The relationship between medical debt collectors and patients who owe outstanding payments can be adversarial. The stress and financial pressure a mountain of medical debt places on individuals can foster an "us against them" mentality that's not productive for delivering on what is owed. One strategy a health care provider in Nebraska embraced seeks to reduce the friction between parties on each side of the equation, and its revenue increased as a result.
"Robert H. Wagner, director of revenue cycle at Methodist Health System in Nebraska, said Methodist increased its advanced collections from $250,000 in the fourth quarter of 2012 to $1.6 million in 2015's first quarter through two tactics: call five days ahead with the out-of-pocket cost, and put the hospital 'on the same team' with the patient," explains Med City News.
The idea, Wagner explained, is to ensure patients recognize the primary focus for medical providers is on patient health. By repeatedly indicating that the insurance provider's decision has framed the transaction, he's found that patients and hospital administrators can work together to resolve debts. Calling ahead gives patients notice to make adjustments to their conceptualization of the treatment or procedure and enough foresight to make productive decisions. The program has been successful, as evidenced by the increase in advanced collections.
If your hospital would like to implement a more care-focused billing strategy but lacks the bandwidth to do so effectively, contact us today to learn more about outsourcing receivables management. With a smaller caseload of outstanding debts, administrators can work closely with remaining patients to sort out payments and increase your revenue stream. We can help unburden your office so it can run as efficiently as possible.
