Find out how to enhance your practice's medical billing efficiency as we explore the several benefits of eBill notifications.
The business of healthcare relies heavily on efficient and accurate medical billing practices. With the complex nature of insurance claims, coding, patient financial responsibility, and healthcare regulations, medical billing can be a burdensome aspect of healthcare. This is where eBill notifications come into play.
A patient can receive two to four paper bill notifications before making a payment. If each paper medical bill statement costs between $1 to $5 to produce and mail, the total cost per patient can range from $2 to $20 depending on the number of statements sent. For a hospital with 200,000 patients, each receiving an average of three paper statements throughout a year, the total annual cost of paper medical billing can quickly approach $1.8 million.
Supplementing paper-based billing with electronic billing options such as eBill Notices and online bill payment portals can significantly reduce these costs. Electronic billing also provides a better experience for patients, leading to faster payments, and streamlining administrative processes for the health system.
Understanding eBill Notices
What Is an eBill and eBill Notice?
eBills are online versions of medical bills that patients can view and pay 24/7. eBill Notices are HIPAA-compliant text or email notifications sent to patients to alert them that their bill is available to view and pay.
How Do eBill Notices Work
eBills are generated through integration with medical billing systems and hosted online by an eBill delivery platform. eBill Notices are triggered when the eBill is approved in the billing system and delivered based on patient communication preferences.
The process involves:
- Creating customizable eBill Notice templates within the billing system
- Integrating the medical billing platform with an eBill hosting platform
- Exporting approved eBills to the host site
- Automated triggering of notices by text and/or email
- Directing patients to the online portal to view and pay their bill
Leading solutions like BillFlash integrate with more than 100 EMR systems for seamless upload and delivery. This allows providers to export eBills with one click to produce instant automated notices to patients. With BillFlash, as soon as a medical bill is generated and approved, it is uploaded to the online payment portal, PayWoot.
PayWoot then hosts a secure online copy of the electronic bill. Within BillFlash, customized eBill Notices can be sent to patients through their preferred contact method. These notices contain a link that directs patients to log in and view their full bill. From there, patients can easily pay their balance online.
Benefits of eBill Notices
These notices provide several key advantages, whether paired with traditional print and mail billing or as a standalone billing option:
Improved Payment Speed
eBill Notices encourage faster payments by prompting patients to address balances quickly after receiving alerts. 32% of patients pay within 5 minutes of getting text or email bill notifications. These notices, when sent in addition to paper statements, reduce the average days to payment from 20 days down to just 9.
Enhanced Patient Experience
According to the Trends in Healthcare Payments Annual Report, 74% of consumers prefer to receive medical bills by mail, but 85% prefer to pay their bills online. eBill Notices provide convenient 24/7 access for patients to manage medical bills online at their own pace. This reduces anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty patients generally feel about medical costs and finances. The ability to immediately understand what they owe and make payments speeds up their path to financial clarity and peace of mind.
Cost Efficiency
Every eBill Notice that prompts online payments saves staff time spent manually processing and posting mailed checks or phone payments. Automation through integrations between billing systems and eBill platforms minimizes administrative tasks. These notifications reduce calls from patients checking on balances or questioning bills. Imagine saving 60 minutes daily, which can be reallocated to more critical needs.
How eBill Notices Paired With Mailed Statements Increases Payments
Combining eBill Notices with mailed statements can boost patient payments by utilizing multiple communication channels. As mentioned, sending notices via email and text, in addition to paper statements, can reduce the average payment time from 20 days down to 9 days.
Implementing eBill Notices
With a range of integrations across leading EMR systems, implementing electronic billing notices is fast and efficient using today's secure cloud platforms. Practices can launch notifications across patient populations in minutes with batch uploading functionality instead of time-intensive manual data entry.
Here are some steps healthcare practices can take to effectively implement eBill Notices:
Integrate Your Billing System
Work with your provider to integrate your billing platform for seamless generation and automated patient notices.
Obtain Patient Consent and Preferences
Gain patient consent to receive digital eBill Notices. Collect their communication preferences to deliver notices by text, email, or both. Make enrollment easy through online patient portals or intake forms.
Optimize Notice Content
Create clear, concise eBill Notice language that encourages patients to promptly view and pay bills. It is also important to include key details like the balance due and an easy payment link.
Send Notices Immediately
Trigger notices the same business day when new bills are generated instead of batch sending. Send reminders at intervals to keep balances top of mind.
Follow these best practices to successfully implement eBill Notices:
- Alter notice frequency and timing based on balance age
- Keep message content clear and actionable
- Ensure patient data privacy and security
- Combine with print bills for the greatest effectiveness
How eBill Notices Promote Medical Billing Efficiency
In today's digital-first world, patients expect and demand convenient billing options. Fortifying your mailed bills with eBill Notices provides this experience while accelerating payments, reducing costs, and decreasing administrative burdens.
As healthcare financial performance depends heavily on efficient billing processes, leveraging these notices is a high-impact strategy for providers. Plus, electronic billing cuts down the number of days a bill stays in AR.
Take the Next Step With BillFlash
With BillFlash, practices can leverage the proven boost in payments by allowing patients to conveniently view and pay their current and past medical bills online 24/7 through any device. eBill Notices offer the fastest avenue to enable payers to view balances and make payments on demand. BillFlash provides complete billing and payment solutions through integration with your existing EMR system. To learn more about how BillFlash can help optimize your billing and payment collection processes, schedule a demo today.