“Sorry, No Cash Allowed”

Crain’s Detroit Business published a recent article about a Detroit City Council Member promoting a city-wide ordinance to prevent businesses from denying payments via cash.  This caught my attention because the front desk at one of our clinics recently posted a sign at checkout saying:  

“NO CASH PAY

Debit / Credit or Check Only”

As one who pays for most things by credit card (and the germaphobe in me hates touching money), I didn’t find the location’s no-cash policy concerning.  As Crain’s article points out, cashless businesses can collect payments faster and operate more efficiently with fewer workers – and since most of our facilities are short of support staff – this seems like a reasonable measure for healthcare businesses to take.  

So what’s the big deal?  Everyone has a credit or debit card nowadays, right?  

I had no idea that 6 million U.S. residents (approximately 4.5% of households) don’t have bank accounts.  Black households are 9 times more likely not to have a bank account.  Apparently, the rate is even higher in my home state of Michigan, where 6% of households are without bank accounts.  The authors project that up to 24% of Detroit city residents do not have a bank account and are ineligible for credit card approval.  

The article points out that no-cash businesses inadvertently exclude patients who are younger, older, or financially disadvantaged.  Federal law does not require businesses to accept cash, but some state and city governments have issued such requirements for their local businesses.  

I asked our front office manager if any patients objected to the office’s no-cash policy.  She says most patients have no issue with it, but the office will accept cash if they insist they can only pay with cash.  

Maybe our sign should say:  

“Credit/Debit Cards Preferred.”  

What do you think?  Are any of your offices cashless?

-Nikki Rataj Casady, DMSc, PA-C

email@appcolleague.org