In this episode, we dive into how eBills (electronic bill notifications) are transforming medical billing. From speeding up payments to reducing admin workload and improving the patient experience, eBills deliver real, measurable results.

We break down how eBills work, how they integrate with billing systems and patient portals like PayWoot, and why practices using BillFlash are seeing payments in as little as 9 days — compared to the 20-day industry average.

Real results you'll hear:

• 90% of patients prefer to pay online
• 32% pay within 5 minutes of receiving an eBill
• Practices save up to an hour of staff time each day

If you're ready to streamline billing and boost cash flow, this episode is for you.
Tune in now — small change, big impact.

Transcript

Narrator: 00:00

Welcome to the Billing Blueprint Podcast, your go to resource for innovative medical billing solutions. Each episode we explore the latest industry trends and share proven strategies to help your practice streamline operations and get paid faster. Now here are your hosts, Brad and Sarah.

Brad: 00:21

 Okay, get this. For a hospital with, say, 200,000 patients, the cost, just the sheer cost of printing and mailing paper medical bills, it could be getting close to $2 million annually.

Sarah: 00:34

 Wow.

Brad: 00:35

 Yeah. Makes you think, doesn't it? Like, there has to be a smarter way. And that's exactly what we're diving into today, how we can seriously boost efficiency in medical billing. We're focusing on electronic bill notifications, eBills.

Sarah: 00:49

 It's pretty staggering when you put it like that. And let's face it, medical bills can feel, well, overwhelming for everyone.

Brad: 00:56

 As a patient trying to figure it out for the practice dealing with all that paper.

Sarah: 00:59

 Exactly. And what's interesting is how the shift this move to digital notifications can actually have a really positive ripple effect, make things smoother.

Brad: 01:07

 Yeah, we've been digging into some really good material on this, looking at how ebills help providers and importantly, help the patient.

Sarah: 01:15

 Absolutely.

Brad: 01:16

 So our mission today, take this seemingly complex topic and really break it down. We want to get into the nuts and bolts of eBills, how they work, why they matter, and hopefully show how they lead to a smoother, more efficient healthcare experience.

Sarah: 01:30

 Yeah.

Brad: 01:30

 Tell us about eBills. What are they exactly?

Sarah: 01:32

 So eBills are essentially digital versions of your medical bills, online statements. You can access them anytime, but the key part is how you find out about them.

Brad: 01:42

 Right.

Sarah: 01:42

 You typically get an alert, and this has to be secure, HIPPA compliant. Usually a text message or an email.

Brad: 01:47

 Just saying, hey, your bill's ready.

Sarah: 01:48

 Exactly. It's that notification. The main point is just to let you know the bill is there, ready to view, and hopefully easy to pay. Right then.

Brad: 01:55

 Okay, so it's not like getting a PDF attachment lost in your inbox somewhere. There's more tech involved behind the scenes. How does that actually work?

Sarah: 02:03

 Yeah, that's right. It's more integrated. It all starts with the provider's own billing system, their medical billing software. When a bill is ready in that system, it then sort of talks to an ebill delivery platform, like a.

Brad: 02:18

 Secure digital post office.

Sarah: 02:20

 That's a great way to put it. Yeah. It hosts the electronic bills securely online, ensures it gets to you safely.

Brad: 02:26

 Okay, so it's like a middleman, keeping things safe and accessible for both sides.

Sarah: 02:30

 Exactly. Right. And the process usually goes something like this. The practice might use templates in their billing System to create the eBill.

Brad: 02:38

 Right.

Sarah: 02:39

 Then that system connects, integrates with the hosting platform.

Brad: 02:42

 Got it.

Sarah: 02:43

 Once the bill's approved, the info gets securely sent over and that transfer is what triggers the notification to you, the.

Brad: 02:50

 Text or the email. Based on what I prefer.

Sarah: 02:52

 Yep. Based on patient preference. And that notification, it has a link.

Brad: 02:56

 Straight to where I can see the.

Sarah: 02:57

 Bill, directly to a secure online portal where you can view the full details, the breakdown, everything, and usually pay right there too.

Brad: 03:04

 That does sound pretty slick. The source we looked at mentioned BillFlash. Right. Integrating with lots of EMR systems.

Sarah: 03:10

 Yes, exactly. BillFlash was the example with I think it was over 100 EMRs.

Brad: 03:15

 Yeah.

Sarah: 03:16

 Which means for the staff, it can be like a one click export. Sends the bill out super quick.

Brad: 03:22

 Saves a lot of admin time, I bet.

Sarah: 03:23

 For sure. And then for the patient, the portal they mentioned was PayWoot, hosted by BillFlash. That's where you'd log in securely.

Brad: 03:30

 So I get that personalized text or email, click the link, and boom, I'm looking at my bill in a safe place.

Sarah: 03:35

 That's the idea. Guide you right there.

Brad: 03:37

 Okay, so beyond saving on paper and stamps, what are the really big wins here? What are the key benefits of using ebills?

Sarah: 03:45

 Well, they hit on a few really important areas. Let's start with payment speed. Getting paid faster, always good for the provider's cash flow. Absolutely. Yeah. And the stat here is pretty compelling. 32%, nearly a third of patients pay their bill within five minutes of getting that ebill notification.

Brad: 04:03

 Five minutes, wow.

Sarah: 04:04

 Yeah, that immediate nudge, the easy access.

Brad: 04:07

 Yeah.

Sarah: 04:08

 Makes a huge difference.

Brad: 04:09

 I can see that. No time to forget and put it off.

Sarah: 04:12

 And there's more. When practices use ebills alongside paper statements, kind of a combined approach, the average time it takes to get paid drops, like, really drops from around 20 days down to just nine days.

Brad: 04:26

 20 days to nine, that's. That's cutting it by more than half.

Sarah: 04:28

 It's a massive acceleration, huge impact on cash flow.

Brad: 04:32

 That really is a game changer for speed. Makes total sense. You get the alert on your phone, tap pay done. Removes friction.

Sarah: 04:40

 Exactly.

Brad: 04:40

 What about the patient side of things? How does it make our experience better?

Sarah: 04:44

 Well, this is where it really lines up with, you know, how we live now digitally.

Brad: 04:49

 Right.

Sarah: 04:49

 It's interesting. The source noted a bit of a split. Apparently 74% of people still initially prefer getting the bill in the mail.

Brad: 04:57

 Okay. Creature of habit made.

Sarah: 04:58

 But 85% prefer to pay online.

Brad: 05:02

 So they want the paper record. But the convenience of online payment seems.

Sarah: 05:06

 Like it And ebills bridged that perfectly. That online access we expect. Now it's there and less stress, definitely. It can really reduce the anxiety and confusion around medical costs. Instead of waiting, deciphering codes on paper, everything's online, clear, accessible, leads to, as the source nicely put it, more financial clarity and peace of mind.

Brad: 05:27

 That really hits home. We've all had that. What on earth is this charge moment. With a paper bill, easy online access sounds much better. And for the providers, beyond paper costs, there must be big efficiency gains too, in just running the office.

Sarah: 05:42

 Oh, absolutely. Think about the staff time saved.

Brad: 05:44

 How so?

Sarah: 05:45

 Well, every payment made online via e bill means one less check. Someone has to open log and deposit.

Brad: 05:51

 Right. Or one less phone call taking a credit card number.

Sarah: 05:53

 Exactly. The automation from integrating the billing system with the ebill platform, it just streamlines so many of those routine tasks.

Brad: 06:01

 Any idea how much time the source.

Sarah: 06:03

 Actually threw out a number to think about? Imagine a practice saving like 60 minutes of staff time every single day.

Brad: 06:10

 An hour a day. Yeah, that's significant. That hour could go to, you know, actual patient interaction or other critical tasks for sure.

Sarah: 06:17

 And another thing, because patients can easily look up their balance and bill details.

Brad: 06:21

 Online, fewer phone calls asking, how much do I owe?

Sarah: 06:25

 Precisely. It cuts down on those routine inquiry calls, frees up phone lines and staff time again.

Brad: 06:31

 So it actually sounds like the best approach might be using both digital and traditional mail.

Sarah: 06:37

 That's a really key takeaway. The source definitely emphasized that using multiple channels, the prompt e mail alerts plus the mailed statements seems to get the best results overall, boosts payment rates and.

Brad: 06:48

 Gets payments in faster. Like that 20 days to nine stat showed exactly.

Sarah: 06:52

 That stat really highlights the power of combining them. It covers all the bases for patient preference and ensures visibility.

Brad: 06:58

 Okay, so let's say a practice is sold, they want to do this. What are the actual steps? How do they implement eBills?

Sarah: 07:04

 Right, the practical side, the source laid out a few key steps. First, obviously, they need to integrate their billing system with an e bill platform.

Brad: 07:11

 Connect the tech.

Sarah: 07:12

 Yep. Work with their vendor, make sure it's smooth, secure. Second, and this is crucial, patient consent.

Brad: 07:19

 Gotta get permission. Right.

Sarah: 07:21

 For emails, texts, Absolutely vital. Get clear consent and collect their preferred contact method. Phone for texts, email, maybe both.

Brad: 07:32

 How do they usually do that?

Sarah: 07:33

 Often through the online patient portal or just as part of the standard intake forms when you register.

Brad: 07:39

 Okay, makes sense. What else?

Sarah: 07:41

 Then they need to think about the content of the notices. Make them clear, concise, get straight to the point. Yeah. Include the balance due a really Obvious link to pay, make it easy to.

Brad: 07:53

 Act on and send them out quickly.

Sarah: 07:55

 Ideally, yes. Send the first notice basically the same day the bill is generated. Don't wait for batches and reminders. Definitely. Sending reminders at intervals is a really good practice. Gentle nudges.

Brad: 08:05

 Okay. And any like best practices to make sure it all goes smoothly?

Sarah: 08:09

 Yeah, a few things. Maybe adjust how often you send reminders based on how old the balance is.

Brad: 08:15

 Tailor the frequency.

Sarah: 08:16

 Right. Keep the message really clear. Always actionable. View your bill pay here.

Brad: 08:20

 Obvious call to action crucial.

Sarah: 08:22

 And of course patient data privacy and security are paramount. Using HIPPA compliant tools is non negotiable.

Brad: 08:29

 Absolutely.

Sarah: 08:30

 And again, that idea of combining ebills with print bills often gives the best coverage and results.

Brad: 08:36

 So zooming out then, how does this fit into the bigger picture of making medical billing just more efficient overall?

Sarah: 08:45

 Well, it ties back to patient expectations, doesn't it? We live in a digital first world, as the source said.

Brad: 08:51

 We expect things to be online convenient.

Sarah: 08:53

 Exactly. Including bills. So by offering eBills, providers are meeting that expectation, but they're also helping themselves significantly.

Brad: 09:01

 Faster payments, we covered that.

Sarah: 09:03

 Right? Faster payments, lower admin costs, less administrative burden overall, it makes their whole operation run smoother.

Brad: 09:10

 And you mentioned accounts receivable.

Sarah: 09:12

 Yeah, it has a direct impact there. It helps reduce the number of days a bill sits unpaid and accounts receivable, which is a really key measure of a practice's financial health.

Brad: 09:21

 So quicker payments mean healthier finances for the practice. And the source circled back to bill flash near the end, didn't it? As a provider of these kinds of integrated solutions.

Sarah: 09:30

 Yes, it did. Mentioning again their integration with EMRs and that PayWoot online portal for patients, presented as a tangible option, a real.

Brad: 09:40

 World example of how practices can actually implement this. Okay, so wrapping this up, it really feels like eBills offer a pretty clear set of wins. You get faster payments for providers, a much better, more convenient, less confusing experience for us as patients.

Sarah: 09:56

 Absolutely.

Brad: 09:57

 And real cost savings and efficiency gains for the healthcare practice itself. It sounds like a genuine win-win.

Sarah: 10:04

 It really does seem that way. Making that whole financial side of healthcare, which can be so stressful, just a bit smoother, more transparent and you know, it kind of leaves you with a thought, doesn't it? For you listening. Think about how this relatively small administrative change, just switching how bills are notified and paid, can have such a big positive knock on effect on the system, on your own experience.

Brad: 10:27

 Right. A small change, big impact.

Sarah: 10:29

 Yeah. And it makes you wonder what other parts of our lives, or even other parts of healthcare could benefit from these kinds of thoughtful digital tweaks, things that just reduce friction, improve efficiency, maybe take away a bit of everyday hassle. We just accept that's a great point.

Brad: 10:45

 Where else could smarter digital solutions make things easier? Definitely something to think about.

Narrator: 10:52

Thanks for tuning into the Billing Blueprint podcast. For more insights or to dive deeper dive deeper into today's topics. Head over to billflash.com. Don't forget to subscribe and we'll catch you next week with more strategies to keep your practice running smoothly and getting paid faster

Sources:

Enhancing Medical Billing Efficiency: The Power of eBill Notices