Don’t Make it Hard for your Patients to Pay

Many healthcare providers offer their patients a portal.? Portals have been around for many years and for access to information they are convenient and helpful. These portals, or a simple form on a provider website, will also allow online bill pay. Some providers reading this might say, that’s right, we allow patients to pay online, so we’re good. Box checked. The real question to ask is, Are patients actually using it to pay you? The even better question to ask is, Are MORE patients paying you FASTER as a result of this solution? Box unchecked.

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When it comes to making it as easy as possible for a patient to make a payment, providers should consider two key elements: (1) providing payment capabilities outside of a full patient portal and (2) communicating with patients electronically. The latter should seem obvious for cost savings (moving away from rising paper and postage fees) and meeting the patient/ guarantor where they want to be met...on their phone not in their mailbox.

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Let’s focus on #1 above. A patient portal requires a patient to “log in”, thus remember a username/password, and in some cases also requires a billing or statement number, address, email, phone, etc.? Some of the really antiquated online bill pay solutions require patients to make decisions on location, determine if they visited an “acute” or “ambulatory” provider, or even present them with over ten fields to fill out in a form. Most people, especially an aging population, don’t want to remember credentials, fill out a form on a website, simply to access their account where they must navigate to find what they are looking for. And that is if they can even find how to pay you. Insider tip…put the PAY YOUR BILL button where no one can miss it. Don’t bury it in the Patients and Visitors section of your website. That is, unless, you’re trying to make it hard for them to pay you.

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The consumer expectation is that transactions should be quick and easy.? Something like:

1.???? Receive a text message alerting or reminding me to an amount that is due

2.???? Click a link

3.???? Enter one piece of information securely validating I’m the guarantor

4.???? Easily review my bill including service details, insurance contributions, and prior co-pays

5.???? Make a payment (or even accept a payment plan)

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Take the payment capability out of the portal. Or, at least, have an option outside of the portal. Combine this with compliant electronic communications and simple access to the right information…and you will get paid more, faster. And if that’s happening, then you are finally providing the better patient/guarantor/consumer financial experience. Contact us if you want to learn how at [email protected].