Signs of progress
Because self-pay is such a hot topic for health care leaders, providers have concluded that they need to innovate in three areas:
• Making the patient obligation clear from the outset;
• setting up financial programs and mechanisms to collect payments manageably; and
• making these options available via simple, user-friendly self-service functions.



Various technologies are being put to work on these three fronts. These technologies include predictive analytics about the cost of care and individuals’ financial capacity, self-activation kiosks and services, and multi-channel account monitoring, among others.

One provider, AMITA Health, has launched a solution from OnPlan Health into its existing billing system in pursuit of OnPlan’s 65 percent self-service activation rate. According to OnPlan Health CEO John Talaga, patients are often willing to pay but are thwarted by confusing interfaces or plain embarrassment. “The two keys are to identify up front what a patient can afford and make it easy for them to self-activate a pre-approved payment arrangement, so consumers don’t have to call someone if that makes them uncomfortable.” An ability to closely monitor the payment plan chosen by the patient and to automatically add new services can help increase patient pay and prevent expensive placements to collections.

Down the road
Consumer-centric systems like OnPlan’s can be incorporated into existing operations without disruption to guide the payment plan negotiation automatically, redirecting staff time to patient care or customer service. This is the type of game-changer that health systems need to be adding to their collection strategies. More broadly, a shift to “smart” payment plans should help patients themselves adapt to the new realities of high-deductible health care.

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