First Pst after migration to Cloud in Health care Blog

“We serve our patients well when we can spend time explaining their bills, what’s been covered by their insurer and what payment options they have, so they feel confident in what is owed and why.” Terri Meier, CHFP, CSMC, CSBI, CRCR, System Director of Patient Revenue Cycle at University of California San Diego Health (UCSDH) Challenge University of California San Diego Health (UCSDH) is one of the top health systems in the United States, ranked number one in San Diego by US News and World Report. With more than 9,000 employees, it generates over $2 billion in net patient revenue each year. Patient collections are managed by the Shared Business Office (SBO), which handles all queries about billing, financial assistance and payment plans. Providing a best-in-class financial experience for patients is the SBO’s top priority. The team implemented a three-part strategy to improve the patient billing experience and increase collections, focusing on people, processes and technology. They saw opportunities to use automation to support this. Solution The SBO implemented Experian Health’s Collections Optimization Manager to improve collections and deliver an outstanding patient experience. Using in-depth data and advanced analytics, this tool scores and segments patients according to their propensity to pay and automates the presumptive charity process, so patient accounts are handled efficiently. This helps UCSDH reduce the cost to collect by maximizing staff and agency resources. To further reduce the risk of bad debt, the SBO uses Coverage Discovery® to find billable commercial and government coverage that was previously forgotten or unknown. Listen in as Terri Meier, CHFP, CSMC, CSBI, CRCR, System Director of Patient Revenue Cycle at UC San Diego Health, discusses how their organization used automation to optimize patient collections and improve the patient experience. Outcome Between 2019-20 and 2020-21, UCSDH increased collections from around $6 million to over $21 million with Collections Optimization Manager. UCSDH also used segmentation data to improve outbound call campaigns. The team was able to create automated messages that can be sent to specific segments, so patients get the right information at the right time. By sending during time periods when patients were most likely to respond to calls, they were able to increase their collections rate. The screening feature also identified patient accounts that were eligible for Medicaid or charity support, deceased or bankrupt, and placed them in the correct work queue. The SBO leveraged Return Mail to run checks against patient addresses, to ensure that statements and refund checks were sent to the right place. Accounts with non-verified addresses were allocated to an auto-dialer for automated outreach. This helped reduce the manual labor required to find patient addresses, reduce bad debt and realize improved collections rates. By leveraging these tools, UCSDH has achieved: Increased collections from $6 million in 2019-2020 to $21 million in 2020-2021, a 250% increase Autodialer outcomes 2020-2022: 2,818 connects on return mail accounts 8% collections rate Return mail updates 2020-2022: 10,630 new and improved addresses found 55% hit rate Screening outcomes: 1,700+ deceased patient accounts identified between 2020-2022 2,700+ patient accounts associated with bankruptcy identified between 2020-2022 And thanks to Coverage Discovery, UCSDH has tracked down active insurance coverage amounting to more than $5 million in 2021. More than $4 million in coverage was found for patients under the California Medical Assistance Program. Had this coverage been missed, these amounts would have been written off as bad debt. Finding missing coverage outcomes:  $5M+ value of coverage found in 2021 19% hit rate in 2021-2022 (4% increase from the previous year) $4M+ value of Medi-Cal coverage found in 2021 9% hit rate in 2021-2022 for Medi-Cal scrubs Discover how Collections Optimization Manager and Coverage Discovery can help healthcare providers improve the patient billing experience while accelerating collections and reducing bad debt.

Healthcare has witnessed significant shifts over the last few years, driven by a combination of economic turbulence, legislative change, technological advances, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to contactless and remote care, it’s much easier for patients to speak to their doctor and manage their healthcare journey from any location. Personalized medicine and wearables are providing insights and recommendations tailored to every individual. Chatbots and AI are enabling fast and efficient interactions between patients and providers. All of these innovations have a common purpose – to improve the patient experience. The other feature these innovations have in common is that they’re all driven by digitalization. Digital technology has reshaped the way healthcare is delivered. Providers have more tools at their fingertips to create a great patient experience. Those that leverage digital technology will see a rise in patient acquisition and retention, better health outcomes, and increased profitability. This article suggests 3 strategies to help build a better patient experience – and one thing to stop – to improve patient satisfaction and secure a competitive edge in 2023. One practice that must change to improve the patient experience A 2022 report by Experian Health and PYMNTS analyzed responses from more than 2000 patients that revealed some common frictions in the patient journey. The results showed that patients are enthusiastic about digital technology but often can’t access the tools they’d like to see. Patients are frustrated by poor communications, clunky, opaque billing processes, and a lack of digital options (such as patient portals). There’s a clear message: outdated technology and manual processes are hurting the patient experience. If there’s one thing to stop in 2023, it’s reducing reliance on antiquated systems and technology. Opening the digital front door with automation, advanced data analytics, AI and self-service tools can offer patients reliable, personalized, anytime-anywhere access to the care they desire. 3 ways to leverage digital tools to build a better patient experience 1. Give patients control with on-demand patient access Patients are no longer passive participants in their healthcare experience; they're thinking and acting like consumers. They’re choosing providers that give them choice, convenience, and above all, control. This should start with their first interaction with the provider: appointment scheduling. In Experian Health’s State of Patient Access 2.0 survey, almost 80% of patients said they preferred to schedule their own appointments at any time and from any device. Sanju Pratap, Vice President, Product Management at Experian Health, says, “when patients have to wait for the office to open or negotiate with a call-center representative to make an appointment, scheduling feels like a hassle. For patients who are accustomed to online scheduling in other areas of their lives, lack of access could be a reason to look elsewhere for care.” But the digital front door doesn’t close when the appointment is booked. Patients will be frustrated if a great online self-scheduling experience is followed by a stack of paper registration forms to be filled out in the waiting room. Experian Health’s suite of patient access solutions offers patients a consistent and frictionless experience that includes online self-scheduling, mobile-enabled registration, automated price estimates and payment management. 2. Provide financial clarity and support with patient-friendly billing Many of the most common complaints about the patient experience involve payments and billing. Patients want clarity and will switch providers to get it. For that reason, one of Experian Health’s “predictions for 2023” is that patients will increasingly choose providers that offer a user-friendly financial experience. Healthcare providers can improve the patient experience by making it easier to navigate the payments side. This includes: Providing upfront Patient Payment Estimates so patients can predict and plan for their financial responsibility Locating patients’ missing insurance coverage (and reducing the risk of uncompensated care) with Coverage Discovery Using data to determine the right financial pathway for each patient and deliver personalized payment plans to take the stress out of healthcare billing Offering a variety of patient-centered payment options like contactless payments, mobile wallets and online portal 3. Personalize communications with targeted outreach Delivering a quality patient experience requires more than just offering good medical care – effective communication is key. For providers, it's essential to provide clear and personalized communication that speaks directly to the individual patient. Mass-marketing emails may appear more efficient but are often ineffective in conveying key information or fostering a sense of connection with healthcare providers. This leaves room for gaps in care, as well as confusion among patients. Targeted patient outreach can ensure patients get the right message at the right time, through their preferred communications channel. With the right combination of data and digital tools, providers can make sure their patients feel heard and understood throughout their patient journey. Bridging the digital divide Not everything can or should be automated. Patients still want face-to-face interactions. Automation and AI should be used to manage repetitive, process-driven tasks, so staff are free to support patients with more complex needs. To leverage the full potential of these digital tools, providers must understand how to use them to create a connected patient experience that flows seamlessly between face-to-face and digital domains, from scheduling appointments to paying for care. Find out how Experian Health is helping healthcare providers improve the patient experience in 2023.

Experian Health is very pleased to announce that it ranked #1 in Best in KLAS, Software and Professional Services, for two segments:  #1 in Claims Management and Clearinghouse, for our ClaimSource® claims management system  #1 in Revenue Cycle, Contract Management, for our Contract Manager and Contract Analysis product.   According to KLAS CEO Adam Gale, “The 2023 Best in KLAS report highlights the top-performing healthcare IT solutions as determined by extensive evaluations and conversations with thousands of healthcare providers. These distinguished winners have demonstrated exceptional dedication to improving and innovating the industry, and their efforts are recognized through their inclusion in this report. Congratulations to all the winning vendors for setting the bar for excellence in healthcare IT! KLAS continues to be committed to creating transparency and helping providers make informed decisions through our accurate, honest, and impartial reporting.”  Experian Health’s 2022 State of Claims survey reveals that 47% of providers said that improving clean claims rates was one of their top pain points, with 42% reporting that denials have increased in the past year. Read how Hattiesburg Clinic in Mississippi, which uses both Contract Manager and Analysis and ClaimSource, leverages ClaimSource to automate claims management and reduce denials. Learn more about how ClaimSource and Contract Manager and Contract Analysis can help your healthcare organization.