Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's University Health Network is offering patients more options for paying their medical expenses and managing their finances via its new online bill pay system.
Here are four things to know.
1. The nonprofit, regional, integrated network's system is called patient financial connection.
2. Through the system, powered by Simplee, patients can use their smartphone to digitally manage their finances and receive communications about their medical expenses, among other capabilities, according to a news release. Patients also have the option of mail or in-person payment.
3. St. Luke's has already experienced success with the system. Officials said the smart phone solution spurred a 41 percent increase in self-service patient payments over the course of three months. Forty percent of those payments were initiated through a mobile device. Additionally, patients have given the mobile solution an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The mobile solution has also earned a Net Promoter Score of 38 for the patient financial experience, according to St. Luke's. Typical NPS's range from negative-100 to 100.
4. Richard Madison, vice president of revenue cycle and business office at St. Luke's, said: "We realized medical bills and payments were sometimes complicated and added stress to a patient's medical experience. Through this new system we have turned understanding and paying for a hospital bill into a fast, easy and convenient process."
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