Thank you for your cooperation. First, patients need to meet the billing and collection staff when checking out. Then those staff members need to ask directly for payment. And if staff members don't ask, they show patients that the policy is meaningless. Accepting credit cards is a great way to make it convenient for patients to pay on the spot.
Many people are accustomed to using a credit card and paying one monthly bill.
Unfortunately, even if your staff does everything right and follows your policy to the letter, some patients still won't be able to pay while they're in your office. Patients do forget their checkbooks and run out of checks, and some legitimately can't pay until their next payday. Give those who can't pay a statement of the amount due along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Most will send their payments promptly because they will appreciate your flexibility. For example, you may want to exempt established Medicare patients who have secondary coverage.