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The pandemic dominated healthcare in 2020, but it won’t be recognized as a reason to delay complying with CMS’ price transparency mandate, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. A recent study conducted by HealthAffairs indicated that 65 of the 100 largest hospitals in America had not complied as of February 2021. And new reports from CMS suggest $300 daily fines will follow if CMS warning letters have no impact, in addition to the possible public exposure of facilities failing to be compliant. There are a number of reasons why price transparency has generated so much attention – both before and during the COVID pandemic. Consumer advocates point to other transactional experiences, such as auto and home purchases, where understanding the price is complicated, but achieved. There’s been a lot of research on price transparency’s impact on patients, as well; helping consumers understand healthcare billing reduces the stress of their financial experiences. Transparent pricing makes sense in many cases for providers, too. They may benefit from patients being able to plan for the costs of care, which can result in fewer missed payments and write-offs. For these reasons and others, price transparency has been a hot topic for the last few years. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule on price transparency became effective on January 1, 2021, requiring hospitals to give patients clear information about their medical costs, including a list of charges for the hospital’s 300 most shoppable services, so patients can make informed decisions. Payers are expected to provide similar pricing information beginning January 1, 2022. The spotlight on healthcare pricing seems unlikely to dim any time soon. What does this mean for providers and payers? Price transparency is here to stay There were legal challenges made against the price transparency final rule, questioning federal authority and invoking constitutional rights violations, but the DC Circuit Court dismissed the claims in December 2020. Arguments against the current mandate are not limited to disputing legal authority, suggesting that government should not interfere with private sector pricing – and that complex pricing information could create the opposite effect of confusing consumers. In fact, many providers and payers voice support for price transparency, but not as put forward by the final rule. Despite this, consumer demand for pricing clarity before delivery of services continues to grow and current government regulation is the most far-reaching attempt so far to remedy this. A few state legislatures are moving forward with their own regulations, which could prompt more local collaborations between providers and payers to clarify out-of-pocket cost estimates. Achieving the level of transparency that CMS and consumer groups hope for will be challenging, but attempts to find common ground are growing. What will price transparency look like under the Biden Administration? Since President Biden entered the White House, the trend towards transparent pricing has continued. Provider compliance has been slow – many pointing to 12 months of battling COVID as the primary reason – prompting legislative pressure to step up audits and penalties. CMS has already started issuing noncompliance warning letters and, while it may modify the ruling under a new administration, there’s no sign of any plans to reverse the policy. Consumer action groups have voiced concerns that the regulation falls short, citing the difficulty a consumer may have trying to find pricing at provider web sites. Other consumers are limited to payer-negotiated rates and have little choice but to stick with their current providers. Making information available is likely an early step toward what price transparency will ultimately look like, but making that information easy to find, understand and act on is what consumers value – and what many providers and payers say they want to provide in a more customized, less one-size-fits-all application. A marketing strategy for price transparency As patients bear more responsibility for healthcare costs, they’ve come to expect a consumer experience that affords them greater control and choice. A Pioneer Institute study found that 70% of healthcare consumers want to see pricing information before undergoing a medical procedure. Actively communicating a commitment to price transparency can be a powerful marketing strategy to attract and retain loyal consumers. Not surprisingly, this messaging resonates more with user-friendly tools to guide patients through their financial journey and make sense of charges. Many providers believe they’re complying with the final rule but may actually be vulnerable to penalties because their pricing files are in user-unfriendly formats. A web-based pricing tool can help solve for this by offering patients accurate estimates and recommended payment plans before or at the point of service. Similarly, a text-to-mobile tool, such as Patient Financial Advisor, can send automated text messages to patients with personalized estimates and bills. Keeping an eye on healthcare price transparency More tools are now available to help patients make sense of their billing and it’s becoming easier for providers and payers to create a patient financial experience that’s supportive from the start. Not only will this help patients understand their cost of care (and with that understanding likely comes better collections performance), it’ll help reduce the risk of uncompensated care ¬– and avoid penalties as the final rule takes root. The Biden Administration’s focus on consumer-friendly healthcare services will likely keep price transparency at the forefront. What that looks like over the next few years depends on regulatory and market forces, but providers and payers alike will benefit from offering solutions that make sense for their organizations and patient populations. Find out how Experian Health’s price transparency tools could help your organization with the transition.

Will handshakes become a thing of the past? Will face masks become a regular feature of flu season? Will home-working remain popular, even after workplaces re-open? COVID-19 forced some abrupt behavior changes that challenged existing cultural norms, but as the pandemic subsides, how many of these adaptations will survive?   For healthcare executives, the return to on-site medical visits raises similar questions. Healthcare consumers were already expressing an appetite for more convenience and control, and the pandemic accelerated the use of digital solutions for everything from patient access to telehealth. Being able to book appointments, complete pre-registration forms and make payments online is the new baseline.   As patient volumes start to increase, hospitals and physician groups shouldn’t take their foot off the gas with digitalization, particularly in patient intake, which doesn’t have to involve in-person contact. There’s an opportunity now to learn from what’s worked well over the last year and cement the pandemic’s digital legacy.   What does the new normal look like in patient intake? Getting back to basics with convenience and compassion Once crisis mode has passed, providers can refocus their efforts on the building blocks of an optimal health service: high quality care and a convenient and compassionate patient experience. After the uncertainty and loss of control over the last year, patients want autonomy and choice. Initiating a smooth patient journey through online pre-registration, patient portals, virtual waiting rooms and digital scheduling can contribute to this.   Many will be happy to say goodbye to piles of paper forms and long waits in the waiting room. But any digital strategy must also support those with limited access to devices and broadband or limited digital literacy. Liz Serie, Director of Product Management at Experian Health, says:   “The goal is to give patients the same exceptional experience and care, regardless of when or how they complete patient intake. Using the same tools that we know our patients are already comfortable with will help to ensure an inclusive approach.”   Digital technology can support a multichannel approach, for example, using automated dialers to make phone calls where mobile apps aren’t an option, or using patient data to segment individuals according to contact preferences. Re-engaging hesitant patients The CDC reported in September 2020 that around 40% of adults delayed care due to the pandemic. While more recent data suggests fewer patients are deferring care, some experts worry that patient volumes won’t return to normal until 2022. How can providers ease the return to care?   Online health portals were helpful in keeping people out of facilities during the pandemic – can they now serve a different purpose in reminding patients to come in for check-ups?   Patients will need clear information about what protocols to follow during patient intake and what to expect from virtual waiting rooms, as well as reassurance that the experience will be safe. Streamlining patient access with accurate data Unlocking the digital front door made logistical sense during the pandemic. It’s even more critical as patient volumes drive back up. Providers will want to review their protocols to be sure that speedy implementation has not left that door open to costly data errors. Is the right information being collected at the right time?   Consumers are looking for flexible and accurate appointment slots for self-scheduling, and they want their financial ducks in a row as soon as possible with quick authorizations and coverage checks. Getting data right first time makes for a smoother patient experience, more efficient staff workflows and fewer claim denials down the line. Preparing for an uncertain future Looking ahead, patient intake protocols will need to be flexible enough to adapt to changing patient needs, particularly if there are further waves of the pandemic. Digital solutions can help providers prepare for the unexpected and shift from a reactive response in a crisis to a proactive step towards the future.   For many providers, future-proofing the patient intake experience is also an important remedy to the financial losses suffered during the pandemic. Digital solutions built on accurate data, consumer needs, accessible information can protect against further revenue loss by giving patients reliable ways to access and pay for care, no matter what the future holds.   Medicine is built on in-person care, but we don’t need to be face-to-face to fill out forms. Patient intake is one area where “the old way” doesn’t have to return. Find out more about how your organization can build on the pandemic’s digital legacy and create a leading patient intake experience.

  More than 7 million households moved to a new county during the pandemic. Huge numbers of Americans deciding to escape busy urban centers is one unexpected side-effect of COVID-19 that’s hitting healthcare providers hard. According to a Pew Research Center study, more one in five relocated during the pandemic or know someone who did. More recent research suggests that just over half of Americans plan to move in 2021!   While fears around the risk of infection and the knock-on effect of rising unemployment prompted some to seek out quieter and more affordable areas early on in the pandemic, motivations for moving in 2021 are driven by new perspectives on what’s important in life. After a year of uncertainty, many are relocating in search of a better quality of life, remote working opportunities, or adventures someplace new.   High turnover calls for better local healthcare marketing  Whatever the reason, relocating brings significant upheaval: new jobs, new schools, a new community – and potentially a new healthcare provider. There’s a huge opportunity for providers who can make it easy for new residents to take “find a healthcare provider” off their relocation to-do lists.   As the “for sale” signs go up, the geography of healthcare use is changing. Some providers are seeing a dip in their consumer population, while others are gaining new consumers. Providers must think differently about attracting new patients to minimize the risk and impact of this high turnover. How do they find them and communicate in the most engaging way? Here, we look at how healthcare marketing strategies can help providers maintain a pipeline of new patients and inspire lasting loyalty in their existing consumer base.   Smart marketing when there’s a surge in new residents  Traditionally, providers looking to draw in new patients might rely on “new mover lists” and mailshots. But these lists don’t reveal much about who these new movers are and what they care about, which leads to generic, one-size-fits-all marketing messages. With the right data, providers can access more meaningful insights about these newcomers’ lifestyles, interests, incomes, and preferences, for a more sophisticated marketing strategy.   For example, one in ten people aged 18 to 29 are affected by pandemic-related house moves. As a healthcare provider in an area with a growing young population, it would make little sense to send mailshots that promote retirement health checks. A more relevant option might be an email or text with information about a new easy payment app or telehealth service. The more providers understand about potential new patients, the more they can customize their patient engagement strategy.   Mindy Pankoke, Senior Product Manager at Experian Health, says:   “The heavy movement patterns we expect this year mean providers must double down on acquisition strategies to maintain a healthy pipeline of new patients as consumers move into their service areas. If multiple health systems are trying to attract the same new patients, you need a clear message to differentiate your services. What’s going to resonate most? How do new patients want you to communicate with them? With the right data insights, you can reach them first with a tailored engagement experience and get the competitive edge.”   ConsumerView aids this by combining hundreds of millions of data points to reveal how patients spend their time, how they spend their money, and how they think. This includes demographic attributes, communication preferences, credit and financial information, plus insights on how individuals may be affected by the social determinants of health.  Using consumer insights to keep existing consumers happy   For regions that experience a net loss in patient numbers, retention marketing will be more important than ever. Patients have more choice now, and as providers compete to attract new members, existing patients may spot competitors’ healthcare ads and be tempted to switch too.   Consumer data powers retention in much the same way as acquisition, by allowing providers to segment patients to offer personalized communications and point them towards relevant services. For example, new research shows that patient loyalty in pediatrics tends to hinge on quality, while choice of adult care is driven by convenience. Segmenting people with young children from those without means you can focus your messaging on what matters most to them. With a supportive patient experience already available to them, those consumers will have no reason to look elsewhere.   Providers shouldn’t rule out marketing to existing patients who have moved. Though they may be in a new area, they can still access services via telehealth. Since convenience is a key motivator, reminding them of remote and virtual offerings could be a great way to retain their business. Focusing on a specific niche not widely available elsewhere is another strategy to retain clients even as they relocate.   ConsumerView is one way to leverage consumer insights to improve the customer experience through targeted outreach, regardless of location. This specialty list of consumer data from a trusted original source compiler draws together everything providers need to attract and retain patients and offer a personalized patient experience as communities adjust to life beyond COVID-19.   Contact us to find out how consumer data could help your organization market to new and existing residents more effectively in 2021.

Knowing that clinical care accounts for only a portion of health outcomes, understanding how patients are affected by social determinants of health (SDOH) continues to gain attention as a critical factor in care delivery. COVID-19 has thrust the issue even further into the spotlight, with socially and economically vulnerable groups hardest hit by the pandemic. At the same time, the expansion of telehealth services over the last year has benefited some marginalized groups, who may feel uncomfortable visiting health facilities or may, for example, sometimes face challenges finding transportation to and from their visits. What’s clear is that when it comes to mitigating the impact of COVID-19’s lingering effects, patient identities based on clinical data alone simply won’t cut it. Providers need a holistic view of patients – both clinical and non-clinical.   Many providers do not have updated contact information for the patients they want to engage, in addition to missing patient-level insights such as housing, food, access to technology, transportation and financial stability data that could help better engage patients. Given the many complicated personal and structural barriers that may exist to accessing healthcare, providers lacking SDOH data in patients’ records are risking avoidable readmissions, unnecessary ED visits, poor care quality ratings and denied reimbursements.   Understanding patient needs and preferences via lifestyle factors – like occupation and technological knowledge – helps providers improve engagement, outreach and access. The results can be game-changing.   The benefits of an enriched, more robust patient record with SDOH Improved certainty of patient needs to achieve healthy outcomes Whether it’s missed appointments, lack of engagement, deferred treatment, or failure to comply with care instructions – if SDOH is the cause, providers need to know.  An enriched patient record that includes clearly defined SDOH risks and insights to those risks is invaluable.   For example, if a patient record includes recommended engagement strategies suggesting medication delivery, or ensuring medications are with the patient at discharge, due to the patient’s difficulty accessing a pharmacy, negative outcome risk is reduced. Significant provider blind spots that might otherwise interfere with desired health outcomes can be eliminated or extensively mitigated with access to this kind of data.   Consumer data gives additional insight useful in risk stratification efforts, allowing care teams to get granular and proactive if, for example, a patient’s lifestyle makes office-hour calls impossible, or if a lack of transportation requires the patient be informed that telehealth is available. Additionally, the data can flag if the patient prefers reminders by text, voice message or email. These considerations make a difference; 80-90% of modifiable contributors to healthy outcomes for a population are regularly attributed to the social, economic and environmental factors that comprise SDOH.   Connecting the dots can improve care coordination SDOH data doesn’t just help flag general access issues; it can also help providers dig into specific challenges that may warrant referrals to community programs or additional staffing support. SDOH data may lead to the discovery that a patient is struggling to access healthy, affordable food and prompt a conversation about getting referred to an in-network nutritionist or local food partnership.   Patient-specific information can be merged with consumer databases covering a range of socio-economic data, initiating proactive conversations with patients that can solve non-clinical gaps in care.   Clarity of the “why” behind patient insights, for better communication and engagement Someone experiencing financial instability as a result of pandemic-related unemployment will expect a different financial conversation than someone who has lived in poverty for their whole life. Further, two patients with high readmission risk can have completely different social determinants of health impacting that risk.  Knowing that patients are affected by SDOH is only one piece of the puzzle. Understanding the bigger picture helps create a whole picture and enables personalized, sensitive, and helpful communication.   A turn-key SDOH solution that helps define the “why” behind the score avoids analysis paralysis and enables a quick, effective engagement strategy based on what really matters to patients. Supplementing patient surveys with consumer data is also important, as it provides deeper insights and recommendations for engagement strategies.   Of course, a connected system only works when the patient identity is accurate and tracks them from service to service. With a universal identity manager, you can have confidence that your teams are all working from a complete, current and insights-rich view of each patient.   Find out more about how Experian Health can help your organization make sense of SDOH data for better patient identity management and a more personalized patient experience.  

Thanks to the global pandemic, providers were forced to re-imagine how healthcare is delivered beyond the four walls of a physical care setting. As they closed their doors to non-emergency and elective care, a massive shift in innovation, acceleration and adoption of patient engagement technology occurred, serving as a much-needed catalyst for digital transformation.     As industries like retail, banking, food, and airlines embrace digital experiences, healthcare should be no exception. The renewed focus on a digital front door strategy allows patients the flexibility, personalization and convenience they’ve grown accustomed to. It’s the beginning of a new age in healthcare where quality patient information is fundamental to delivering and exceeding patient expectations.   The New Age of Patient Information Patient identity is the backbone of everything in healthcare, providing the fuel for healthcare consumerization and the keys to the digital front door. As organizations focus on improving the patient experience, enabling patient access, and measuring and reporting performance, a patient identity strategy is core to enabling these enterprise-wide initiatives.   As patients seek care across multiple settings, both in-person and virtual, care coordination challenges increase without a single view of the same patient. Enter patient identification—paramount to ensuring patients receive safe, accurate, and personalized care. According to one estimate, matching within facilities can be as low as 80% — meaning that 1 out of every 5 patients may not be matched to all his or her records when seeking care at a location they’ve already received care from in the past.   The vision of an integrated, interoperable healthcare ecosystem starts with consistently and correctly linking disparate clinical and non-clinical data across silos to generate the single best, most accurate patient record. Having and maintaining a single, accurate view of the patient — the “golden record” — is critical to close gaps in care at the individual level, address patient safety concerns and revenue leakage associated with incorrect patient matching.   The vision of an integrated, interoperable healthcare ecosystem starts with consistently and correctly linking disparate clinical and non-clinical data to a single person. In AHIMA’s 2020 Patient Identification Survey, 22% of respondents reported they achieved a 1% or less duplicate error rate in their electronic health record (EHR). How does an organization successfully get there? It starts with resolution, enrichment and protection — the three pillars of identity management that are foundational to achieve the most accurate, comprehensive and secure view of today’s healthcare consumer.   Resolution – Confidently identify and match patient records & ensure accurate patient demographic data Enrichment – Update and enhance patient information for the most current, accurate, holistic patient view Protection – Authenticate a patient identity before sharing sensitive information     Enabling Digital Transformation Patient identity management can prevent medical identity theft, optimize the revenue cycle, reduce denied claims, prevent duplicate record creation and enhance patient safety – leading to improved financials and boosting bottom lines in the process. In today’s vastly connected world, consumers expect a seamless patient experience based on accurate and secure data. If other industries have long accomplished this undertaking, why not healthcare? In the New Age of Patient Information — a single, best patient view is required. Download our latest guide to understand where your organization stands within the three pillars of patient identity management and how to develop a roadmap for ensuring you have the most accurate, comprehensive and secure view of today’s healthcare consumer.  

Collections were tough even before COVID-19 hit. Provider’s bottom lines were already strained, and the high-deductible trend continued, putting patients on the hook for a bigger chunk of their medical bills.   A highly volatile – but improving – employment environment hasn’t helped, and some patients’ ability to pay hasn’t kept pace with their growing financial responsibilities. Many have new health plans, lapsed coverage or are more focused on other debts, making collections even less predictable. Providers may also feel that payer policy changes haven’t made recouping lost pandemic revenue any easier, with some losing two whole business days per week to completing prior authorizations. It’s no wonder that nearly one in five providers have overhauled their patient collections strategy in the last year.   Now, after a year of the pandemic’s impact on revenue, three dominant trends continue in this space: rising patient balances, an accelerated move toward innovative payment experiences that are moving toward digital engagement as a preferred option to paper or “payment at the counter,” and a realization that compassion is a key factor in solving this challenge.   Avoiding new pitfalls in patient collections   Go-to strategies for improving patient collections before the pandemic might have only included offering more patient payment options, doing more to check for missing coverage, or focusing efforts on patients who are most likely to pay. These are sensible options but, if implemented poorly, they’re more of a band-aid than a cure. Some shortcomings include:   Models relying on historical payment data don’t show the full picture Providers know that focusing their collections efforts on patients who are most likely to pay is the most efficient approach. But determining a patient’s ability to pay on historical payment data alone is likely to be unreliable.   Experian Health’s research suggests that when a collections model relies on historical data alone, around 50% of accounts end up being worked on the basis of no data at all. New accounts are assigned to a “highly likely to pay” segment, whether or not that reflects the reality of their situation. This model costs four times more than utilizing Experian Health’s Collections Optimization Manager, which can predict the ability of patients to pay, even without historical payment, by using multiple data sources.   Collections based on limited data will require more resources to work more accounts, but which ultimately will collect the same as collections based on multiple data sources.   Beware of artificial claims about artificial intelligence To streamline workflows and avoid losing staff hours to inefficient processes, many providers are turning to automated patient collection solutions. Artificial intelligence in healthcare is an exciting prospect, but not all solutions are what they seem.   Matt Baltzer, Product Director at Experian Health, says:   “Many collections tools claim to use artificial intelligence when they’re really using basic automations based on incomplete data. Since the quality of the output is only as good as the data that’s put in, the insights generated by these tools will be severely limited.”   To solve the collections workflow challenge, providers need an end-to-end strategy that integrates multiple high quality data sources, intelligent analytics and a responsive platform that learns and adapts in order to prioritize patients and communicate with them in a way that makes collections easier. Cash payments and price transparency can be part of, but not all of, the solution One way to smooth out a bumpy revenue cycle is to offer discounts to patients who pay in cash. It saves on admin costs and guarantees at least some of the bill will be paid. While this makes sense for minor ailments, admin and treatment costs for chronic conditions and major medical events remain persistently high. A resilient collections strategy needs to work across the board, addressing the many treatments, procedures and care plans that providers deliver and manage every day.   Requirements for improved collections, post-COVID-19 The cohesive, integrated model that providers need has the following key elements:   Multi-data sources for comprehensive analysis Optimal collections modeling uses different sources of data to build a more reliable prediction about a patient’s ability to pay. Combining credit data, behavioral modeling and socio-economic insights can help providers better understand their patients’ financial situation and group them accordingly – quickly and accurately.   Convenience and clarity for patients and staff Automated workflows with easy-to-use interfaces will make collections easier for staff, and eliminate time-wasting manual tasks. At the same time, a smoother, more targeted collections process means staff can engage with patients on the basis of accurate information, with fewer (and less stressful) calls and emails.   Advanced data analytics and automation for fewer errors and denials In-depth data analytics allow providers to screen and segment patients quickly to help prioritize accounts by payment probability, to achieve a higher rate of collections. A tool such as Collections Optimization Manager will evaluate collection performance in real-time, to help providers forecast patient payments and avoid bad debt. Expert consultancy support to stay on top of industry trends With the payments landscape in constant flux, having an expert on hand to help navigate the changes and advise on industry trends is a major asset. Experian Health’s team stands ready to help providers monitor and improve collections with industry insights and best practice strategies.   Find out how Collections Optimization Manger can help your organization avoid patient collections pitfalls and reduce lost revenue in the wake of the pandemic.