If you’re setting up a new chiropractic clinic or expanding your practice, you’ve likely thought about how you want to structure your billing. Choosing whether to run a cash-based, insurance-based, or hybrid clinic isn’t just about how you get paid, it will shape your daily operations, workload, and even how accessible your care is in your community.
Let’s break down what to consider with each approach, and how Jane, a clinic management software and EHR, can support whichever model fits your clinic best.
💸Cash-based billing
Ah, the simplicity of a cash-based practice. Patients pay you directly, either out-of-pocket or through their health spending accounts, without you needing to bill insurance on their behalf. It’s hard to beat.
🙌The benefits?
• Immediate payment. No waiting on third-party approvals or navigating claim denials.
• Fewer administrative tasks. No extra forms or back-and-forth with insurers.
• Greater autonomy. Set your rates, package services, or offer memberships on your own terms.
🤔 A consideration:
Less help to get started. Especially for those new to practice, building a caseload is a top priority. Joining insurance provider networks can help practitioners get their start, since being listed as in-network can drive patient referrals, which won’t be available to cash-based practices.
📈 Your growth stage:
Cash-based billing is typically better suited to well-established practices. ✅
If you’re cash-based or planning to move in that direction, Jane has the tools to help you. With Jane Payments, keep credit cards on file and take and record payments directly within Jane.
💲Insurance billing
Accepting insurance can expand access to care and help you reach more people, particularly those who rely on benefits. But with that accessibility comes additional administrative work.
🙌The benefits?
• Wider reach. Insurance billing can remove financial barriers to care.
• Affordability. Patients are more likely to commit to ongoing treatment plans when care is covered.
• More patients. Some insurance plans cover multiple visits per year, which can bring in new appointments and help keep your schedule full.
🤔A consideration:
• More admin time. Processing and following up on claims takes time, so it’s important to plan for the extra admin that comes with it.
• Delayed payments. It can take days or weeks for reimbursements to come through.
📈 Your growth stage:
Insurance billing (or a hybrid model) can be better suited to new or emerging practices. ✅
For hybrid and insurance-based clinics, Jane’s integrated billing tools make it easier to navigate both billing worlds while cutting down on admin time. Submit and track claims in one place and collect patient responsibility, or out-of-pocket payments, with an integrated online and POS payment solution.
📊 The hybrid approach
Many chiropractic clinics find that a hybrid model is the best approach. By accepting insurance for some services and offering cash options for others, they can expand access to their community while keeping their work sustainable.
💡A tip: For clinics that accept both cash and insurance payment for the same service, it’s important to consider pricing. Best practice is to set a uniform fee schedule, essentially, a consistent fee for your services. From there, you can go through compliant discount programs or create and consistently apply a financial hardship policy, for cash-pay patients in need.
⚖️ Finding your balance
Every approach has its benefits, so if you’re still figuring out what’s right for your clinic, start by thinking about your day-to-day operations and your future goals. From there, the right billing model will usually make itself clear.
For more helpful tips on navigating clinic life, check out Front Desk Digital. You can read Cash vs. Insurance Billing: How to Choose the Best Model for Your Practice which inspired this post, or other articles on marketing, business, and patient experience.
And if you think Jane could be a fit for you and your practice, you can sign up at jane.app and use the code ANJC1MO for a 1-month grace period on your new account.
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