Medical procedures are expensive, but we cannot put a price on our health and happiness. Whether you need dental work, LASIK surgery, or a cosmetic procedure, patients need to take the time to research their financing options and choose the one that works best for their needs.

What to look for in patient financing options

All patient financing options are not equal, and applicants need to understand the terms and conditions of these products before they apply. Here are a few of the factors you should consider when shopping for patient financing:

Decision time

If you have a painful dental condition, or need chiropractic care for an injury, you need a financing option that offers a quick decision time. The cards offered have a simple application process and feature quick decisions, so you can get the care you need as soon as possible. Once approved, you can immediately schedule your medical procedure. In contrast, other patient financing options have lengthy applications and a time consuming process before approval.

Promotional financing terms

Many products on the market offer 0% APR financing, but they are not all created equal. For example, many competing patient financing options offer "no interest if paid in full" within a specified period of time. However, if patients fail to pay the entire amount before the promotional financing period expires, they will be charged interest from the original payment date. That means that patients who are short just a few dollars could face hundreds of dollars of interest payments.

The Advance Care Card does not work that way. Patients receive either 6 or 15 months of interest free financing on their procedure, which applies whether or not they pay the entire balance in full during the promotional financing period. Only after the promotional financing expires will their remaining balance be subject to the standard interest rate.

Interest rates

As with any loan, borrowers should always focus on the standard interest rate. The cards offer a standard interest rate of between competitive rates – competitive rates depending on the applicant's credit worthiness at the time of application. In contrast, other competing products impose a standard interest rate of competitive rates or higher on all cardholders, regardless of their credit history.

Late fees

We all can make mistakes, but most patient financing options will impose a late fee on customers of up to $35. The Advance Care Card offers to automatically waive customers' first late fee and does not have a penalty interest rate.

Other factors

The Advance Care Card offers 100% US based customer service agents. Furthermore, this card can be used to pay for multiple procedures from multiple clinics, and even be used to finance prescription drugs purchased from pharmacies.

Conclusions

Perhaps the most important distinction between the Advance Care Card and the competition is the promotional financing terms. With other options, patients face an all or nothing deadline where they will either receive the interest free financing they were promised, or be forced to pay hundreds of dollars in retroactive interest charges. The Advance Care Card provides a guarantee of interest free financing during the promotional period and a competitive standard interest rate thereafter.

By comparing financing solutions to the competition, the best patient financing option will become clear.