Yes. GoHighLevel's Text2Pay sends a payment link in a conversation, so a dental patient can pay an estimated copay at checkout or a final balance after the claim is paid. The bottom line: dentistry has two numbers, the estimate at the visit and the final patient share after the insurer pays, and the text should say neither.
The estimate and the final number
Dental plans can differ on annual maximums, waiting periods, deductibles, and coinsurance, as the Nevada Division of Insurance and Fortune Well describe, so the patient's share at the visit is an estimate until the claim is processed. The Healthcare Financial Management Association's best practices say bills should reflect the patient's responsibility after the claim has been adjudicated and applicable insurance payments and contractual allowances have been applied, and its Patient Friendly Billing project asks for clear, concise, correct communications.
| Moment | What to collect | How |
|---|---|---|
| At checkout | The estimated patient share, as the practice policy allows | Text2Pay link or card on file |
| After the claim is paid | The final balance or a refund of any overpayment | Text2Pay for the balance, and a refund process |
| Elective work not covered | The agreed fee or deposit | Estimate, then link or payment plan |
Payer contracts and waived copays
Contracts with dental plans commonly set what a practice may collect from a patient, and routinely waiving a patient's share can raise payer contract and fraud questions. This is a general caution, not a statement about any one plan or state, so ask your billing lead and counsel before designing a copay policy.
What the text says
| Say | Do not say |
|---|---|
| The practice name, and that a payment is available | The amount, the procedure, or the tooth |
| A link to pay and a phone number for questions | Insurance details or a diagnosis |
| Reply STOP to stop messages | A threat about collections |
GoHighLevel's help portal says accounts are not HIPAA compliant by default, and that HIPAA Compliance is a paid upgrade, $297 a month as an account wide add on, that must be enabled for the agency and then configured for the sub accounts that need it. Third party guides add that the add on provides a business associate agreement, encryption, audit logging, and multi factor authentication, that the practice also needs its own agreement with the agency, and that GoHighLevel itself recommends avoiding protected health information in SMS and email even with the add on. Whether the AI features are covered by the agreement is a question to put to HighLevel in writing before any patient data reaches them.
Build it in GoHighLevel
A third party guide describes Text2Pay as a payment icon in the message composer that sends a Stripe checkout link, and GoHighLevel's Payment Received trigger page says the trigger fires for Text2Pay payments.
- Connect Stripe under Payments, then Integrations.
- Create checkout items called Copay and Balance, with the amount entered per patient.
- At checkout, the front desk sends the link from the patient's conversation, or the patient pays at the desk.
- After the claim is paid, billing adds the tag Balance final, and a workflow sends the generic text and link.
- Build a workflow with the Payment Received trigger that sends a receipt and removes the tag.
- Add a reminder after 14 days and a call task after 30 days, with a payment plan option.
Worked example
For example, if a practice collects 300 copays a month averaging $60, that is $18,000 (300 times 60). If 40 percent of patients prefer to pay by link instead of at the desk, that is 120 payments (300 times 0.4) the front desk does not process at the counter.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending the final balance before the claim pays. The amount may change.
- Putting the amount in the text. Keep it generic.
- No refund process. Overpayments happen.
- Designing a waiver policy without counsel. Payer contracts may limit it.
How this was handled before
Patients paid the estimated share at the front desk, and the office mailed a statement for the rest. Payment portals and text links move the second step to the patient's phone, and the question remains when the number is final.
What to measure after launch
Track links sent, payments within 7 days, refunds, and links sent before the claim was final. Check that no final balance link goes out early.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Have your billing lead and counsel approve the payment policy, and confirm the payment page is covered by your card security rules and agreements. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Can a patient pay a dental copay by text?
Yes, with a payment link from Text2Pay or a similar tool. Keep the text generic and the amount on the checkout page.
When should the final balance be collected?
After the claim is adjudicated, according to HFMA's best practices on patient balances.
Can a practice waive copays?
Payer contracts and state law may limit routine waivers. Ask your billing lead and counsel.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.