Warrensburg-based Western Missouri Medical Center tapped Cleveland-based Human Arc, a provider of healthcare enrollment, outreach and revenue cycle services, to aid self-pay patients with medical bills, DSJNow.com reports.
Hospitals contract Human Arc to help low-income, elderly or disabled patients and health plan members enroll in government financial assistance programs. Roughly 5 percent of WMMC's patients pay out-of-pocket for medical services, the report states.
Terri Bradley, CFO of WMMC, said Human Arc transitioned 112 of the hospital's nearly 480 self-pay accounts to Medicaid during the past year.
"That represented 159 Medicaid days for us," Ms. Bradley told DSJNow.com. "It helps improve our reimbursement for 'disproportionate share.'"
While the hospital pays Human Arc a percentage of first-time reimbursements, Ms. Bradley said WMMC receives all collections from patients afterward.