Five keys to tackling flu season as it collides with COVID-19

by Experian Health 4 min read July 21, 2020

With a vaccine for COVID-19 thought to be at least a year away, healthcare providers are steeling themselves for even more cases in the fall. The big worry is that a surge in cases will hit the health system just as flu season takes hold. In a recent interview, Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warned that “the assault of the virus on our nation next winter [may] actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through… we’re going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time.”

Healthcare organizations are accustomed to an influx of sick patients between October and March: around 62,000 people died and more than 700,000 were hospitalized during last winter’s flu season. With 130,000 Americans losing their lives to COVID-19 in just four months, what could happen when the two respiratory diseases collide?

Large numbers of patients with either virus (or potentially with both) will put renewed pressure on staff and services that are already under immense strain. Hospitals will need to prepare to manage both groups of patients as efficiently and safely as possible.

Five ways to ease stress, paperwork and patient concerns ahead of a dual epidemic

1. Use data to drive your patient engagement strategy

Create a flu preparedness patient engagement strategy to keep patients informed of how best to protect themselves in the context of a dual epidemic. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, patients may be more familiar with telehealth services as a “contact-free” alternative to in-person appointments, so you’ll want to continue to promote these to minimize the spread of infection.

With consumer data, you can segment patients according to risk and automate your communications, so they get the most relevant message at the most convenient time.

2. Relieve pressure on staff with automated patient scheduling

Digital scheduling gives patients the option to book appointments online, at a time and place that suits them. This reduces pressure on call center staff and can give providers control over the volume and timing of in-person appointments, thus helping to reduce the spread of germs.

An online patient scheduling platform can automate the entire scheduling process, integrating in real-time with your records management systems and connecting to your referral providers’ systems for a seamless patient and staff experience.

3. Screen patients proactively to discover their needs ahead of time

Asking patients to fill out electronic questionnaires before their visit means their access needs can be identified and addressed before they come in. Do they need help to find transportation? Will they face any challenges in picking up a prescription? Is there something that could stand in the way of follow-up care?

Screening for social determinants of health can answer these questions so you can direct patients to the most appropriate care and support.

4. Enable digital patient registration for a quick and easy intake experience

Speed up the registration process by giving patients the option to complete their intake admin by phone or through their patient portal. Not only will this reduce the spread of infection in busy waiting rooms, it’ll make for a more enjoyable patient experience and free up limited staff resources for other priorities.

With automated registration and consumer-facing mobile experiences, you can improve the patient experience, operational efficiencies and data accuracy all at the same time.

5. Minimize in-person interactions with contactless payments

Encourage patients to clear their balances without having to hand over cash or access payment kiosks. Self-service digital payment tools allow patients to make contactless payments through their patient portal or from their mobile device.

“The combined pressure from two viruses hitting health systems at once means it’s even more important for providers to leverage data for speed and accuracy. Automated workflows can help accelerate operational efficiency, as well as create a better patient experience during what’s already an extremely stressful time.”

Victoria Dames, Vice President of Product Management for Experian Health

Find out more about how Experian Health’s expertise in data and analytics can help your organization prepare for the coming flu season so you can offer your patients a safe, accessible and stress-free experience.

We have also developed a checklist of action items for providers to consider as you prepare for both flu and COVID-19. How ready are you? Which actions is your organization instituting now?

Related Posts

Andy’s New WP Workflow Test Article Using Quick Edit

Key takeaways: Revenue cycle teams can use automation to reduce repetitive work and apply AI where data-driven prediction, matching or prioritization can improve a workflow. Experian Health’s 2025 State of Claims survey found that 41% of providers now face denial rates of 10% or higher, while 68% say submitting clean claims is more challenging than a year ago. Patient Access Curator™ (PAC) uses AI to support front-end data validation and insurance discovery, while AI Advantage™ helps teams predict denial risk and prioritize denial follow-up. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation can support administrative work in healthcare. In the revenue cycle, teams depend on accurate information, timely decisions and efficient follow-up to keep claims moving. In revenue cycle management, AI and automation can help organizations reduce manual checks, find data gaps, predict denial risk and prioritize work queues. These tools are most useful when they support staff judgment, payer expertise and compliance oversight. They can handle repetitive, data-heavy tasks so staff can focus on exceptions and decisions that need human review. In 2023, McKinsey & Company reported that research suggests effectively deploying automation and analytics could eliminate $200 billion to $360 billion of spending in U.S. healthcare. For revenue cycle leaders, the practical question is where to apply those capabilities first. The case for applying AI and automation in healthcare Revenue cycle teams juggle many daily tasks. Staff collect and verify patient information, confirm eligibility, identify the right payer, submit clean claims, monitor status, work denials and manage collections. Small data gaps at the beginning of the process can create downstream rework and delays. Rework also consumes staff time, adding to these operational pressures. As costs rise and revenue cycles tighten, there is increasing pressure to do more with less. Experian Health’s 2025 State of Claims survey found that 54% of providers say claim errors are increasing and 90% of claim denials are reworked with at least some human review before resubmission. Providers are also managing broader financial and administrative pressures. The American Hospital Association has reported that prior authorization requirements, claim audits, denials and other payer policies add administrative burden and cost for hospitals and health systems. These requirements also consume staff time to appeal denials and manage payer processes. AI and automation are different but complementary. Automation follows defined rules to complete repeatable work. AI models can identify patterns in data, predict risk and help teams decide where to focus attention. When used together, they can support more consistent revenue cycle workflows. How AI and automation can support revenue cycle workflows Revenue cycle management automation and AI are most useful when tied to a specific workflow and a measurable operational problem. The goal is to help teams act earlier, reduce avoidable rework and focus staff time where judgment is needed most. For example, automation can complete rule-based eligibility checks. AI can help identify claims with a higher likelihood of denial. In insurance discovery workflows, AI can also help identify coverage that wasn’t captured at registration. When these tools fit into existing workflows, they can support more consistent decisions and reduce manual work. Three practical applications include: 1. Improving front-end data quality with Patient Access Curator Patient and coverage information collected early in the revenue cycle can affect downstream claim outcomes. Incomplete or outdated demographic details, eligibility responses, coordination of benefits or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier information can create problems that lead to claim delays or denials later in the cycle. Experian Health’s Patient Access Curator helps prevent claim denials by validating demographics, eligibility, insurance discovery, coordination of benefits and Medicare Beneficiary Identifier data in seconds. PAC’s AI and machine learning capabilities help improve match accuracy, coverage sequencing and data confidence by writing the validated data back into the host system and sequencing payers before the claim is created. This automates work that would otherwise require manual coverage checks. 2. Using insurance discovery to find coverage not captured at registration When active coverage isn’t identified during registration, claims may be delayed or submitted with incomplete insurance information. Insurance discovery looks for coverage that may not have been captured during registration. Patient Access Curator includes insurance discovery as part of its front-end validation workflow. It can help identify and correct missing or incorrect insurance information so claims can be submitted with more complete coverage data. 3. Using AI to prevent and prioritize denials Even with strong front-end processes, some claims still require additional attention. AI can help claims teams decide which claims to review before submission and which denials to work first after payer response. Experian Health’s AI Advantage supports two denial management use cases:1. AI Advantage – Predictive Denials uses a client’s historical claims data and Experian’s knowledge of payer rules to identify claims with a high likelihood of denial before submission so teams can take corrective action.2. AI Advantage – Denial Triage uses AI to segment denials and identify those with the highest potential for reimbursement. This approach can help teams prioritize with more confidence. Rather than treating every claim or denial the same way, teams can use predictive models to focus on the work that needs the most attention. Potential benefits of AI and automation in the revenue cycle A high-performing revenue cycle depends on timely, accurate and consistent work. AI and automation can help providers modernize that work without losing the expertise of the people who manage complex payer and patient situations every day. When applied to the right workflows, these tools can help organizations: Reduce manual data searches that take staff away from higher-value work Improve front-end data quality before claims are created Identify missing or incorrect coverage information earlier Spot claims that may be at higher risk of denial Prioritize denied claims by potential reimbursement Reduce rework caused by inaccurate or incomplete information Give staff more consistent information for follow-up decisions A focused AI strategy starts with the workflow problem, uses data that is relevant to that problem and keeps staff in control of judgment-based decisions. A more proactive approach to revenue cycle management Revenue cycle teams can move from reactive work toward a more proactive approach: catch errors earlier, validate coverage before claims are created and prioritize the claims and denials that need the most attention. Experian Health offers revenue cycle solutions that use AI and automation in targeted ways to support front-end data quality, reduce rework and manage denials. Patient Access Curator supports registration and coverage validation, while AI Advantage supports denial prediction and triage. Learn more about Experian Health’s Patient Access Curator and AI Advantage.

October 2, 2026 by Andy.Monte@experian.com
Experian Health ranked #1 in Best in KLAS for 2025

Experian Health is very pleased to announce that we've ranked #1 in the 2025 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report, for our Contract Manager and Contract Analysis product, for the third consecutive year. Contract Manager, when paired with Contract Analysis, empowers healthcare providers by ensuring payers comply with contract terms, identifying and recovering underpayments, and arming them with real claims data to negotiate contracts. This enables providers to negotiate more favorable terms and maintain financial stability.  Clarissa Riggins, Chief Product Officer at Experian Health, says, “In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, our Contract Manager solution has once again been recognized as the #1 Revenue Cycle Management tool by KLAS for the third consecutive year. This prestigious ranking underscores the significant value our solution delivers to our clients by identifying underpayments and facilitating revenue recovery. We are honored to continue supporting our clients with innovative solutions that drive financial success and operational efficiency.”  Learn more about how Contract Manager and Contract Analysis can help your healthcare organization validate reimbursement accuracy, recover underpayments and boost revenue.   Learn more Contact us

February 5, 2025 by kelly.nguyen
How to increase patient engagement

Learn how providers can increase patient engagement, why it matters and key strategies that deliver improved end-to-end patient experiences.

January 30, 2025 by Experian Health

Spotlight test

Spotlight Description

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Sticky Subscribe Title

Sticky Subscribe Description
Sticky Subscribe

Testing Spotlight Paragraph block

Testing the spotlight block header

Archive Testing

Categories