GeBBS Healthcare Blog

With all of the changes in healthcare reimbursement policies and the influx of high-deductible patients, healthcare providers need to shift their patient access management strategies to meet these new challenges. No longer can the registration process be looked upon as a simplistic completing of forms and getting the patient into a bed. Today's patient access professional must be capable of highly skilled worksuch as reviewing referrals, obtaining authorizations, verifying eligibility, determining the patients’ willingness and ability to pay, requesting payment at time of service and arranging sophisticated payment schedules to ensure collection of revenue for services rendered.

Healthcare consumerism is going to be an important factor in the new healthcare financial environment where many patients are going to be responsible for a large portion of their healthcare costs. Consumer self-service is already becoming common place in healthcare today. Access to healthcare kiosks and patient portals will become an expectation in patients’ healthcare delivery processes. Allowing healthcare consumers to research costs, schedule appointments, receive online statements and make electronic payments are just some of the options consumers are demanding.

Business pressures are forcing healthcare financial managers to re-evaluate their present revenue cycle management solutions, and look to the next generation of solutions for answers to their financial woes. Shifting payment models, new regulations and healthcare reform are forcing healthcare leaders to redirect previously launched budgets, priorities and strategic plans to assess if new solutions can rescue them from imminent financial catastrophes.