NextGen Office Four Tips to Help Reduce
No- Shows and Cancellations
Increase revenue and protect your bottom line with scheduling policies
When patients cancel their appointments last minute (or don’t show up), it affects your
bottom line and weakens practice efficiency. By creating and implementing policies that
encourage patients to adhere to scheduled appointments, you’ll be able to capitalize on
the revenue you were expecting and provide the level of care the patient needs.
Helpful tips to get you started:
Tip #1: Create a policy for patient appointment no-shows and cancellations
- Include the reason you’re initiating this policy
- Ensure it’s clear that the patient is responsible for fees—not the payer*
Note: Medicaid patients cannot be charged these fees - Decide and include the fee for no-shows and cancellations
Consider a tiered fee schedule
• First no-show is not billed
• Second no-show is billed
Consider the fee associated with no-shows and cancellations
• $25–$75 is a typical fee amount per MGMA - Define what is considered a no-show or cancellation
• Patients who arrive more than 30 minutes late without notifying practice
• Missing an appointment, but not following up to reschedule
• Patients must cancel appointments at least 24 hours in advance - Create contractual language to be used for patient consent
Tip #2: Educate your staff on why implementing this policy is necessary
- Provide your staff with a talk track so they can communicate this change to patients
- Ensure patient has signed agreement on file before charging
- Establish protocols
• Perform clinical review of patients to ensure safety
• Develop an escalation path for chronic no-shows and
patients who do not pay - Determine method of sending appointment reminders
Tip #3: Inform your patients about this new policy
- Inform your patients before the policy will go into place
- Ensure that patients understand their responsibility by
signing an updated agreement annually - Post this policy in multiple locations (i.e. patient portal,
office, website, etc.)
Tip #4: Make appointment reminders work for your practice
- Ask your patients their preferred method of receiving
appointment reminders - Set up the patient’s chart to include the preferred method
Ensure you have the patient’s correct phone number and email
address - Create a cadence for how often you’ll send reminders
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