Healthcare claims payments are stressful enough for patients without adding the inconvenience of figuring out how and where to make payments. Often it is the provider who bears the brunt of the member’s frustration when there is confusion about the status of a claim. However, improving payment options can help ease this challenge for both providers and members.
There are a few areas of focus when improving healthcare payments:
Offer multiple payment options to increase member satisfaction
Just like each person has individual needs when it comes to medical care, they also have varying needs for methods of access for claims payments and information. It’s up to health plans and providers to make options available that take all members into consideration. The more flexibility offered the better member needs can be met.
It’s not enough to simply “go digital.” A single option isn’t the best option for every provider or their patients. It’s important to provide a variety of options that offer flexibility:
- EFT/ACH
- Credit cards
- e-Checks
- AutoPay
- One-time, recurring or partial payment
Additionally, with these payment methods, members have the added security of knowing their payment was received and properly credited to their account.
Provide a member-focused financial experience
Making it easy for members to access plan and claims information and make payments goes beyond offering traditional options. Evolving comfortability with digital processes call for options that reflect how consumers have come to expect online access for information.
Providing access to a member-centered financial journey gives them a positive experience. This can be done by offering the following:
- Easy and flexible online communications options
- Multilingual options
- The capability to manage accounts for split households
- Help with understanding their payment responsibility
- Easy access to documentation about their plan, payments and transactions
We are in a digitally connected world with access to just about everything from the palm of our hand. Medical payment information shouldn’t be any different. When members have a positive billing experience, it may increase the likelihood that they will pay their bills in full and on time.
Collaboration between healthcare payers and providers is key
When health plans and providers work together, it helps establish positive relationships between the payer and provider, as well as the provider and their members, ensuring a beneficial experience at all levels.
Payers can create positive relationships with providers and members if they can:
- Understand the impact areas and ROI of traditional vs. electronic payment, communications, and remittance. According the most recent CAQH Index Report there is a $4 billion savings opportunity in the industry by completing a digital transformation. The industry can not only save money via digitization, but individual medical providers would save an estimated 11 minutes per transaction and dental providers would save five minutes per transaction.
- Learn the key challenges facing them in the current healthcare landscape via our partner research.
- Learn what to look for in a payment partner. Zelis is available to help you collaborate and make the healthcare experience a positive one, which in turn means retention rates increase and budget spending decreases.
