Slowly but surely, hospitals and health systems have begun opening their doors for elective, essential surgeries that had been shuttered by COVID-19 care priority. Understandably, patients have been reluctant to return, driven partly by safety concerns as well as new concerns about their out-of-pocket costs. The question then is: If you open the doors, what […]
By Laurie Heavey, VP Marketing March 23, 2020, marks 10 years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. Public opinion still is divided about the ACA’s results toward true healthcare reform. In fact, during the past decade, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has conducted 102 public opinion polls that show many views […]
By Bruce Haupt, President & CEO The new decade is here. In 2020, we can expect healthcare pricing and affordability to take center stage as the presidential race kicks into gear. With the focus on affordable healthcare, we have an opportunity to help people who are most vulnerable manage to pay for the healthcare they […]
By Laurie Heavey, VP Strategic Marketing We all know that patients carry more of the payment burden for their medical care. And with so much negative publicity about sending patients to bad debt collections, health systems need to manage a delicate balance between collecting what they’re rightfully owed and giving patients reasonable payment options. The […]
By Laurie Heavey, VP Strategic Marketing Spurred by the need to treat the patient as a payer, along with continued calls for price transparency, more health systems are having the financial conversation earlier in the patient care process. Today, the patient financial journey begins with pre-service scheduling. During pre-service conversations, patients typically want an estimate […]
By Christian Coburn, Director, ClearBalance Patient Experience Center When it comes to healthcare, consumers want and expect to be informed of options to pay their out-of-pocket costs. According to the ClearBalance® 2018 Healthcare Consumerism study, consumer loyalty is influenced by how early and how often you communicate with patients about their estimated out-of-pocket costs, their […]
Here’s something to add to your retirement bucket list: healthcare. A recent Kiplinger poll indicates that healthcare costs top the list of Americans’ concerns when planning for retirement. Medical care ranks among the top three categories people expect to spend more on in retirement, along with travel and visiting family. In a related report, Fidelity […]
In today’s society, health systems must serve twin goals for the community: fulfilling fundamental care needs while also driving visionary requirements for the community at large. In fact, health system leaders often participate and even spearhead strategic partnerships with local commercial and civic organizations to create the conditions for citizens to be as healthy as […]
We know last year was a tremendous year for mergers and acquisitions in healthcare. One study by Kaufman Hall found that the number of mergers increased by 13% in 2017 compared to 2016, with twice as many “big-ticket” mergers last year. Many claim these mergers are good for the industry, particularly in terms of cost-savings. […]
Most Americans, even those with insurance, struggle with their cost of care. It’s an unexpected expense. When we refer to patient pay, we’re no longer talking about those without insurance, but those who have insurance and still bear a significant cost of their care. When 81 percent of single workers have an average deductible of […]