It’s no secret that paying for health care services is a common pain point for consumers. Improving that experience is a key initiative for Texas Health Resources.
“Most consumers want to pay their medical bills,” said David Salsberry, Texas Health senior vice president and chief revenue officer (pictured below). “They just want to have an accurate idea of what they’ll have to pay, as well as options and flexibility for payments that fit their financial situation.”
In other words, they’d like their health care financial experience to be similar to making purchases in other industries, such as buying a TV, clothes or kitchen appliances — more transparent, with no surprises at the end.
Texas Health is making medical bill payments more convenient and understandable with an online portal that enables consumers to know what they owe, consolidate their bills and choose how they pay. The online portal, Texas Health Pay My Bill, is gaining popularity with consumers who benefit from its features such as a chat capability, Spanish language translation and electronic access to insurers’ Explanations of Benefit.
“Texas Health Pay My Bill lets patients take control of their financial experience by managing their payments in one central location,” David said. “Bill paying becomes much easier when you’re not dealing with a bunch of statements on the kitchen table.”
More than 4,000 consumers have registered for the portal since it launched in January. Of these consumers, more than 1,500 have chosen payment plans that fit their needs. With more than $3.9 million in payments made on the portal, it’s clear that consumers have embraced this new service that provides both convenience and flexibility, according to David.
“Texas Health is well ahead of most health care organizations in working to remove barriers and improve the consumer financial experience, which can directly influence the overall care experience,” David said.
o make the financial experience even better, David’s team is using advanced analytics to help better understand our patients’ payment preferences and capabilities while also focusing on improving the accuracy of pre-service estimates of the cost of services for patients.
“It’s a win-win for the consumer and Texas Health when our bills are in line with the consumer’s expectations,” David said.
Texas Health Pay My Bill can only be accessed for patients at hospitals that have implemented CareConnect One. All wholly owned hospitals will be live on CareConnect One by the end of 2019.
Go to the Texas Health Pay My Bill website to learn more.
By Andy Wilson • Posted July 9, 2019
