As patients become more involved in the financial aspects of their care, hospitals and health systems should focus on getting self-pay patients involved before their service, advised Marty Callahan, president of healthcare markets for RevSpring, a revenue cycle management company.
“Patients engaged throughout the service delivery cycle are more likely to participate fully in payment processes. Taking a lead from consumer-focused industries, healthcare organizations should open up the lines of communication about billing and payment options prior to treatment to help patients prepare financially for any forthcoming charges,” he said.
“Patients often report a more positive billing experience when an estimate of services is delivered up front. Preservice patient communication eliminates the surprise of out-of-service costs and can even help drive improvements in financial results for the organization,” Mr. Callahan said.
Mr. Callahan also said comprehensive patient communication platforms can help hospitals and health systems provide the necessary patient outreach and education throughout the care journey.
If you would like to share your RCM best practices, please email Kelly Gooch at kgooch@beckershealthcare.com to be featured in the "RCM tip of the day" series.
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