-management-system integration removed manual reconciliation.
• Hardship-first protected vulnerable patients from punitive recovery.
• Contingency-only made small gap balances economically viable.