Technology, well-thought-out policies and senior management buy-in will serve providers well when it comes to collecting from patients at the point of service (POS), according to Brigitte Garner, director of revenue cycles services for Sinaiko Healthcare Consulting. She said the ideal POS technology is an integrated front-end platform that captures critical data such as demographics, insurance verification, risk scoring, screening for financial assistance programs and real-time estimates and has cashiering capabilities for e-payment options, bank financing options and tracking in all service locations. Ultimately, Garner said, POS technology needs to be “easy to access, understand and use.”
THREE TRENDS TO WATCH
Brigitte Garner, director of revenue cycles services for Sinaiko Healthcare Consulting, identified three trends impacting point-of-service collection:
1. iNSURANCE: The uninsured population is continuing to rise, from 46.4 million today to 60 million by 2010, creating greater media and legislative scrutiny on providers to become a part of the solution.
2. EXPENSES: Out-of-pocket expenses are increasing dramatically for patients; therefore, providers need to pay more attention to processes and technology that deal with self-pay.
3. ADVOCACY: Hospitals are finding that the advocacy route for patients who qualify for financial assistance programs is a win-win for all.
USER REVIEWS
“Collecting co-payments and deductibles from patients upfront with MPV Patient Portion Pricer has increased average monthly cash collections by 45 percent in the first six months. We will eventually eliminate the majority of costs involved in carrying patient accounts - and the risk of non-payment after treatment.”
Twyla Fuertes, business manager, Texas Orthopedics, Sports and Rehabilitation Associates
“D2 Sales provided the greatest flexibility in being able to customize the kiosk to meet the needs of our organization and the software application that we were using. D2 has been extremely responsive in meeting our immediate needs.”
Michael Sutter, director of clinical services, Carle Clinics
“All of my patient access employees are able to facilitate collections before services are rendered with Passport’s Web-based financial products. The detailed electronic receipts and reporting helps me as a manager from a QA standpoint. Beyond the convenience, compatibility, speed and accuracy, the best thing is probably the impact the products have on other areas of the hospital – collecting co-pays and deductibles from patients up front really eases pressure off the billing office and helps our bottom line.”
Lisa Simmons, manager of patient access, West Virginia University Hospitals
“Not only has the Horizon Patient Kiosk been instrumental in streamlining our check-in process, increasing throughput and enhancing our patients’ experience, it has also simplified point of service collections by allowing patients to pay at the kiosk with their credit card.”
Karen Braun, clinic manager, ambulatory services, Children’s Medical Center of Dayton
“Accuro CarePricer has resulted in improved business office processes, increased financial stability and enhanced patient satisfaction. By moving what used to be a back-end function to the front of the revenue cycle, we’re now able to engage the patient in the medical decision-making and payment process earlier.”
Bob Wagner, director of patient accounts, Nebraska Methodist Health System
“ACE Logicus allows my clinics and endoscopy centers to proactively give patients very credible estimates of their out-of-pocket treatment costs. Our patients are educated before their procedure and more prepared to meet their financial obligations, translating into increased customer satisfaction and decreased accounts receivable and bad debt.”
Lance Goudzwaard, CEO, Arapahoe Gastroenterology
“(iMedica PRM) has enabled the practice to cut costs dramatically. We completely eliminated transcription costs ($130,000 annually). The clinic also was able to reduce courier costs from $12,000 annually to $6,000 annually. Immediate billing has made a very positive impact on our cash flow. A major benefit of the EHR is that we are not losing charges due to (being) untimely. Everything is processed within one week, with 70 percent of charges processed within 24 hours.”
Owen O’Neill, MD, Minnesota Orthopaedic Specialists
Accuro Healthcare Solutions
Accuro CarePricer
Accuro CarePricer is an innovative, automated Web-based tool that enables providers to generate accurate Patient Friendly Estimates at the point of access informing patients of their financial responsibility prior to service to facilitate upfront collections. It helps providers accelerate the revenue cycle, increase cash flow, ensure compliance, reduce bad debt and strengthen patient relationships.
Contact: Sales Support, 877.321.0500, solutions@accurohealth.com
D2 Sales
My Patient Passport Express
The D2 My Patient Passport Express kiosk provides patients with the convenience of easy check-in, records updating, co-pay payment acceptance and wayfinding and mapping features.
Contact: David Pinkus, 262.242.6100, patientpassport@d2sales.com
Financial Healthcare Systems
ACE Logicus
ACE Logicus is an Internet solution that estimates a patient’s financial responsibility, allowing providers to collect patient out-of-pocket expenses for both in-patient and out-patient procedures at or before the time of service and thus contributing a solution to the ongoing issue of price transparency.
Contact: Tim Estes, 303.216.0202, info@fhscorp.net
HTP, Inc.
HTP RevRunner
HTP RevRunner is the enabling technology for hospitals to find coverage for those patients who have it, maximize reimbursement from patients who can pay and find financial assistance for patients who can’t.
Contact: Patricia Talley, 888.885.1272, ext. 2246, webinfo@htp-inc.com
ImageVision.Net
HealthPay24
A Point-of-service cashiering system that makes collecting from patients simple and efficient providing automated receipting and posting, simplified reconciliation, automated key-performance collection tracking while supporting the latest methods of payment including cash, check, eCheck, credit/debit card, HSAs, and payment plans from any PC with optional features including financial counseling and online payment center.
Contact: Ken Blessing, 717.985.1295, ext. 104, KBlessing@ImageVision.Net
iMedica
iMedica PRM
iMedica combines EMR and PM into a single application. Speed and ease-of-use, with portability, back-up and recovery on lasting technology, differentiates from the rest. iMedica’s design allows provider eye-contact with patients while documenting via tapping, clicking, typing, dictating and sketching into records. Speed-of-thought charting, coding, and accurate billing, enhances efficiency and revenue.
Contact: Kristin Raffaelle, 866.960.6890, Option 7, salesinfo@imedica.com
McKesson
Horizon Patient Kiosk
The Horizon Patient Kiosk solution allows patients to check-in for appointments and procedures, update insurance and address information, and swipe their credit card for co-payments and deductibles at the point of service. This solution provides an improved patient experience, decreased wait times, streamlined workflow and a reduction in paper.
Contact: McKesson Sales Information, 800.981.8601
Motorola
MC70 with Magnetic Strip Reader
The MC70 includes the power of a cell phone, PDA, computer, scanner and imager in a rugged and sealed form factor, enabling secure data collection and medication administration from anywhere within the hospital. With a snap-on magnetic strip reader (the MSR7000-100R), the device is further empowered with card-charging capabilities.
Contact: 866.416.8545
MPV
Patient Portion Pricer
Patient Portion Pricer enables medical groups to accurately calculate insurance allowables at or before the time of service so they can determine the patient’s portion of the bill for medical procedures based on applicable deductibles, co-insurance and other patient responsibilities.
Contact: Merideth Wilson, 866.930.1230, merideth.wilson@mpv.com
Passport Health Communications
Passport OneSource (real-time, Web-based); Passport BatchSource (batch format); Passport IntelliSource (real-time, integrated)
Passport’s Internet-based financial services products, including cash tracking, credit card processing and electronic bill presentment (coming soon), increase the speed, efficiency and accuracy of patient collections.
Contact: 888.661.5657, sales@passporthealth.com
Siemens Medical Solutions USA
Soarian Financials
Soarian Financials is a completely integrated enterprise revenue cycle solution designed specifically to help drive down costs and improve operational efficiency. Soarian’s check-out workflow facilitates increased point-of-service collections, thereby reducing an organization’s risk for bad debt and minimizing associated collection follow-up activities.
Contact: 888.826.9702, usa.med@siemens.com
TransUnion
TransUnion Healthcare Revenue Cycle Platform (HRCP)
TransUnion’s solutions help automate registration, simplify collections and deliver financial answers quickly from a single source. Consumer data sources, advanced analytics, fraud models and decisioning technologies can be adapted to help address specific business challenges.
Contact: 888.396.8361, truehealth@transunion.com
The TriZetto Group
Provider POS Direct
This family of Web applications brings real-time information and transaction processing to providers at point-of-service.
Contact: 800.569.1222
Contact: Brian Graves, healthcare global practice leader, 978.947.7736, bgraves@kronos.com