Partly. An invoice in GoHighLevel can carry the patient's balance and a pay link, and its recurring invoices can run a payment plan, but it cannot replace the practice's billing system. The bottom line: the statement comes from the system that holds the claims, adjustments, and insurance payments, and the CRM invoice is the way to deliver the pay link or collect a plan.
What a patient statement is
A patient statement is the provider's request for whatever balance remains after insurance has processed the claim, according to a billing guide, and it differs from an explanation of benefits, which the insurer sends to explain what was billed, approved, and paid. The Patient Friendly Billing project, led by the Healthcare Financial Management Association with the American Hospital Association and the Medical Group Management Association, asks for clear, concise, and correct statements, a plain statement of what the patient owes, and an explanation of the difference between a bill, a statement, and an explanation of benefits. HFMA's account resolution best practices say the patient portion is the balance due after all other payments, including insurance, have been applied.
What fits a CRM invoice and what does not
| Need | Fit |
|---|---|
| Deliver a pay link for a final balance | Good: invoice with a link |
| Payment plan for a final balance | Good: recurring invoice with a failed payment alert |
| Itemized charges, adjustments, and insurance payments | Weak: use the billing system statement |
| Claims, denials, and appeals | Not a fit |
| Patient friendly explanation of the balance | Use the billing statement, and attach it or link to it |
Build it in GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel's help page on recurring invoices says the Send Recurring Invoice action needs an invoice template under Payments, then Invoices, and a connected gateway, is supported for Stripe connected sub accounts, stores the card only after the first invoice is paid manually, and works with a Payment Failed trigger to retry and notify.
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.
- Have billing produce the statement in the practice system and attach it or link to it in the invoice.
- Create an invoice template with the balance as a single line, the due date, and the practice's phone number for questions.
- Send it only when the balance is final, as in our text to pay guide, by email or text with generic wording.
- For payment plans, have the patient pay the first installment manually, then use the Send Recurring Invoice action for the schedule.
- Build a workflow with the Payment Failed trigger that texts the patient a link to update the card and creates a task for billing.
- Write the payment plan terms in the financial policy the patient signed.
Worked example
For example, a practice with 60 patients on $100 monthly plans collects $6,000 a month (60 times 100). If 8 percent of cards fail, that is 5 failures a month (60 times 0.08), and each triggers a same day text instead of a letter.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using the CRM invoice as the only statement. It lacks adjustments and insurance detail.
- Sending before the claim is processed. The balance may change.
- A payment plan not in the financial policy. Put it in writing.
- No failed payment alert. Add the trigger.
How this was handled before
Billing systems printed and mailed statements through a vendor. Online statements and payment portals came next. A CRM invoice is a lighter tool that suits delivering a link, and the statement itself still comes from the billing system.
What to measure after launch
Track invoices sent, paid on time, payment plans active, and failed payments. Reconcile CRM payments against the billing system each week.
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 confirm that the invoice wording and the payment plan terms comply with your payer contracts and state billing rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
Is a patient statement the same as an explanation of benefits?
No. The insurer sends the explanation of benefits, and the provider sends the statement for the remaining balance.
Can GoHighLevel run a payment plan?
Its Send Recurring Invoice action can, for Stripe connected accounts, once the first invoice is paid manually.
Should the CRM replace the billing system?
No. Use it to deliver pay links and plans, and keep itemized statements in the billing system.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.