Join us for a live webinar! Is your undeliverable mail taking up half of the conference room or maybe the entire square footage of an empty office? Would you describe the amount as 'mountainous' or 'colossal'?
You and your organization are not alone. Provider offices, health systems and businesses of all kinds share in the struggle of finding the correct addresses for mailing patient statements. It seems mailed statements are like boomerangs, coming right back to the places they started from and leaving teams like yours with the daunting task of rectifying the address errors in an attempt to collect.
In this session, Jason Bailey with Holland Hospital will share strategies providers can use to streamline return mail management and even eliminate 100% of return mail handling by routing undeliverable mail to Emdeon’s processing facility.
Speakers:
Jason Bailey
Collections and Customer Service Coordinator
Patient Financial Services
Holland Hospital
Trish Darcy
Product Manager
Emdeon
After This Webinar You Will Learn About:
• Strategies for preventing undeliverable mail
• Automated alternatives to a hands-on, piece-by-piece approach
• The hidden impact of undeliverable mail on your A/R days
Strategies to Conquer Returned Mail Issues to Gain Real ROI
April 9, 2013
12:00-1:00pm CDT
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Webinar: Strategies to Conquer Returned Mail Issues to Gain Real ROI
Webinar: Streamline Eligibility to Offset Reduced Disproportionate Share Hospital Program Payments
Join us for a live webinar! To subsidize the cost of care provided to uninsured patients, many charitable and safety-net hospitals receive funds through Medicaid and Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) programs. According to the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Medicaid could see up to 15 million new enrollees by 20191 due to changes in eligibility guidelines outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since the number of uninsured and underinsured will fall dramatically beginning in 2014, the PPACA will likely decrease the amount of DSH payments distributed2. With this influx of newly eligible patients who will qualify, but who are not automatically enrolled in the program, hospitals need to streamline their eligibility and enrollment processes in order to secure payments for reimbursable care and balance possible reductions in DSH payments.
In this session, Northwestern Memorial Hospital will share strategies providers can use to streamline eligibility and enrollment at their organization to maximize revenue.
Speakers:
Cathleen Gebo
Director, Patient Accounting
Slidell Memorial Hospital
Amy Doyle
District Manager of Operations
Chamberlin Edmonds, an Emdeon company
After This Webinar You’ll Be Able to:
• Identify the myriad of changes to Medicaid eligibility guidelines.
• Estimate the number of patients in your community who will be newly eligible for Medicaid
• Identify where your state currently stands since each state's decision to participate is determined by federal and state leadership
Streamline Eligibility to Offset Reduced Disproportionate Share Hospital Program Payments
April 24, 2013
2:00-3:00pm CDT
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Webinar: Building a Strategic and Collaborative Team to Optimize Medicaid & Disability Eligibility and Enrollment
Join us for a live webinar! This program will explore resources available to help proactive and forward-thinking hospitals address the reimbursement risk associated with their uninsured patient population. By optimizing processes and leveraging technology enabled professional services to discover funding sources through federal, state and community benefit programs, providers can become advocates for the uninsured in their communities. Provider organizations should also develop a strategic plan before implementing new processes that ensures that clinical, administrative and outsourced staff are encouraged to work together to share and reapply best practices and identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor long-term success.
In this session, Sky Lakes Medical Center will share their experiences and strategies for optimizing eligibility verification and enrollment for qualified patients to improve the providers’ bottom line.
Speakers:
Kara Kaefring
Director of Patient Access
Sky Lakes Medical Center
Ezra Segura
Regional Vice President of Operations
Chamberlin Edmonds, an Emdeon company
After This Webinar You’ll Be Able to:
• Build a collaborative team designed to share and reapply eligibility and enrollment best practices
• Describe why most patients who are qualified for government and charity care won’t ever apply without your help cutting through the red-tape
• Discuss how to put staff and workflow processes in place to assist indigent patients in qualifying for public assistance programs
Building a Strategic and Collaborative Team to Optimize Medicaid & Disability Eligibility and Enrollment
March 27, 2013
12:00-1:00pm CDT
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Get Ready to Take the Wheel
EFT Mandates: What You Need to Know When You’re In Control
We may only be in the early months of 2013, but it’s not too soon to set your sights on January 1, 2014. That’s the day you take the wheel, driving the decision on how you receive payments from payers: electronically or by check. By the appointed date, payers must be in compliance with the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) standardized guidelines for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) enrollment and transmitting transactions, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
As part of the coming standards, payers will not only have to pay by EFT if requested by providers, but they must also offer electronic EFT enrollment. They must also comply by using Corporate Credit or Deposit Entry (CCD) with Addenda Record (CCD+Addenda) as the standard data transmission format to originate an EFT for healthcare payments through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. Importantly for you, the Addenda Record must include a Trace Reassociation Number (TRN), so you can match Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) and EFT files together. These measures will help you reconcile these payments within your accounting systems.
The intention behind these new standards is to simplify the healthcare system by improving efficiencies for providers, payers and patients. Undoubtedly, you stand to benefit from the ability to demand payments by EFT via the ACH network. Direct deposits hold many advantages for you because they:
• Improve cash flow since electronic payments are virtually immediate eliminating the time you spend today waiting for checks to clear
• Minimize opportunity for error since the TRN will help link the ERA with the corresponding EFT payment
• Reduce workload by eliminating the labor involved with paper check processing
That’s all good news for organizations like yours that are constantly striving to improve collections.
Payers must comply by 1/1/14. The question is…will you be ready to be in the driver’s seat to demand payments electronically? While payers have more to contend with this in preparation for this deadline, your To Do list is relatively short. Nonetheless, you’ll be well served to be ready when 2014 comes around.
1. Make the decision now to go with EFT from your payers.
In determining your preference now, you have more time to anticipate the positive changes and benefits to come. Decide what account or accounts you will use for direct deposits so that you are ready when the time comes.
2. Express your preference for EFT to your payers now.
In communicating your request to receive direct deposits now, you will incent payers to move forward efficiently in adopting necessary changes. There may be some payers who achieve compliance in advance of the deadline, empowering you with EFT sooner than January of next year.
3. Enroll for and accept ACH payments.
If your organization is not already enrolled for ACH payments, take care of that immediately. Payers will be able to identify providers already enrolled and this will put you ahead of the curve by deadline.
4. Review workflows in preparation for elimination of paper check processing.
Once you are able to receive all payer payments by EFT, your staff’s time and energies can be diverted to other tasks. In addition to not processing paper checks, your team will benefit from the efficiency of the TRN that matches ERA and EFT. Review and plan ahead for how electronic payments will alter and improve your workflows and staffing.
5. Enroll with Emdeon ePayment
If you’re ready to start receiving payments electronically sooner than 2014, Emdeon ePayment can help you do just that. Since enrolling directly with each and every payer to get paid electronically can be a paperwork nightmare, Emdeon makes it easy. Just enroll ONCE, and get awesomely fast payments from the 88 Emdeon ePayment participating payers and automatically enjoy additional payers as we continually add more. Instead of receiving checks in the mail, you can get payments from participating payers directly deposited into your organization’s bank account. Visit us online to complete your enrollment today. Or give us a ring at 866.506.2830 with any questions you might have.
Article References:
HHS ADOPTS OPERATING RULES FOR ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFERS/REMITTANCE ADVICE
CMS Rule Seeks to Streamline EFT and Remittance
Administrative Simplification: Adoption of Operating Rules for Health Care Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT) and Remittance Advice Transactions
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-10/pdf/2012-132.pdf
(H. Applicability. 1. Covered Entities: Health Plans, Health Care Clearinghouses, and Health Care Providers)
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Return on Investment for Return Mail Management:
Invest Time, Resources to Conquer Returned Mail Issues to Gain Real ROI
So, where’s your stash...and how big is it?
You know what we’re talking about: that stash of returned mail that nobody on your staff has time to deal with. Is it taking up half of the conference room or maybe the entire square footage of an empty office? Would you describe the amount as ‘mountainous’ or ‘colossal’?
Don’t hang your head in shame thinking about how to answer those questions. You and your organization are not alone! Provider offices, health systems and businesses of all kinds share in the struggle of finding the correct addresses for mailing patient statements. It seems mailed statements are like boomerangs, coming right back to the places they started from and leaving teams like yours with the daunting task of rectifying the address errors in attempt to collect.
The reality is those stacks of mail aren’t just annoyances. They represent revenue that is going uncollected, affecting cash flow and the overall financial health of your organization. Rather than turn off the light and shut the door on your returned mail stash, it’s time to shed some light on ways to rein in the problem and start chipping away at the piles of returned statements burdening your business.
Here are some simple ways you can invest in return mail management.
Don’t trust; verify!
Yes, we know the saying actually is “trust but verify.” However, that approach won’t put a dent in that 116 cubic feet of return mail in the back office! You must ask patients for their mailing addresses and verify those addresses at every point of contact possible. During appointment scheduling, registration, discharge and at follow-up visits you should verify addresses whenever possible.
Fix the suffixes. Correct the directionals. Focus on the “four.”
Be sure that addresses include proper suffixes, such as Road, Lane or Street. Likewise, determine if the street address requires a directional notation, i.e. North, South, East or West. Never disregard apartment or unit numbers, and be sure of street names’ spelling. And what about those four extra digits on the zip code? Don’t ignore their value in ensuring your mail gets where it needs to go. All of these details can be the keys to avoiding your mail’s return trip, so don’t underestimate their importance.
Details to include for quality addresses:
• Pre-directional
• Primary address number
• Street name
• Street suffix
• Post-directional
• Secondary identifier
• Secondary number
• City
• State
• ZIP + 4® code
If unsure, don’t send.
It’s a safe bet that a fair percentage of your returned statements should have never been sent in the first place. If you can’t verify the accuracy or confirm essential details of addresses, it’s advisable to not mail out statements to those addresses at all. It costs time, money and labor to prepare, process, send and receive returned mail on top of the original mailing expenses.
If you need a little help with your undeliverable patient statements, consider using Emdeon Return Mail Manager at your facility. It expedites patient receivables cash flow by quickly identifying updated addresses and mailing corrected statements previously returned as undeliverable.
Using Emdeon Return Mail Manager, you can route undeliverable mail to Emdeon’s processing facility where returned statements are scanned and a subsequent, corrected statement is mailed if an updated address is identified. These automated tools are far more efficient and effective than a hands-on, piece-by-piece approach. And you can reclaim your conference room!
Feeling inspired to diminish that stash of returned mail? Discover more about Emdeon Return Mail Manager online or call us at 877.EMDEON.6 (877.363.3666).
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Emdeon Awarded Health and Human Services Contract to Define Process for Electronic Healthcare Transaction Standards
Emdeon, a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions, has been awarded a contract to define the processes and tools needed to move electronic healthcare transaction standards to a new version. Under the contract, Emdeon will develop and execute an analytical methodology for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to estimate the industry impact of moving to a new version of electronic transaction standards. The recommended process will be submitted prior to the standards development organization proposing adoption by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics.
The purpose of the project is to define the activities when new HIPAA and ACA transaction standards are adopted to avoid the implementation issues that have been associated with revised transaction standards in the recent past. According to CMS, the intent of the project is to greatly reduce the likelihood of technical issues going undetected until after the standards are adopted and to eliminate the negative impacts such technical issues would have on the healthcare industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Emdeon will analyze the functionality, usability, interoperability and business usage of a sample of draft versions of HIPAA standards for the following healthcare transactions: claims, claim status, claim payment/remittance advice, eligibility and referral authorizations, as well as any new standard that HHS may consider for adoption during the term of the project.
"We are pleased to work with HHS on such a high-visibility project and lend our industry experience to help avoid costly implementation interruptions that could potentially save the healthcare industry millions of dollars," said Debbi Meisner, vice president of regulatory strategy for Emdeon. "As the single largest clinical, financial and administrative health information exchange in the U.S. healthcare system, Emdeon's extensive experience will enable us to identify and correct potential technical issues during all phases of the transition to a new version of the transaction standards."
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An Industry Pro Advises: Outsource Patient Statements
Insights from a Long-time Emdeon ExpressBill Customer
“There’s no way you can compete with the quality and cost of a resource like this.”
That’s what Larry Mlynarcik has to say about Emdeon ExpressBill Services versus in-house management of patient statements.
And Mlynarcik should know. With 15+ years of experience with the Emdeon ExpressBill Services as well as 38 years as a medical billing expert, he has firsthand knowledge about what it takes to get patient statements mailed and revenue collected effectively and efficiently. Mlynarcik is President and Owner of Custom Data Services, Inc. (CDS), a company specializing in the management of medical billing for providers in all facets of patient care.
CDS sends 50 to 60 thousand patient statements each month on behalf of physician’s practices, hospitals and specialists, and in years past, before the rise of online delivery and payments, the company sent between 80 and 100 thousand statements monthly. Prior to discovering the turnkey automation of ExpressBill, Mlynarcik and his team handled all that mailing in-house, including the purchase and maintenance of massive equipment and supplies. The system was burdensome, time-consuming, labor intensive and expensive. In Mlynarcik’s words, “the associated costs were nuts.”
“So much spent on equipment and labor…,” he recalls.
Mlynarcik made the switch to the outsourced services of ExpressBill back in the mid-1990s and has never looked back at the old system or away from the solution that changed how he does business. The savings with ExpressBill was immediate and significant, assurance out of the gate that outsourcing was the right decision and the only way to go long term.
“I could not do this internally at the same costs. It eliminates the need for equipment, labor, paper costs…and processing time is shorter.”
After more than 15 years, Mlynarcik continues to be pleased with the advantages of Emdeon’s ExpressBill Services. He says that the service that wowed him more than a decade ago has only improved, incorporating technological advancements, new features such as the National Change of Address verification (NCOALink) and digital printing and improved statement design. And he’s so convinced, he has some clear advice for any organization still relying on its own devices for statement printing and mailing: “It’s foolish to do this in-house. If you’re doing it manually, you need to change.”
Based on Mlynarcik’s experience at CDS, here are three reasons you should heed his words and leave the statements to Emdeon.
1. Substantial cost savings.
Cutting the cost of equipment, supplies, maintenance and labor is bound to improve your bottom line dramatically. Over time, the savings served CDS very well, as the company didn’t have to staff for this kind of labor any more or allocate office space to house massive equipment and supplies. To this day, the efficiencies of outsourcing help CDS contain its costs while still serving clients seamlessly.
2. Improved collections.
Improved collections will come from a more effective, timely statement approach, and the dollar figures become even more compelling. By letting Emdeon, experts in statement creation and dissemination, hold the reins, you benefit from Emdeon’s resources and focused knowledge and know-how. Our solutions are designed to help you create more effective statements, help find the latest mailing addresses for recipients, send all mail promptly and trace updated address for returned mail if possible. All this is essential to collect payment from patients.
3. Improved customer satisfaction.
For CDS, clients are providers’ offices, so every statement sent is a representation of both CDS and those who’ve entrusted their billing to the company. Mlynarcik says that Emdeon always “shows us to be a professional company,” and he has the happy clients to prove it. Likewise, patients appreciate prompt, clear, well-designed statements received at proper addresses; it makes the collections process more simple for them and you. As the healthcare industry faces more and more patient payment responsibility, it’s essential that providers hone the methods by which they communicate and collect.
Mlynarcik concludes, “Explore what Emdeon can do if you’re experiencing customer service, technology or quality problems. They compete well in market with their pricing levels and will help you get started cost-effectively.”
Take an expert’s advice. Go hands-off with your statement processing. Contact Emdeon today to learn more about Emdeon ExpressBill Services.
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Three Indicators Your Patient Billing Portal Needs a Makeover
...And What You Can Do About It Today!
Technology within your organization’s business operations is only helpful if it simplifies processes for you, your staff and your patients. For example, our industry is rapidly adopting patient billing portals as a more convenient, easy option for transmitting payments and keeping patients apprised of the status of their accounts. It makes sense that web-based payments and account access is a useful technology for the business of healthcare; it’s a win-win for providers and patients alike.
Or is it?
When online patient payment technology is working like it should, there’s often no question of its helpfulness to an organization. But some providers’ patient billing portals aren’t living up to their fullest potential, leaving something to be desired when it comes to process simplification.
So how’s your solution performing for you and your patients? Here are three key indicators to help you determine if your patient billing portal—or your processes for using it—are in need of some changes.
1. It’s not being used
Many providers report that their patient billing portals received almost immediate use by patients, even without campaigns to promote their availability, because people today are so accustomed to online account management and making web-based payments. If your patients aren’t adopting your billing portal or aren’t coming back to use it after a first login, there’s likely a barrier (or two or three) in their way.
Look at your portal from a user’s point of view. Is it easily accessible through the home page of your main website? Does it carry the same branding and visual elements found on all other patient communications? Does it appear secure and offer statements assuring privacy and security? Is the login process intuitive and is it a breeze to retrieve forgotten login credentials? Is the graphical interface well designed and easy to use? If the answer is no to any of these questions, it’s time to consider changes...and fast.
2. Accounts are not updated automatically.
Perhaps the most important advantage of online payment portals is real-time account updates. This is beneficial for provider and patient, as both can access accounts 24/7 for current status information. If your portal is not immediately reflecting updates, it’s time to review your solution.
Are you required to send your solution provider post-payment information so that accounts may be updated? Again, technology is most helpful when it simplifies processes; if you’re required to take even one extra step to complete what should be an automatic, closed-loop transmittal, it’s time to review your solution.
3. It’s not user-friendly on smart phones or tablets.
Mobile accessibility is essential for any business in today’s marketplace—including healthcare. In the fourth quarter of 2012, smart phone shipments rose 36% to 219 million, and the tablet market grew 75.3% over the same period the previous year. In other words, it’s likely that your patients are using mobile devices to keep track of their accounts with your organization.
It’s imperative that your portal offer mobile detection so that it configures to fit the screen on which it’s being seen. If your portal’s interface is clunky, awkward and not suited for mobile’s touch screen interactions, you will miss countless opportunities to collect and deepen the satisfaction of those you’re seeking to serve, while also training portal users not to return to the site because it lacks functionality.
The best way to avoid these shortcomings in your patient billing portal is to partner with a company that has the technical expertise, healthcare-specific knowledge and implementation know-how to do it right. Emdeon Patient Pay Online is a tool designed with both provider and patient in mind.
Emdeon ensures that Emdeon Patient Pay Online integrates seamlessly with providers’ websites; from consistent branding to superior system interoperability, this solution hits all the marks. It’s patient friendly, effectively assures users of security and privacy, guiding them to make payments and track account status and helping them feel empowered regarding what they owe.
Importantly, Emdeon is well-versed in system integration so that accounts reflect updates as immediately as possible. Emdeon’s solution works with most major hospital software to aid in conveyance of the most current collections information across organizations’ platforms. Emdeon Patient Pay Online not only helps providers collect more revenue promptly, but it also helps them manage the revenue cycle, as well.
We’d be happy to help you audit your current solution to determine what’s best for you and your patients. Contact us today to learn more about Emdeon Patient Pay Online!
Article References:
Smartphone sales surged in fourth quarter, led by Samsung
Tablet Shipments Soar to Record Levels During Strong Holiday Quarter, According to IDC
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Leverage Check Reader Devices to Save Time and Improve Accuracy
Have you ever been in line at the grocery store, pleased with how well things are moving along, until the person ahead of you of pulled out their checkbook to pay? During moments like this, you can almost hear the sound effect of brakes screeching as you watch every stroke of the pen. Who still pays by check anymore?
Those of us in the business of healthcare are likely less incredulous when someone brings a checkbook to pay at the Point-of-Service (POS). While credit and debit cards are becoming more common forms of payment, some patients still rely heavily on writing checks when paying for medical services. Because check-loyal patients can represent a notable share of your total patient population, providers are wise to accommodate checks in order to quickly capture these payments and reduce their risk of processing errors resulting from manual entry mistakes.
Check Reader Devices: Smart Solutions
While these payments start as checks, your workflow doesn’t have to remain paper-based. Check reader devices are scanning tools that quickly and easily convert physical checks into Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions. Rather than using manual entry to record bank routing, account and serial numbers, POS staffers run checks through reader devices, allowing the pertinent data to be captured immediately and accurately. These devices connect to most POS terminals to seamlessly transfer data for more expedient payment processing and are compliant with National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) standards.
Devices such as the MagTek® MICRSafe (shown above) offer flexible payment processing options to accommodate check, credit and debit card payment processing all in one unit.
Emdeon eCashiering: Ready for Your Reader, Reducing Returns
If you’re already using Emdeon eCashiering, you’re likely just a few short steps away from seamlessly integrating a check reader device into your POS payment acceptance process. Emdeon eCashiering is engineered for check reader device integration and can be up and running quickly.
Once the check reader device is activated, Emdeon eCashiering becomes a powerful tool for reducing check returns. Of the approximately three percent of checks that typically cannot be processed, around one percent of those are due to insufficient funds, while the remaining two percent are halted because of invalid account or routing numbers or account closures. For those rogue two percent of checks, powered by an automated reader, Emdeon eCashiering is able to capture accurate information automatically, which reduces your risk of rejections .
Gaining an integrated view of all patient payment activity is another advantage of using Emdeon eCashiering in conjunction with check reader devices. When check payments are converted to ACH transactions, the details are captured for helpful tracking of patient payments and real-time, transaction-level reporting. The speed, accuracy and efficient processing are win-wins for providers and patients alike.
Don’t Let Checks Put On the Brakes: Accelerate Payments Today
Patients paying by check don’t have to put the brakes on your staff’s efficiency or cash flow. POS check reader devices coupled with the robust, integrated capabilities of Emdeon eCashiering can transform paper checks into nimble, ACH payments that transact in real-time. Contact 877.EMDEON.6 (877.363.3666) for more information.
1 Based on an analysis of POS healthcare transactions processed by Emdeon.
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Patient Statements: When Less Really is More
“If I receive medical care from one health system, why do I get multiple billing statements?”
It’s a common question and one with lots of merit. In this era of increased healthcare consumerism, patients are looking for simplicity and clarity regarding payment of their medical services. They want to see statements with concise recaps of care and easy-to-read “amount due” totals. Yet all too often, patients who have encounters within a single healthcare organization receive multiple billing statements in the mail. Separate bills for a variety of services such as emergency room charges, outpatient, inpatient and lab fees come due in fractured pieces and parts based on how the healthcare organization’s billing systems are structured, not on what makes sense for those who must pay the bills.
When patients receive multiple statements, the results can be negative for all parties involved. It’s not unusual for recipients to presume multiple statements are redundant, leading them to disregard new bills that need attention. In some instances, patients arbitrarily pick and choose what statements to pay, since they’re unsure how to prioritize the various bills. The confusion for patients means providers may not receive payments promptly or in full, slowing provider organizations’ cash flows while costing them more time, labor and resources to collect.
Responsively, our industry is experiencing a ground swell of interest in enterprise statements (also known as consolidated statements) that include all of the charges generated within a health system presented in one concise statement. Consolidated statements are logical and patient-focused solutions, yet they’re not necessarily simple to generate. Organizations often operate with disparate billing systems from department to department and facility to facility which makes it hard to track patients throughout every point of care. Nonetheless, it’s imperative that healthcare systems find ways to answer patients’ billing needs rather than defaulting to past procedures just because they’re easier to accomplish. Especially in this age of healthcare consumerism where patients are responsible for paying for more of their care, unified billing statements are increasingly important.
Enter Emdeon ExpressBill Services
With advanced printing and electronic mapping capabilities, Emdeon can work with you to create consolidated statements. In addition, the level of charge consolidation can be customized to fit your organization’s preferences.
Emdeon is equipped with the advanced systems to help you deliver simplified patient communications. And when patients can read, understand and respond to their statements, they are more likely to pay, alleviating your staff of customer service calls and extended collections efforts.
Ready to offer your patients all-in-one statements? Contact 877.EMDEON.6 (877.363.3666) to discover more about the consolidated statement capabilities though Emdeon ExpressBill Services.
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Did You Know?
Quick Facts to Help You Get the Most from Your Emdeon Patient Billing & Payment Solutions
Technology can be a powerful tool to boost productivity and profitability. But, if you aren’t making the most of the solutions available at your fingertips, you might be missing opportunities to improve efficiencies within your organization. That’s why we want to provide a few reminders about the capabilities offered by Emdeon Patient Connect solutions.
Did you know that…
1. System administrators at your facility can reset user passwords in Emdeon eCashiering.
Anyone designated with administrative rights for Emdeon eCashiering at your organization can reset passwords directly from the dashboard. The password reset option is accessed under the “User Administration” tab which means no phone call to customer service is required! As you likely know, it’s challenging to keep up with passwords; the ability to change them autonomously saves time and makes your work life a little more simple.
2. Patient receipts can now be branded messaging tools.
You can add your provider organization’s logo and 200 characters of messaging to patient receipts generated by Emdeon eCashiering and Emdeon Patient Pay Online. The inclusion of your logo is one more way to establish branding, and those 200 characters can convey quick reminders or helpful tips that bring more value to patients in this subtle, quick-read format.
3. We have recurring payment options.
Emdeon Patient Pay Online and eCashiering offer optional recurring payment functionality for patients. Recurring payments are extremely effective in improving cash flow for your organization while also simplifying patients’ billing experiences in tandem. With more and more patients bearing direct responsibility for payment of their care, you’ll find the ability to set up recurring payments extremely beneficial. To learn more and get set up, simply contact our customer service team.
4. Emdeon can customize the design of your statements for improved response.
We have a design team on the ready to create statements that blend your branding, key messages, layout, use of color and, perhaps most importantly, HFMA Patient Friendly Billing® standards. Why are custom statements better? Communication is visual, not just textual. By strategically ordering content and using call-out boxes and colors, you can help patients better read, follow and know how to respond to their statements. Our design team is adept in statement design that puts the spotlight on action-oriented information such as “amount due.” Because recipients are ceaselessly inundated with messaging, it’s important that your statements be laid out attractively and colorfully to stand out, get noticed and merit response from patients. To implement, there may be a small programming fee; connect with your account manager for details.
Have any questions regarding any of our products or services? Don’t hesitant to call us at 877.EMDEON.6 (877.366.3333) for more information.
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Creating an Accurate and Early View of Patient Financial Status
An HFMA Roundtable
Communicating with scheduled patients about their financial responsibility prior to arrival for services is an important strategy for receiving prompt and full payment while supporting a positive patient experience. In this roundtable, several revenue cycle leaders discuss ways their organizations are using process change and technology to improve the quality, timing, and accuracy of these discussions.
Click to view full report.
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Meet Jeff Kerley, CPA – Emdeon Senior Vice President Corporate Controller and Administrative Services
Supporting Emdeon’s Mission to Simplify the Business of Healthcare
Jeff Kerley, Emdeon’s Senior Vice President Corporate Controller and Administrative Services, has vast responsibilities over many areas within our company. He leads a team of 78 professionals to manage Emdeon’s financial and back office operations, as well as purchasing, real estate, security and business continuity.
His attempt to specifically describe what he does in the course of a typical work day epitomizes the term “all over the board.” However, get to know him and his work a little more closely, and a common theme arises that unifies all that authority and activity: relationship building.
Sure, “relationship building” isn’t the core skill you might expect for the Controller of a multi-tiered, billion dollar company. However, the ability to connect with internal and external customers and get to know them is precisely how Kerley succeeds in his role. The insights he gains through relationship building empowers him to make the most informed financial and administrative decisions for Emdeon and, thus, for our customers.
Anytime our company expands through acquisition, Kerley is a key leader in the integration efforts, blending newly acquired business units into the fabric of the Emdeon corporate structure. He builds relationships not only with top executives but whole leadership teams to guide the potentially precarious process of merging. It stands to reason he’s also become a trusted go-to for those business units to stay informed and connected to the home office.
“Up-front I spend a lot of time...them getting to know me, me getting to know them...so we build a good rapport from the beginning,” he explains.
When your organization was considering becoming a customer of Emdeon, it’s highly likely that Kerley played a role in how we responded, reviewing our RFP response or perhaps approving the contract before it was released for approval. Though you may never interact with him directly, he’s influenced many of the innovative solutions you use each day.
He also plays a part in many behind the curtain scenarios in which Emdeon forges unique, customized solutions based on specific customers’ needs.
“We step up for our customers…to be a great business partner. We help in ways that other companies simply would not,” states Kerley. “That’s what it takes to build relationships that stick.”
Kerley’s relationships also include professional connections beyond our company and customer base. He’s constantly in tune with financial news and Emdeon business leaders, staying on top of trends and market concerns. This is how he knows that tax codes, Medicare reimbursements and the ever-shifting political climate are some of the resounding issues that business leaders face today.
In translating the concerns of the market into the solutions that Emdeon offers, Kerley is clear and certain that an effective route to financial health for a hospital or health system is to file claims correctly from the start.
“Think of the claim and cash as one in the same,” he advises. “Filing claims correctly the first time can prevent them from getting kicked back which affects cash flow timing. The cleaner a claim is submitted, the faster the provider can expect reimbursement. That’s where our industry leading solutions come into play,” Kerley says.
Prior to joining Emdeon eight years ago, Kerley served as Divisional Controller for Cardinal Health. His tenure there was an excellent training ground for his work at Emdeon, as he dealt with the same customers faced with some of these same challenges. The experiences and the relationships translate.
“No matter what, relationships matter,” Kerley summarizes. “We work smarter when there’s trust and a business partnership...when we’re in it together.”
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Patient Pay Online Gets an (Inter)face Lift
Online Payment Solution Now Updated with More Patient-Friendly Features
It’s not every day that a ten-year old gets a makeover. Yet that’s just what has happened with Emdeon Patient Pay Online. This web-based payment portal, which was launched several years ago, is designed to help providers collect more, faster by automating payment acceptance. From day one, we’ve aimed to offer the most modern, intuitive interface for this increasingly popular tool, and these recent improvements are designed to help providers stay at the forefront of online patient payment technology.
At first glance, you’ll notice that the Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been polished. We’ve streamlined the overall layout to be in line with current trends in web design. Additionally, patient-friendly standards are foundational to the design and terminology throughout. The basic look and navigation is clean, uncluttered and logical and can be enhanced by your organization’s branding to effectively blend into the total online experience you offer your patients.
However, the updates are much more than screen deep. We’ve enhanced key functionality and added subtle yet transformative touches to take Emdeon Patient Pay Online to the next level.
• Simplicity: We used market knowledge to enhance portal functionality. Every button provides the most familiar, commonly anticipated outcome when selected in keeping with user expectations. All elements are kept simple, clean and intuitive to minimize user hesitation.
• Immediacy: We made the “Pay Now” option clear and clickable. By making this option prominent, we invite users to take action, and in return, they have immediate gratification in the payment process. There’s no barrier to invite payment action, and that’s good for everyone.
• Flexibility: We built the payment interface to allow providers to customize it with their organization’s logo and color preferences. Now you can integrate a range of flexible payment options to enhance the experience for patients, including prompts for discounts and the ability to offer payment plans. Likewise, patients now have the ability to create ‘My Wallet,’ a simple, versatile solution which allows patients to save their checking and credit card information within the system to expedite future payments.
Emdeon Patient Pay Online ‘My Wallet’
• Electronic Delivery: We’ve deepened our electronic statement delivery messaging and solutions to guide your patients in the transition to paperless billing, including the use of a yellow pop-up that invites users to select paperless statements. By offering electronic statement access, we’re lowering the barrier to full adoption of electronic statements and taking a bigger cut out of your paper costs in the process.
• Security: Emdeon Patient Pay Online hits all the right notes in terms of security. The portal is backed by VeriSign, a subtle and constant assurance of payment safety that is familiar to and trusted by patients. When entering the site, authentication is also required, ensuring appropriate access to account data. These touches give site users peace of mind that security is as tight as expected.
• Mobility: The site is configured to detect if it is being viewed by a mobile device. In those instances, a mobile version is automatically loaded, making it extremely simple to use on smart phones or tablet devices.
Ready for the big reveal of the web solution makeover? The updated version of Emdeon Patient Pay Online is available now*. Call 877.EMDEON.6 (877.366.3666) to discover more.
* The updated version of Emdeon Patient Pay Online is slated for general release on, or before, October 2012.
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Centers of Attention
Attention to Detail Keeps Emdeon Data Centers Running and Your Transactions Going 24x7x365
Recently, there was an intense lightning storm in Nashville, the city that’s home to Emdeon and one of its state-of-the-art data centers. The wild weather took down trees, sparked fires and flash floods and left parts of the area temporarily in the dark. Yet your data and essential administrative transactions were never in harm’s way—not even for a moment. With careful building design and construction, methodical interior layout, multilayered security and massive yet intricate operational systems, Emdeon’s data centers helped to ensure that our services and solutions continued to run smoothly.
Emdeon invested over $27 million in 2011 to build a new data center in Nashville which is just one of two highly secure locations meticulously built with redundant infrastructure and network architecture designed to provide 24/7 uptime, 365 days a year.
The second data center, located 200 miles away in Memphis, is connected to the Nashville facility by two ten gigabit pipelines. Not only does each data center serve as seamless, airtight back-up for the other for most applications, each facility has layer upon layer of redundant architecture within itself. There’s literally failsafe measure upon failsafe measure in place in both locations to safeguard data and avert system outages.
So how exactly do they work? The Emdeon data centers mirror each other and function like the brains and nervous system of the company. Both locations house state-of-the-art command centers that are staffed at all times around the clock and even on holidays to monitor and rapidly respond to even the slightest hint of a service disruption.
Command Center
Millions of dollars worth of servers (2,700 total servers with much room for growth) handle literally billions of transactions each year and are protected by some of the most impressively configured temperature controls, fire suppression systems and uninterrupted power supplies.
Larry Graubner, Emdeon Vice President of Information Technology
Here are specific highlights of just how far we’ve gone to help you carry out the business of healthcare.
• Security: Security is provided 24x7x365 by a separate group that reports independently to the Chief Information Officer (CIO). All activities throughout the facilities are recorded by video surveillance. Exterior and interior doors are secured with dual mode access requiring card swipe and biometric fingerprint reading for entry.
• Power: Data centers operate with state-of-the-art electrical systems backed by uninterruptible power supplies and turbo-charged diesel generators. The systems have N+1 redundancy (a form of resilience that ensures system availability in the event of component failure), and all power sources receive testing and maintenance to ensure they’re always on the ready. Emdeon has prioritized diesel fuel resupply priority status, second only to hospitals and life support systems, in Nashville.
• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC): Cooling towers maintain constant temperatures at the data centers using continuously recycled liquid coolant. Dual towers and 6,000-gallon reserve water tanks provide additional redundancy. Each location has nearly 400 tons of HVAC with backup pumps on standby if needed, while 200 temperature sensors work constantly to monitor the air and trigger alerts if needed.
• Hardware: Server pods (logically arranged groups of cabinets housing servers) have redundant network and Storage Area Network (SAN) fiber connections. Switches and routers are configured with redundancy for constant uptime and the data centers are designed to accommodate additional capacity at any time.
• Virtual Servers: Emdeon can also rapidly deploy new virtual servers to meet various business needs quickly and efficiently. A virtual server consumes a portion of a large “host” server. First a large host server is configured and installed. But unlike physical servers which have to go through the same order, unpack, configure and install cycle each time an additional server is required, the host server with unused capacity can be allocated on the fly to rapidly create several virtual servers which can be deployed in a matter of minutes, not weeks.
Network Switch
With every layer of security, safeguarding and monitoring, we prove that you and your business have our utmost attention. We’ve made phenomenal investments to ensure each and every one of the six billion transactions we process annually is handled with the care it deserves. The needs of your organization are at the heart of everything we do.
To learn more about the Emdeon data centers and our commitment to innovation, visit us online.
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Introducing Emdeon Patient Pay Online - The Mobile Version
Now Patients Have the Ability to Pay in the Palms of Their Hands
Emdeon Patient Pay Online is now optimized for use on mobile devices. The newly launched version of our popular, web-based payment portal offers mobile detection. If a user accesses the site from a smart phone or tablet computer, the mobile version appears automatically for easier navigation and use. When accessed from a personal computer (desktop or laptop), the standard view, also recently updated, loads.
Patient Pay Online Mobile
This important, new incarnation of Emdeon Patient Pay Online is truly consumer-driven. Today’s patient-consumers own smart phones (smart phones account for half of all U.S. mobile phones today, and that percentage continues to grow steadily1), and, increasingly, they are using them to make payments and purchases. Mobile bill payment adoption among online consumers went up 33% from 2011 to 2012, as more than 8 million web-savvy consumers opted to pay by mobile for the time-saving convenience and flexibility, among other reasons.2 Of tablet computer owners who’ve visited billers’ sites on their devices, 61% have done so to pay bills.3
In tune with patient preferences and behavior, we invested in site optimization for mobile rather than developing a stand-alone mobile application. Recent reports show that more consumers access biller sites and payment portals via mobile web browser than by mobile app. By optimizing the main site, we provide everything patients need to pay online while on the go, without requiring them to download anything in the process. Because all smartphones have native web browsers, patients can just login online and go.
With this mobile-ready site, we’re empowering you to provide the billing and payment options your patients are already accustomed to receiving and using from other industries. The site provides on-the-go access to account information and statements, helping to keep patients actively engaged, informed and motivated to make payments. And, this may inspire your patients to go paperless. Nearly half of respondents in a recent survey stated that they would be more likely to stop receiving paper statements because of the ability to access a biller’s site on their tablet computers.4 The same study revealed that 44% of customers felt electronic billing improved their relationship with the organization.5
We’ve built this version of Emdeon Patient Pay Online with even more stringent security layers, as well as adherence to patient-friendly billing principles. Both the standard and mobile versions are created to effectively engage and communicate with patients as consumers first and foremost, using language, layout and design that guides interaction with information. The goal is always to motivate response in the form of payment while reducing the patients’ need to contact customer service for more information. We’ve created the mobile site to work as smoothly and seamlessly as the smart phones and tablets upon which it is accessed.
Ready to discover how Emdeon Patient Pay Online can help expedite your patient receivables cash flow by automating payment acceptance? Call 877.EMDEON.6 (877.366.3666)to discover more.**
1Neilsen Report 3/12
2-4Fiserv Inc., Billing Household Survey 2012
5Response specific to banks, Fiserv Inc., Billing Household Survey 2012
**The mobile version of Emdeon Patient Pay Online is slated for general release on, or before, October 2012.
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Three Emdeon Revenue Cycle Management Solutions Achieve HFMA Peer Reviewed Designation
Three Emdeon revenue cycle management solutions have earned the Peer Reviewed designation of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). The HFMA Peer Reviewed designation places these Emdeon solutions on a short list of prestigious products and services that have been proven effective by industry expert volunteers, product customers and independent HFMA staff.
Emdeon Assistant, an automated patient eligibility and benefits verification tool, was awarded the designation for the fifth year in a row. And for the third straight year, both Emdeon Claim Master®, a web-based claims management solution, and Emdeon Payment Integrity Services, which provides accounts receivable audit and recovery services for healthcare providers, were selected for Peer Reviewed status. All products presented for the certification must meet predetermined standards as established by HFMA in areas such as product effectiveness, quality, overall value and customer support to earn the "Peer Reviewed by HFMA" designation.
"By helping providers better manage the complexities of the revenue and payment cycle, Emdeon's solutions allow our customers to be more efficient from the initial patient encounter through third-party reimbursement and final payment," said George Lazenby, Chief Executive Officer for Emdeon. "We are pleased to receive corroboration from our customers and peers that Emdeon's solutions are effectively addressing healthcare market needs."
As the leading provider of intelligent revenue cycle solutions that combine advanced technology with highly trained professionals, Emdeon can help you maximize revenue and profitability. Call 877.EMDEON.6 (877.366.3666) to discover more.
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HFMA Webinar Podcast Available
Originally Broadcast August 8, 2012
Webinar Title: Patient Statements: Telling a Story to Collect More in Less Time
Speakers
Marie B. Tomé
Revenue Systems Management
Ochsner Health System
Trish Darcy
Product Manager, Patient Billing & Payment Solutions
Emdeon
Summary
If anyone attempted to recount a story to you but forgot some of the most important details, mixed-up the sequence of events, or rushed too quickly to the end, you likely left scratching your head wondering exactly what happened.
In health care, patient statements should also be considered a storytelling medium with an introduction (information about the care that was provided), the plot (insurance claims that were submitted), and the finale (the total amount due). Similar to a story, patient statements must follow a logical order and use detail to guide and educate the reader. Patients confused about their financial responsibilities are more likely to pick up the phone to call your billing department instead of picking up their pen to write a check for payment.
Ochsner Health System shares strategies that providers can use to design clear and concise PATIENT FRIENDLY BILLING® statements to drive more timely and accurate patient payments.
Watch Now!
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Get Awesomely Fast Payments from Many. Simple Enrollment with One.
Your CFO will be overjoyed!**
Give us a few minutes and we can help you get paid TWO (even THREE) times as fast with Emdeon ePayment! Yep. No joke. What’s Emdeon ePayment, you ask?
Goodbye, checks. Hello, EFT!
With Emdeon ePayment, your organization can get claims payments directly deposited into your bank account instead of paper checks in the mail. Switching to Emdeon ePayment helps you get paid. Faster.
The price? Zero.
Yup. There’s no cost to your organization for enrolling.
Payments from many. Enrollment with one.
Enrolling directly with each and every payer can be a paperwork nightmare. That's why Emdeon makes it easy. Just enroll ONCE, and get awesomely fast payments from 73 Emdeon ePayment participating payers. With your enrollment, you can also elect to receive electronic claims payments from Aetna® too*.
Reconciliation made simple!
Your enrollment automatically gives you FREE access to Emdeon Payment Manager, an online solution that helps you search, view, print and download electronic remittance advice (ERA) from payers across the country.
Want to learn more? You can get to know more about Emdeon ePayment online. Or give us a ring @ 866.506.2830. Let us help you expedite your revenue cycle. It’s good stuff.
*Aetna® is offering to distribute EFT payments directly to you and not through Emdeon. If you enroll with Aetna® that payer will pay you directly and Emdeon shall not be involved in any of their payment transactions. As such, Emdeon makes no representations or warranties regarding the payment services provided by Aetna.
**Tears of joy not guaranteed.
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Five Ways to Get Patients to Pay Online
We are a multi-screen society, navigating between our laptops, e-readers and smart phones to communicate and interact with the world. We are using our digital devices to purchase things and participate in life around the clock more frequently. According to the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, U.S. online sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 totaled $61.8 billion, an increase of 38.7 percent from the third quarter of 2011.
So why aren’t more patients already paying their medical bills online? While many providers have long offered online payment alternatives, patients may have the perception that it’s still a paper-based business. So what can we do to get patients pointing and clicking their balances down to zero? Here are five ideas to jumpstart your program.
1. Tell them online payment is an option
Seems obvious doesn’t it? But don’t presume patients know about your online payment solution. Tell them every chance you get such as in person, on printed materials, on your website home page and on signage within your facility. You should also add links in your email signatures to your online payment portal, post information within your social media platforms and include references within the recorded messages patients hear when placed on hold.
2. Make it easy to sign up and participate
Integrate online payment account sign up within your registration process. Train patient access counselors to walk patients through the sign up process during registration so that online payment is already an option for them even before they receive care.
3. Give patients compelling reasons to make the shift
Offer meaningful monetary incentives for patients who opt to pay online. Whether you offer a percentage discount, more flexible terms or arrange some other reward, assign a dollar value to give patients more reasons to pay online.
4. Highlight and integrate other online services available
Also consider integrating other online administrative services into your website to provide even more reasons for patients to turn to your online portal as a resource. See your website as an interactive tool that acts as an extension of your staff. Patients are motivated by simple solutions that save both time and money so make the most of your online portal’s ability to do both.
5. Take a “Screen and Be Seen” approach
Patients use a variety of devices, so make sure your payment interface (and your entire website for that matter) is functional and user-friendly for the most popular gadgets. You may even want to consider using a mobile app to handle digital payments depending on your patient population and the volume of accounts.
Looking for an online patient billing and payment solution that can help your organization automate the collection of patient receivables? Take a closer look at Emdeon Patient Pay Online or call us at 877.EMDEON.6 (877.363.3666) for more information.
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