Hospital Access Management – January 1, 2015
January 1, 2015
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Patients soon `will self-everything’ — Apps to revolutionize registration
Patients using mobile phone apps soon will perform many functions of the registration process, according to revenue cycle experts interviewed by Hospital Access Management. -
New payment portals aren’t just for copays: They are an ‘easy, self-service’ option
New payment portals incorporate complex liability estimation and prior balances, but many patients still need patient access employees to explain out-of-pocket expenses. -
Tools allow members of patient access staff to screen patients for financial need early in process
Patients access departments are using technology such as web-based screening tools to identify financial need and collect from patients with high-deductible plans. To increase collections, patient access departments are: -
Use tools to collect with high-deductible plans
To collect from patients with high-deductible plans, these tools must be available at the point of service, says Gerilynn Sevenikar, vice president of patient financial services at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego: -
Tools allow registration staff to collect deductibles in addition to collecting copays
Patient access employees at San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare are seeing many more patients with high-deductible plans. -
Boost efficiency by integrating systems used by access — Minutes shaved off registration
Patient access departments at Bon Secours Richmond (VA) Health System cut average registration times from 10 to five minutes by integrating systems. -
Double self-pay collections: Tools show how likely the patient is to pay
Parkland Health & Hospital System doubled self-pay collections in the past year, in part due to a propensity-to-pay tool. Patient access staff collect an additional $100,000 a month. -
Tools allow for accurate estimates: Patients get ‘the whole story’
Patient access staff at NorthBay Healthcare in Fairfield, CA, use a newly implemented patient payment estimator to tell patients what theyll owe before they schedule an elective surgery. -
Department repurposes 5 FTEs with automation — Access operations ‘completely changed’
Technology allowed the patient access department at Carolinas HealthCare System to repurpose five of its FTEs -
Here is how patient access areas are handling Ebola screening
Patient access staff at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, CT, ask these Ebola screening questions at all access points, including pre-registration, call centers, and arrival areas. -
More than 4 in 10 uninsured don’t know basic insurance terms
Findings from a recent survey by Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, CA, suggest that some people who stand to benefit from the law struggle to understand how coverage works.