Tag: automation

Experian Health's State of Claims 2024 report reveals a worrying trend in healthcare claim denials, with nearly three-quarters of survey respondents reporting a rise. Around four in ten say claims are denied 10% of the time, with one in ten seeing denial rates above 15%. Denials at this scale, driven by various claim denial reasons, represent billions of dollars in lost or delayed reimbursements, so it's no wonder that reducing health insurance claim denials tops healthcare providers' “must-fix” list. However, despite being highly motivated to resolve the challenge, many organizations need more support to overcome operational roadblocks. Prior authorizations are taking longer to come through. Payer policy changes are more frequent. Patient information is increasingly inaccurate. For 65% of respondents, submitting clean claims is more complex than before the pandemic. With some wrangling more than three technological solutions and others lacking confidence about using automation and AI, providers seem to be struggling to find the sweet spot when tackling denials. This article looks at the reasons for increased claim denials, as well as how automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can help healthcare providers overcome these obstacles to increase operational efficiency and improve cash flow. Major operational challenges leading to increased claim denials Clarissa Riggins, Chief Product Officer at Experian Health, says that many providers are increasingly concerned that payers won't reimburse costs as denial rates increase, when discussing the State of Claims 2024 report. These concerns reflect operational challenges, including difficulty keeping track of pre-authorization requirements, inability to keep up with rapidly changing payer policies and inadequate front-end data collection. While staffing shortages are not among the top three claim denial reasons as they were last year, they are a continuing drag on efficiency for 43% of providers. Burdened by limited resources, these revenue cycle teams are more likely to make avoidable errors during claim submission—a problem that is affecting the four in ten providers who say they have limited resources to cross-check claims for errors. Riggins suggests that healthcare organizations look to technology to close the claims gap: “We had hoped to see a decrease in claim denials from our previous survey, but it's clear these significant challenges are continuing, adding immense pressure on providers to improve their revenue cycle management processes. This growing crisis is a sign that traditional approaches are no longer enough, and providers should adopt more proactive strategies and the latest technology to navigate this volatility.” Top reasons for healthcare claim denials Here are the top three claim denial reasons and how automation and AI can solve them: 1. Missing or inaccurate claims data Missing or inaccurate claims data is the number one operational challenge responsible for the increase in medical billing claim denials – among the top three challenges for 46% of respondents in the State of Claims 2024 survey. Submitting clean claims relies on getting data right the first time. It calls for speed and efficiency, which is impossible with slow, error-prone manual systems. Yet almost half of the respondents say their organizations are reviewing claims manually. While 54% of respondents believe their technology is sufficient to meet claims management demands, increasing errors and rising denials tell a different story. Revenue cycle leaders who embrace automation in their claims submission and denial prevention strategy set themselves up for smoother operations and a boost to the bottom line. Without the right automation to increase the speed and accuracy of claim submissions, valuable staff time and effort are wasted on manually processing error-prone claims, increasing the likelihood of denial. The lack of automation also places unnecessary strain on staff, diverting their attention from more complex claims issues. 2. Prior authorizations Claim denials often stem from poor communication between payer and provider systems, with the prior authorization process as a prime example. The process requires providers to seek agreement from the payer to cover a service or item before it is administered to the patient. Failure to do so results in the claim for that treatment being denied. Unfortunately, obtaining prior authorizations is not always straightforward; sometimes, the patient's treatment must begin before the authorization process is concluded. Other times, the authorization only covers certain aspects of the treatment. Not only is the prior authorization process complex, but it is also costly, laborious, and time-consuming to navigate successfully. According to the 2023 AMA Prior Authorization Physician Survey, physicians and their staff spend 12 hours per week completing prior authorizations, with almost all reporting physician burnout as a result. Providers must stay on top of frequent changes to payer policies, and staff must use multiple payer portals to track authorization requests. Unsurprisingly, authorizations are among the top three claim denial reasons for 36% of respondents in the State of Claims survey. As with any challenge involving digital systems “talking” to one another, authorizations are a great use case for automation. Automation can be used to check payer policy changes, alert staff when prior authorization is needed, gather relevant documentation, and review authorization requests for accuracy. This significantly reduces the burden on staff and minimizes the risk of claims being submitted without the necessary authorizations in place. Experian Health's Prior Authorizations technology automates authorization inquiries and checks requirements in real time. It uses AI to help users find and access the appropriate payer portal to speed up the authorization workflow. Users will have confidence that they're looking at the same account information and policy details as the payer, which means lengthy negotiations can be avoided. Staff also get accurate status updates on pending and denied submissions so they can take appropriate action and maximize reimbursement. 3. Inaccurate or incomplete patient data Even the slightest mistake or mismatch in a patient's name, address or insurance details can result in a denial, leading to payment delays and extra work for the staff. These denials are particularly frustrating because they should be avoidable. Automation can be used to pre-fill the patient's information before they arrive to avoid the errors that occur with manual input. This has the added benefit of accelerating registration. These solutions can also check for duplicate charges, missing fields and coding inaccuracies. For example, Claim Scrubber helps providers prepare error-free claims for processing by reviewing each line of the claim before it's submitted. ClaimSource® helps providers manage the entire claims cycle by creating custom work queues and automating claims processing to ensure that claims are clean the first time. Implementing technology to prevent claim denials The report details some of the strategies providers are using to try to reduce denials. These include upgrading existing claims process technology, automating or expanding patient portal claims reviews, and automating tracking of payer policy changes. More than half are motivated to adopt new technology to reduce manual input. This is exactly what Denial Workflow Manager is designed to do. It enables providers to track claim status and appeals and quickly identify those that need to be followed up on. It eliminates the need for manual review, while analysis and reporting give staff insights into the root causes of denials to optimize performance. This solution can be integrated with tools like Enhanced Claim Status, which sends automatic status requests based on the type of claim and specific payer timeframes. It generates accurate adjudication reports within 24-72 hours to accelerate the revenue cycle. The output is viewable in ClaimSource to streamline workflows and manage the claims process in a single online application. Automation and digital technology are also valuable counterweights to the shortage of qualified staff. While staffing shortages aren't as high on the list of concerns as in previous years, they remain a stubborn problem. By reducing the need for manual input, claims management can be accelerated while freeing staff to focus their attention where it matters most. Experian Health was client-rated #1 by Black Book™ ’24 in Denial & Claims Management Outsourcing, Health Systems. Learn more AI solutions for reducing claim denials Healthcare organizations can get more bang for their buck from automation by integrating these solutions alongside AI. Interestingly, the survey suggests that providers have mixed feelings towards AI: 35% of providers say they want solutions that leverage more AI and machine learning, yet only 8% are actually using them. Current ClaimSource users might consider AI Advantage™, which uses AI and automation to generate real-time insights for a proactive approach to denial management. It helps providers combat claim denials from two angles: AI Advantage – Predictive Denials uses AI to identify undocumented payer adjudication rules that result in new denials. It identifies claims with a high likelihood of denial based on an organization's historical payment data and allows them to intervene before claim submission. AI Advantage – Denial Triage comes into play if a claim has been denied. This component uses advanced algorithms to identify and intelligently segment denials based on potential value so that organizations can focus on resubmissions that most impact their bottom line. Doing so removes the guesswork, alleviates staff burdens, and eliminates time spent on low-value denials. This solution complements existing claims management workflows to help providers expedite claims processing, reduce denials, and maximize revenue. Another AI-powered solution helps prevent denials on the front end: Patient Access Curator allows patient access teams to capture multiple data points in seconds. This solution solves the “bad data” problem, using AI and robotic process automation to run checks for eligibility, coordination of benefits, Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, demographics and coverage discovery with a single click. The financial impact of denials and the ROI of technology Another paradoxical finding in the report is that while 47% of respondents see having AI technology as a competitive advantage, less than half say they'd be up for fully replacing their existing claims processing technology, even if presented with compelling ROI projections. Automation and AI can meaningfully impact the claims metrics that keep revenue cycle leaders awake at night – denial rates and clean claim rates being the top two. Patients also want to see improved performance when it comes to reducing denials. If healthcare organizations cannot offer a reliable, error-free system, they risk losing patients' trust and loyalty. Providers who demonstrate a well-managed claims system with swift and accurate results will inspire confidence and improve patient engagement. It's essential to assess how existing solutions perform against these metrics and implement upgraded solutions to deliver a more substantial ROI. AI and automation in practice How are Experian Health's clients using AI and automation to reduce claim denials? Here are a few examples: In only six months of adopting AI Advantage for claims processing and reducing claims denial, Schneck Medical Center saw denials fall by an average of 4.6% each month. In addition, the time needed to correct claims dropped from 15 to less than five minutes. The ambulatory clinic Summit Medical Group Oregon implemented Experian Health's claims management solutions, including Enhanced Claim Status and Claim Scrubber, to improve its registration and coding processes. These two solutions helped the team submit cleaner claims, resulting in a decrease in denials. As a result, the company now maintains a 92% primary clean claims rate. Another compelling example of the positive impact of technology on healthcare claims management is IU Health's experience with the all-in-one claim cycle management platform ClaimSource. With ClaimSource, IU Health managed the transmission of $632 million in claims in five days and processed $1.1 billion of claims backlog. Clients who have implemented Experian Health's Patient Access Curator have saved over $1 billion in denied claims, significantly boosting their bottom lines. Experian Health ranked #1 in Best In KLAS for our ClaimSource® claims management system – for the second consecutive year.  Learn more Enhancing revenue cycles by addressing claim denial reasons By pinpointing the most common health insurance claim denial reasons and adopting automation and AI-driven solutions, providers can increase the first-pass clean claim rate, ramp up the likelihood of reimbursement, and reduce the overhead of reworking and resubmitting claims. Inevitably, hospitals will witness a surge in their financial performance. Contact us today to learn how data-driven claims management technology can help your organization reduce denied claims in healthcare and increase ROI. Improve claims management Contact us

What do patients and providers really think about patient access services in 2024? Drawing insights from more than 1000 patients and 200 healthcare executives, Experian Health's fourth State of Patient Access survey pulls back the curtain. Previous surveys revealed a persistent gap between patient and provider perspectives on patient access, but could the gap finally be closing? The State of Patient Access 2024 report suggests that while discrepancies remain, the two groups appear closer than ever. This article provides a summary of the State of Patient Access 2024 report, and gives a run-down of patient and provider perspectives on patient access, what they see as top challenges, where opinions diverge and the steps providers can take to continue building a positive patient access experience in the year ahead. How do patients feel about patient access? 1. More patients think access has improved compared to last year 28% of patients believe patient access has improved over the last year, which is up from just 17% in 2023. As in previous years, patients' perception of whether access has improved hinges on how quickly they can see their doctor. Anything providers can do to accelerate scheduling and registration will be a winner. 2. Patients welcome the efficiency and accuracy of digital tools Patients have noticed improvements in scheduling and registration processes. They welcome the ability to book appointments anytime and avoid unnecessary paperwork using digital technology. That said, financial considerations trump convenience: the ability to look up insurance coverage and obtain accurate price estimates before care have risen to the top of the list of what patients consider the most important aspects to improve. 3. Cost of care remains a concern Unfortunately, patient sentiment around healthcare payments has remained relatively flat since 2022. Slightly more patients are receiving upfront cost estimates compared to previous years, but accuracy appears to have dropped, with 74% of patients reporting accurate estimates compared to 78% in 2023. Patients must have faith in their estimates if they are to plan for upcoming bills with confidence, and providers should be able to provide transparent and accurate payment estimates. What do providers think about patient access? 1. Providers are again more optimistic about improvements than patients Like patients, providers are generally positive about the state of patient access, though they may be a little too optimistic about the effect of improvement efforts. Around twice as many providers think access is better than the previous year compared to patients (55% compared to 28%). For providers, perceptions of improvements in patient access are closely tied to the impact of staffing levels. 2. Self-scheduling is back in favor Providers are aligned with patients on the need for digital scheduling and registration options. Interestingly, after the urgency to implement contactless scheduling during the pandemic began to wane in 2022, the latest survey suggests that self-scheduling is back in fashion, with 63% offering self-scheduling compared to 40% in 2022. 3. “Dirty data” remains a stubborn challenge Data collection at patient intake is a persistent headache for providers. Almost half (49%) say that inaccurate patient information contributes to claim denials. Improving the speed and accuracy of resolving patient information prior to claims submission were frequently listed in providers' top three challenges. See how healthcare organizations are using AI AdvantageTM to improve data accuracy and reduce claim denials. Digital technology bridges the gap between patient and provider perspectives on patient access When asked for their top three priorities for improvement, both groups ranked accurate price estimates and efficient insurance verification among their top two. While they diverge on the third – access to online health management tools for patients, and automated pre-authorizations for providers – it's interesting to note that these both reflect a desire to use digital solutions for greater efficiency and convenience. The survey highlights several opportunities to use digital technology to address upcoming challenges and continue to close the gap. Key challenges in patient access in the year ahead 1. Improving accuracy of upfront price estimates The survey showed 79% of providers plan to invest in patient access improvements soon. Given shared concerns about patients' ability to cover the cost of care, and worrying hints that some may postpone care due to cost concerns, prioritizing and providing accurate patient estimates would be a smart choice. While patients and providers are in closer agreement that estimates are accurate most or all of the time (74% and 85% respectively), there's clearly room for improvement. 2. Accelerating insurance verification and claims submission processes Several of the providers' top challenges speak to how difficult it can be to collate accurate information prior to claims submission. The need for better insurance reviews, more efficient management of prior authorizations, and more accurate patient information all contribute to the overarching goal of getting properly reimbursed. Almost a fifth say that managing multiple tools to determine eligibility, coordination of benefits (COB), and other pre-service checks is a top challenge. Could a single solution be the answer? Experian Health's new Patient Access Curator solution checks eligibility, COB, Medicare and commercial coverage, demographics and financial status in less than 30 seconds. Staff can check off several of these tedious tasks with just a single click. 3. Bolstering workforce capacity with technology A final challenge in the year ahead is the ongoing impact of staffing shortages. For the of providers who feel that staffing levels are disrupting delivery of scheduling and registration services, technology may offer a way through. Automation and artificial intelligence not only reduce the burden on staff by eliminating time-consuming manual tasks, but also allow staff to work smarter and faster on remaining tasks by improving data accuracy and insights. Most importantly, digital technology can improve scheduling, registration and payment processes for patients – and bring the patient experience in line with what both groups aspire to see. Download the full report: State of Patient Access 2024, or contact Experian Health to learn how technology can help streamline patient access.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and computer automation are finally beginning to impact healthcare. Payers are implementing generative AI to improve the customer experience. Researchers at Stanford use AI to review X-rays and detect pathologies in seconds. Today, AI and automation can remind patients about appointments and even provide a portion of their treatment via robotic surgery devices. While groundbreaking AI and automation technologies are in the news, adoption by the majority of healthcare providers has been slow despite research showing these tools could eliminate up to $360 billion in spending. It's a startling statistic that illustrates the reality of AI and automation applied to the revenue cycle: These tools quite literally can pay for themselves. The case for applying artificial intelligence and automation in healthcare Successful revenue cycles depend on thousands of daily tasks, which means efficiency lies at the heart of these endeavors. However, there are a lot of improvement to be made. Experian Health's State of Claims Survey 2022 shows the current state of the average healthcare revenue cycle: Reimbursement cycles are running longer. Claim errors are on the rise. Denials are increasing. More than one-half of U.S. hospitals reported financial losses in 2022. A 2023 America Hospital Report (AHA) report showed: 84% of hospitals admit the cost of complying with payer reimbursement requirements is increasing. 95% report spending more time on pursuing prior authorization approval. Over 50% of hospitals and health systems have more than $100 million tied up in A/R for claims six months old. These challenges stem from the increasing complexities of working with third-party payers, but also the by-hand human workflows embedded within provider revenue cycles. The State of Claims Survey 2022 showed that 61% of providers say they rely too heavily on manual processes and lack the automation they need to streamline reimbursement. As costs rise and revenue cycles tighten, there is increasing pressure to do more with less—faster. However, chronic healthcare staffing shortages have only exacerbated how hard it is for providers to get paid. Technology solves many of the problems plaguing healthcare's revenue cycle. AI and automation offer better revenue cycle management tools with fewer errors, less manual work, and more streamlined processes. How AI and automation improves revenue cycles Increasingly complicated reimbursement processes are the perfect testing ground for new technologies. These tools can improve the revenue cycle from the first point of patient contact to collections long after the procedure is over. For example, AI and automation software can greatly reduce errors and increase the accuracy of claims information before submission. When billing becomes more accurate, it lessens the volume of rejected claims, which take up an inordinate amount of staff resources and lengthen the time from service delivery to reimbursement. But AI and automation also impact the backend of the patient encounter by helping collections teams prioritize accounts most likely to pay. Four applications for AI and automation in the revenue cycle include: 1. Applying automation to patient registration The revenue cycle begins at patient registration, and that's also where providers can begin to apply technology to increase cash flow downstream. Patient registration is often cumbersome, an in-person process tied to a clipboard, paper, and open office hours. Yet Experian Health's State of Patient Access 2023 report shows that 73% of patients want to handle these processes online. Self-scheduling offers patients more flexibility for scheduling appointments when they want and on their preferred digital device. It can remove the friction from a frustratingly manual paperwork process while decreasing no-shows with automated messaging by text and email. Experian Health's automated patient scheduling software reduces time spent on traditionally manual scheduling tasks by 50%. Providers that select these tools increase their patient show rate to nearly 90%. From a revenue cycle perspective, providers that implement online self-service scheduling can see up to 32% more patients each month—which is money in the bank. 2. Finding hidden financial resources to reduce bad debt Experian Health's Coverage Discovery® automates the insurance verification process to match patients' responsibility with the best financial resources possible given their policy limits. Coverage Discovery scans proprietary databases and historical information for primary, secondary, and tertiary coverage. The platform seeks to find all available financial resources to lower the volume of accounts that end up as write-offs or in collections. In 2022, Coverage Discovery found $64.6 billion in patient coverage. In 2023, this software discovered previously unknown financial options for 32.1% of patient accounts, giving these customers more options for reducing debt. 3. Preventing denials by improving data quality Many claims are rejected by payers each day simply due to human error. Some of the most common reasons for claims errors include missing or inaccurate information caused by manual processes. From eligibility verification errors to incorrect insurance details, when paperwork is still by hand and this complex, it's far more likely to make an error than not. Experian Health's Patient Access Curator software automatically verifies eligibility and coverage while scanning patient documentation for obsolete or inaccurate data. The software leverages artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA) to apply computer rigor to previously manual workflows to reduce manual errors. Significantly, this new technology performs these tasks in seconds, freeing up staff time and improving the patient experience. 4. Using artificial intelligence to prevent and mitigate denials How much does the endless pursuit of denials management tie up potential revenue? One survey showed half of hospitals report more than $100 million in delayed or unpaid claims at least six months old. The good news is that 85% of the errors that lead to denied claims are preventable with the help of existing technology. Experian Health's AI Advantage™ solution works in two critical areas to prevent denials before they happen—and correct any denied claims quickly: At the front end of the claim, by correcting errors before submission. AI Advantage - Predictive Denials spots the submissions most likely to kick back from the payer. This early warning system reduces the volume of denials by flagging claims with errors stemming from human mistakes or payer requirements changes. At the back end of the claim, for those rejected by the payer. AI Advantage - Denial Triage takes the volume of claims rejections and prioritizes them by those with the highest ROI for the provider organization. Not all denials offer the same volume or potential for revenue collection. This solution helps prioritize the highest returns quickly to increase revenue collection. Benefits of applying AI and automation to healthcare's revenue cycle There is little argument across the healthcare industry that the strategies that once worked to create a healthy revenue cycle still apply. Fortunately, today's AI and automation software allow these organizations to modernize their approach to these complexities—and win the revenue cycle game. The benefits of applying modern AI and automation tools at every point of the revenue cycle are substantial: Faster and more accurate patient scheduling and registration. No more manual data searches that tie up staff time. Fewer data entry tasks that lead to errors. Fewer claim denials. Less time spent chasing claims. Fewer days in A/R. More cash on hand. A high-performing revenue cycle is possible with the latest technology tools. Experian Health offers a suite of technology solutions that utilize artificial intelligence and automation designed to get providers paid faster, free up staff time, and improve the patient experience. Improving the revenue cycle is a necessity, and Experian Health helps healthcare organizations achieve this goal.

Staffing shortages are the new normal in healthcare. Most news headlines focus on gaps between the supply of providers and the growing demand for care. However, a recent survey by Experian Health, released in November 2023. shows the massive impact staffing shortages have on back office revenue cycle where these functions intersect with front-of-house patient engagement. Strikingly, the healthcare staffing shortage statistics in the survey show revenue cycle executives are 100% in agreement—staffing shortages significantly affect reimbursement workflows to the detriment of patients and healthcare employees. Experian Health's report, Short-staffed for the long term, surveyed 200 healthcare executives responsible for revenue cycle functions. The goal was to gauge the impact of worker shortages on revenue cycle management and patient engagement. While the pandemic brought these shortages into the public purview, this new data shows most providers believe healthcare staffing gaps are chronic and here to stay. These results reinforce The State of Patient Access 2023 survey, where 87% of providers blamed staffing shortages for declining access to care. As the healthcare industry continues to struggle with an ever-increasing staffing shortage, it has become increasingly evident that if left unresolved, this situation can wreak havoc on revenue cycle management (RCM). The latest survey illustrates the need for new strategies to alleviate healthcare worker shortfalls. This article explores the most recent healthcare staffing shortage statistics and some key findings from the study to help determine how healthcare providers can turn these challenges into opportunities. Experian Health surveyed 200 revenue cycle executives to determine the impact of staffing shortages on reimbursement and patient engagement. Download the report to get the full results. Finding 1: Most revenue cycle leaders believe staffing shortfalls negatively affect payer reimbursements and collections. 96% of survey respondents indicated a lack of qualified workers has a detrimental impact on organizational revenue channels. 80% say turnover in their department ranges from 11 to 40%, much higher than the national average of 3.8%. When healthcare organizations lack revenue cycle talent, they risk missing performance goals. High turnover and the departure of experienced staff create information deserts within healthcare organizations. It forces new team members to train faster, handle bigger caseloads before they're ready, and potentially burnout from stress. The pressure to do more faster creates a higher volume of preventable claims errors that lead to denials. The survey showed all these factors at play, and their negative impact on reimbursement, collections, and the patient experience. While the traditional way to alleviate staffing shortages is to increase recruiting and retention efforts, these approaches no longer work when there simply isn't enough available staff to hire and train. Healthcare organizations must consider new partnerships with technology providers who offer automation tools to streamline human workflows. Revenue cycle management software eliminates repetitive tasks and lessens errors that lead to rejected claims. Digital technology can help solve labor shortages by reducing staff workloads and improving operational performance. Automation can streamline collections by prioritizing the accounts most likely to pay. These tools help existing revenue cycle teams work more efficiently while enhancing patient encounters. Finding 2: Healthcare staffing shortages roadblock a positive patient experience. 8 of 10 survey respondents say patient experience suffers due to gaps in staffing coverage. 55% report the patient experience is most heavily affected at intake, and 50% say at appointment scheduling. Staffing shortages and turnover cause an undue burden on the healthcare workers left behind. The survey asked respondents to indicate the top pain points experienced by revenue cycle professionals, and one of the major challenges was staff burnout. Stress has a detrimental effect on patient interactions throughout the revenue cycle. The survey shows staffing shortages impede patient satisfaction in critical areas within revenue cycle functions, including: Scheduling appointments Patient registration Prior authorization Insurance coverage confirmation Patient estimates Revenue cycle interactions can be delicate, requiring extreme patience and clear communication. Healthcare organizations must provide the support their revenue cycle teams need to handle these crucial conversations appropriately. To improve the patient experience, organizations must first improve the workflows and workloads of these critical back-office teams. When healthcare organizations have the right tools to eliminate manual tasks that bog down revenue cycle staff, these professionals can spend more time on the compassionate handling of patients and their accounts. Providers have the opportunity to solve these challenges with digital patient engagement solutions that improve workflow efficiencies at every level of the revenue cycle. Patient scheduling software creates a self-service environment that 73% of healthcare customers prefer. Patient intake improves with online software that automates the tedious paperwork that tie up staff. Better technology can create price transparency without manual effort, ensuring patients understand their responsibilities up front instead of facing surprises during or after care delivery. Finally, a frictionless online payment platform allows patients to handle their obligations seamlessly without staff intervention. Finding 3: Errors arise when healthcare providers are short staffed, leading to claims denials. 70% of survey respondents say staff shortages exacerbate denial rates. 92% of survey respondents said new staff members make errors that negatively impact claims processing. Some of the most common reasons for healthcare claim denials include: Incomplete collection of claims data Coding errors Billing errors Eligibility verification errors Missed insurance verification Healthcare operations and revenue cycles are full of manual processes. RevCycleIntelligence reports one-third of prior authorizations are completed manually, and two-thirds of hospitals haven't automated any part of their denials management processes. Yet technology has made significant strides toward reducing these error-prone manual tasks. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), with solutions like AI Advantage™, within the complexities of claims processing could cut provider spending by up to 10% annually. Eliminating repetitive tasks with automated claims management solutions improves the lives of staff, cuts manual errors that tie up cash flow in reimbursement wrangling, and creates a better, less stressful environment for customers. Reducing the impact of healthcare staffing shortages with revenue cycle automation and technology Sometimes, 100% agreement isn't the desired outcome. In this case, the healthcare staffing shortage statistics found in the survey shows healthcare providers agree unanimously that chronic staffing shortages create a problematic environment for employees that costs revenue and patient engagement. While technology exists that can maximize revenue staff workflows to extend the reach of overburdened employees; survey participants suggest that healthcare organizations continue to approach solving these issues by adding staff.  But healthcare's staffing challenges are not new. While organizations have historically invested revenue in higher salaries and sign-on bonuses to attract staff, technology offers a new opportunity for history to avoid repeating itself. It's time for healthcare organizations to support their teams with automation. These tools alleviate mundane, error-prone tasks that tie up staff. Experian Health offers these organizations a way to improve the lives of everyone within the revenue cycle by allowing back and front-office teams to focus on patient care, rather than filling in forms. It's a more humane way to handle a very human staffing crisis. Download the survey or connect with an Experian Health expert today to learn how we can help your healthcare organization combat staffing shortages.

AI and automation could cut US healthcare spending by up to 10% – a promising figure for hospitals operating on razor-thin margins. Despite the potential for cost savings and revenue growth, investing in AI can seem risky while the technology feels relatively new. But as denial rates increase, staff shortages persist, and payers race ahead with their own AI-led efficiencies, investing in AI and automation could help healthcare providers increase efficiency and reduce manual workloads, while improving the patient experience. In a recent podcast interview, Johnathan Menard, VP of Analytics at Experian Health, talked to Andrew Brosnan of Omdia about how providers can use AI and automation in healthcare to reduce admin costs and tackle staff burnout, while maximizing the ROI on new technology. This article sums up the key takeaways. “AI and automation are gaining momentum in the healthcare revenue cycle, but there remains untapped potential” For healthcare leaders, maintaining the financial health of their organization is critical to serving their communities. Menard sees untapped potential to use AI to improve financial prospects by automating and eliminating administrative tasks within the revenue cycle: “There are many repetitive, tedious tasks involving large amounts of data that's already collected, and mostly structured and standardized. That can be organized and analyzed with AI to help improve efficiency and accuracy.” Automation is a well-established route to lowering manual workloads, increasing efficiencies and generating data for better decision-making. AI takes this a step further. For example, Experian Health's flagship AI platform, AI Advantage™, can parse an organization's data to identify and predict patterns in payer behavior. It translates this data into insights that help providers boost profitability and improve the staff and patient experience. Menard explains why claims management is a prime use case for AI: “Last year, the average denial rate was already above 11%. That's 1 in 10 patients potentially having to deal with uncertainty about who will pay the bill, when they should be focusing wellness. That's where we see Experian Health being able to lean in and drive value and change in the healthcare industry with AI.” “Cost is the biggest barrier to AI and automation adoption in healthcare – but can be offset with the right data” Despite the potential upside, healthcare still lags other industries when it comes to implementing AI. Menard says that workforce costs are the biggest barrier to adoption: “In healthcare, it's not just a matter of implementing the technology or solution, but also maintaining it on a yearly basis with talent. Organizations are going to have to recruit an AI-competent workforce.” He says that providers may struggle to offer competitive salaries to attract staff with this skillset, but there are other ways to offset cost concerns. One example is working with a trusted third-party vendor to choose the best-fit AI solution for their organization. These vendors can leverage economy of scale, data and lessons learned in other markets to help providers deliver new models of care: “At Experian Health, we have health data spanning eligibility and benefits, address, identity, claims remittance payments. We have insights on 300+ million consumers and 126 million households. We're able to offer providers one of the most holistic views of today's health care consumer. It gets really exciting when you think about partnering with providers to augment their capacity to deliver a different style of care.” “Providers need to make sure staff see the benefits of AI and automation” Menard notes that successful implementation of AI needs staff buy-in: “Providers need to make sure staff see the benefits of what this technology can bring. They must also make sure they give them the proper training on how to embrace these capabilities. They do not replace your job; they augment you to do more, or they allow you to focus on doing the right thing, not the right thing that needs their specific level of expertise.” AI Advantage is a prime example, reducing the admin burden for staff, who can then focus on higher priority tasks. The solution takes a two-pronged approach to help staff reduce claim denials and maximize reimbursement: AI Advantage – Predictive Denials synthesizes historical and real-time claims data and payer decisions to flag claims that are likely to be denied. This allows staff to intervene and make necessary amendments prior to submission. AI Advantage – Denial Triage performs a similar function for claims that do end up being denied. It helps staff eliminate time spent on low-value denials by guiding them resubmissions that are most likely to be reimbursed. Schneck Medical Center and Community Regional Medical Center (Fresno) are seeing the benefits of AI Advantage. Watch the on-demand webinar to hear about their results. Moving beyond proof of concept Menard acknowledges that providers need to feel confident in a tool's ability to deliver before they make an investment, especially if they are operating on single-digit margins: “You can't do that without the proof of concept. There are too many competing priorities, especially in the revenue cycle, and healthcare leaders need to be laser-focused and very confident in their decision-making.” In part, this is what Experian Health is looking to do with AI Advantage. By demonstrating the power of AI to reduce costs and alleviate staff pressures within claims management, it can act as a springboard for smarter automation across other revenue cycle operations. Menard believes that as AI adoption expands, it will become faster, easier and cheaper to develop solutions at scale: “That's why we built the AI Advantage platform – to launch other products in the future and solve other issues throughout the healthcare journey. We talked about automation, adoption and healthcare. To me, the best way to automate a process is to eliminate the need for it in the first place.” Find out more about how AI and automation in healthcare can reduce costs, prevent staff burnout and help providers prepare for future challenges.

Compared to other industries, healthcare tends to be more resilient to economic turbulence. But the weight of the pandemic, labor shortages, rising costs and increasingly complex reimbursement structures are squeezing hospital margins. A Kaufman Hall National Hospital Flash Report in July 2023 found that many hospitals underperformed, and the gap between high-performing hospitals and those struggling continues to widen. Providers must find new and effective ways to improve revenue cycle management, should any new uncertainties emerge. With pressure mounting to increase efficiency and reduce expenses, more providers are turning to automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to eliminate unnecessary manual work and optimize revenue cycle management processes. For example, Stanford Health Care leveraged automation to reduce their cost to collect. Banner Health improved patient collections with transparent price estimates. Schneck Medical Center zeroed in on claims management and incorporated AI to reduce denials. In the face of a cashflow crunch, healthcare providers increasingly turn to data-driven revenue cycle management (RCM) strategies that span the entire patient journey. This article lists six of the most effective income-generating digital RCM strategies that providers are using to maximize profits. Building blocks of a healthy revenue cycle At its core, revenue cycle management is about ensuring providers are fully reimbursed for the care they provide. The true ROI is much broader – efficient financial and administrative processes for patient billing, claims management and collections contribute to better care, satisfied patients, high-performing staff and good financial health. Realizing these benefits calls for revenue cycle processes built on three principles: Efficiency – streamlining processes to reduce resource utilization across the entire billing cycle Accuracy – ensuring all patient and claims data is correct and complete to avoid denials and delays Transparency – giving patients, providers and payers relevant and timely information, so they can act with confidence in each financial transaction. To achieve this, providers are moving away from slow, costly manual systems. Digital RCM tools are becoming non-negotiable. 6 data-driven strategies for effective revenue cycle management 1. Increase efficiency in patient access Revenue cycle management starts when the patient books their appointment and ends when the final bills are settled. Claim denials and delayed payments often arise from data errors and miscommunications in the early stages of the patient journey, which means patient scheduling and registration processes are critical to streamline RCM. With automated, data-driven patient access tools, providers can simplify tasks across the patient journey, so patients can move from one stage to the next with as little friction as possible. Fewer errors mean delays and disappointment are more easily avoided. Automated registration and online self-scheduling can also lead to savings through more efficient use of staff time and reducing the number of appointment no-shows. Experian Health clients find that online tools allow them to make relatively minor adjustments to their workflows, with a major impact on productivity. 2. Deliver accurate and timely patient billing Patients want the payment process to be as painless as possible. In multiple surveys, Experian Health has found that patients are worried about the cost of care, while 63% of providers believe patients frequently postpone care because of cost concerns. Clear, comprehensive estimates, billing and collections practices can make it easier for patients to navigate their financial journey. And with the end of continuous Medicaid enrollment, it's likely that more patients will find themselves unsure of their coverage situation, and in need of greater support to manage the financial process. For Stanford Health, the key to improving revenue cycle management centered around patient billing and collections. To achieve the dual goals of improving the patient experience and increasing collections, they used data-driven insights and automation to remove uncollectible accounts, prioritize accounts with a high propensity to pay, find missing coverage and reduce the manual workload. Collections Optimization Manager helped Stanford Health identify the best possible collections strategy, by scoring and segmenting patient accounts with the highest propensity to pay. Coverage Discovery® supplemented this strategy by checking for any unidentified primary, secondary or tertiary coverages that can potentially reduce self-pay amounts and avoidable charity designations. As a result, Stanford Health achieved a $4.1m increase in average monthly payments and efficiency gains of $109k per month. 3. Provide transparent price estimates Experian Health's State of Patient Access 2023 report suggests that fewer than three in ten patients know how much their care will cost in advance, while nine in ten consider it important. Delivering accurate pre-care estimates to help patients plan for bills could therefore be an easy win to improve the patient experience and recoup more revenue. Banner Health used Patient Estimates as part of a wider strategy to improve patient collections. This solution generates detailed estimates of the patient's financial responsibility along with recommendations for payment plans and financial assistance, if appropriate. Listen in as Becky Peters, Executive Director of Patient Access at Banner Health, talks about streamlining the patient registration process and improving patient access with pre-care estimates. 4. Effective claims management Perhaps the biggest opportunity to improve revenue cycle performance lies in claims and denial management, which accounts for a major proportion of wasted healthcare dollars. Summit Medical Group Oregon–BMC paired Enhanced Claim Status with Claim Scrubber to submit cleaner claims the first time and avoid lost revenue. These tools help providers submit accurate claims and monitor claim status to prevent denials and resolve issues quickly. For Summit Medical Group, this led to a 92% primary clean claims rate, and a reduction in accounts receivable days and volume by 15%. Experian Health also offers a new solution that leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence for predictive reimbursement. AI Advantage™ uses AI to predict and prevent claim denials based on historical claims data. In the first six months, this solution helped Schneck achieve a 4.6% average monthly decrease in denials and decreased time spent on denials by 4x. 5. Easy ways to pay (plus clear pricing and payment policies) How easy is it for patients to pay? This simple but important question points to another vital element of effective revenue cycle management. A compassionate and convenient patient payment experience that matches consumer experience in other industries can encourage earlier payments. Easy digital options are especially important for millennial and younger patients: research by Experian Health and PYMNTS found that 60% of younger patients are looking for digital services. Experian Health's patient-friendly payment tools are designed to help patients navigate their financial responsibilities with confidence and ease. For example, PaymentSafe® allows providers to securely collect payments anytime, anywhere, including mobile payments and patient portals. 6. Operational efficiency with automation, data and analytics RCM processes generate vast amounts of data, providing valuable insights into the organization's operational performance, revenue trends and areas for improvement. Being able to parse and translate this data into actionable insights is essential to determine the right strategies to pursue to optimize financial performance. But this in itself can be a major lift. Revenue Cycle Analytics is a web-based tool that breaks down data into actionable insights across billing, reimbursement and payer performance, presenting KPI data via comprehensive dashboards. Effective revenue cycle management strategies from start to end From labor shortages to rising costs, healthcare providers are finding creative ways to manage cash flow. While each healthcare organization’s needs and goals are different, understanding these six key strategies of successful revenue cycle management can help hospitals manage their revenue cycles more effectively and efficiently, while responding to new uncertainties. Find out more about how Experian Health helps healthcare organizations leverage automation and AI to streamline processes and boost revenue cycle performance.

The healthcare staffing crisis was one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare providers pre-pandemic, only to be exacerbated by the pressures of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Almost a fifth of healthcare workers resigned between February 2020 and September 2021. Unfortunately, the problem isn't in the rearview mirror yet – a new study from McKinsey reveals that worker shortages persist, with 31% of nurses declaring their intent to leave their jobs in the next year. These shortages put pressure on remaining staff, compromise hiring efforts and make high-quality services difficult to maintain. Without a thriving, vibrant workforce, how can healthcare providers meet the needs of their patients? Can automation help address the healthcare staffing crisis? Stubborn staff turnover levels aren't unique to healthcare, but addressing them is even more critical, given the detrimental effect on patients. As the staffing crisis shows no signs of letting up, providers should consider how technologies that leverage automation and AI can help. Tom Cox, President at Experian Health, says, “Automation has transformed many aspects of healthcare, from driving down appeals and denials to improving the digital front door. We're now seeing AI starting to make waves, too. These technologies are the future and are changing healthcare for the better.” Opening healthcare's digital front door is a good place to start. By eliminating repetitive and time-consuming tasks like data entry, manual patient registration and prior authorizations, staff will be freed up to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality patient care. Here, we look at three areas where automation can simultaneously alleviate the burden of staff shortages and create a better patient experience. Use case 1: automate patient access to manage the growing demand for services Manual and repetitive processes eat up valuable time and create greater workloads that contribute to staff burnout. This is especially true in patient access, which is a typically admin-heavy process. Allowing patients to complete more of their registration and scheduling tasks themselves can reduce the workload in understaffed teams. Many patients prefer not to book appointments through call centers, and high call volumes are a major pressure point for staff. Similarly, manual patient registration is labor-intensive and error-prone, eating up staff time and creating bottlenecks for patients. Automated registration and self-scheduling solutions help patients access care without waiting in phone queues. Patients can book, cancel and reschedule appointments through their mobile devices. On the back end, data can be leveraged to predict and manage demand, while digitized scheduling means agents can spend less time checking referrals against scheduling rules. Automated prior authorizations mean staff no longer need to spend hours poring over payer policies and checking individual payer websites to check for changes – the software updates automatically in real-time. Simplifying these processes with automation not only minimizes operational strain but also reduces friction for patients who want to see the right specialist in the least amount of time. Use case 2: automate personalized patient outreach to reduce call volumes Another way to reduce the administrative burden is with automated patient outreach. Reducing no-shows is an important strategy to promote better health outcomes and boost financial performance. Instead of burying staff with a list of patients to follow up with, providers should utilize automated patient reminders. Automated patient outreach solutions allow providers to segment patients according to their individual needs and preferences, so patients get relevant information through the most appropriate channel. This allows patients to proactively and conveniently manage their own healthcare journey. Automated messages can also be sent to remind patients of outstanding bills and link them to payment options. This means patient collections teams can spend less time on calls and focus instead on meaningful conversations with patients who need extra guidance or support. Use case 3: automate patient collections for faster payments and a better patient experience With fewer staff, patient collections teams must figure out which accounts to prioritize, while navigating increasingly complex payer policies. Advanced data analytics and automation can be used to make these processes more efficient. Similarly, automated patient collections software can screen and segment patient accounts to allow staff to quickly prioritize those with the highest probability of being paid. Collections Optimization Manager offers convenience and clarity to staff with an easy-to-use interface, while targeted collections strategies facilitate conversations with patients based on accurate information and fewer calls and emails. Speed and accessibility create a better experience all around for both patients and staff. Using automated solutions to reduce the pressure of the healthcare staffing crisis Cox says, “Over the last few years, Experian Health has focused on helping providers and payers solve the immediate challenges associated with a remote workforce and staffing constraints while scaling services in response to surging demand. Integrating automation with self-service tools is just the beginning. Our vision is to continue driving innovative and automated solutions that will improve care outcomes and transform our clients' healthcare operations.” These are just a few examples of how automation can create new opportunities for healthcare providers. Digital processes that were once considered merely “nice to have” are now critical components to alleviate the healthcare staffing crisis and deliver positive patient experiences. Contact us to find out more about how Experian Health can help your organization use automation to alleviate the healthcare staffing crisis.

Could the era of manual claims processing be coming to an end? Experian Health's State of Claims 2022 survey revealed that more than half of healthcare providers have embraced advanced automation, freeing up staff from time-consuming and inefficient manual tasks. Automation has dominated as the key strategy used by providers to reduce denials in the previous 12 months. This evident optimism about technology's ability to address challenges in the claims process suggests that automation is here to stay. However, while automation has cracked open the doors to more efficient claims processing, the predictive power of artificial intelligence (AI) in claims processing can unlock exponentially higher rates of reimbursement. Providers may be increasingly aware of the benefits of automation, but many have yet to step into the world of AI. This article considers the advantages to be found in layering AI technology on top of automated claims processing and looks at how two new AI solutions are helping providers reduce denials and expedite payments.  How automation helps with claims processing Healthcare organizations with automated claims processing report improvements in speed, accuracy, financial performance and patient experience. For example: Automated claims management solution ClaimSource® helped Hattiesburg Clinic in Mississippi accelerate cash flow, reduce denials to 6.1%, and expedite claims from secondary and tertiary payers. Summit Medical Group Oregon used Enhanced Claim Status and Claim Scrubber to reduce accounts receivable days by 15% and achieve a first-time pass-through rate of 92%. These tools improve efficiency across the entire claims cycle by automating repetitive tasks, executing effective workflows and generating data-driven insights into root causes of denials so staff can prioritize high-impact tasks and errors are far less likely. Industry reports corroborate these positive results: CAQH reports that the medical industry could save as much as $22.3 billion per year through further automation. Unlocking the untapped potential of AI in claims processing Despite automation's impressive results, claim denials remain a thorn in the side of many revenue cycle leaders. This is where AI can help, thanks to its ability to predict and respond to payer behavior and claims data. But while 51% of survey respondents were using automation, only 11% had introduced AI-based technology to their claims process. For the AI-curious, combining automation and AI could be a good starting point to supercharge claims processing. AI technology can predict potential issues before they even occur by analyzing claims and denials and making suggested corrections or interventions in real-time. It can also assist in identifying fraudulent claims and denials, leading to improved claims processing accuracy and revenue cycle management. By using automation and AI together, healthcare providers can gain better insights into their claims and denial data, resulting in improved financial performance and greater efficiency. What does that look like in practice? More efficient and accurate claims predictions Automation can relieve staff of manual data handling activities, increasing the speed and accuracy of claim processing, from patient intake through scrubbing, submission and adjudication. AI enables staff to perform remaining tasks with greater confidence and accuracy. They no longer need to wonder, “which claim should I rework first?” – AI has the answer. Without AI, the logical approach would be to rework what appear to be the highest-value denials first. But in many cases, these aren't the ones most likely to result in reimbursement. AI can help staff prioritize by analyzing historical payment data and undocumented payer adjudication rules to flag denials that are most likely to be paid. This is exactly how AI Advantage™ – Predictive Denials works. Experian Health's new AI-based solution checks for any changes to the way payers handle denials and assesses these against previous payment behavior. Providers can set their own threshold for the probability of denial, and if the solution determines that a claim will exceed this threshold, it alerts staff so they can act quickly and decisively before the claim is submitted. Schneck Medical Center was an early adopter of this tool and used it to complement their existing claims workflow (built around ClaimSource®). Within six months, they saw average monthly denials drop by 4.6%. Predictive alerts allowed staff to focus efforts on submitting clean claims the first time, so both the number of denials and hours spent reworking them were drastically reduced. “Learning” from denials data to drive financial performance By definition, automated claims processing systems will repeat the same tasks over and over. This is great for operational efficiency but has limited capacity to handle variation. A major advantage of an AI-based solution is its capacity to “learn” and predict, so each claim can be individually assessed and directed to the most appropriate workflow. AI Advantage™ – Denial Triage uses advanced algorithms to identify and intelligently segment denials so that providers can prioritize accordingly. Just as Predictive Denials uses historical payment data to predict the claims that may be at risk of rejection, Denial Triage learns from payers' past decisions to predict the denials that are most likely to be reimbursed if reworked. Read more about Schneck Medical Center's experience with AI Advantage. How does using AI benefit healthcare staff? The use of AI in claims management can be met with different reactions: some staff are enthusiastic about the prospect of having manual tasks taken off their plate and being able to use their time more effectively. Others may be concerned about the impact of AI on jobs and recruitment. The reality is that many providers face ongoing staffing shortages, and therefore have little option but to augment their existing teams with new technology. Maintaining pre-pandemic headcounts in light of post-pandemic work patterns and budgets may not be possible. Automation and AI can resolve these short-term challenges while generating a positive ROI in the long term, as the volume and complexity of claim denials continue to grow. As noted in the State of Claims 2022 report, technology should no longer be viewed as a threat to jobs, but as a way of making life easier for staff. Automation and AI work hand in hand to execute tasks that many staff find time-consuming and laborious, leaving the more stimulating and high-value tasks for the human workforce. Improving operational performance can therefore have a positive effect on job satisfaction and retention. The integration of AI in claims processing is not about replacing human expertise, but about harnessing the power of AI-powered algorithms to enhance efficiency and minimize denials. The optimal approach lies in combining the strengths of automation, AI and staff. Automation handles repetitive processes, AI expedites decision-making, and human expertise brings contextual understanding and empathy to the process. Learn more about how Experian Health can help organizations utilize AI in healthcare claims processing with AI Advantage.

Healthcare has witnessed significant shifts over the last few years, driven by a combination of economic turbulence, legislative change, technological advances, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to contactless and remote care, it’s much easier for patients to speak to their doctor and manage their healthcare journey from any location. Personalized medicine and wearables are providing insights and recommendations tailored to every individual. Chatbots and AI are enabling fast and efficient interactions between patients and providers. All of these innovations have a common purpose – to improve the patient experience. The other feature these innovations have in common is that they’re all driven by digitalization. Digital technology has reshaped the way healthcare is delivered. Providers have more tools at their fingertips to create a great patient experience. Those that leverage digital technology will see a rise in patient acquisition and retention, better health outcomes, and increased profitability. This article suggests 3 strategies to help build a better patient experience – and one thing to stop – to improve patient satisfaction and secure a competitive edge in 2023. One practice that must change to improve the patient experience A 2022 report by Experian Health and PYMNTS analyzed responses from more than 2000 patients that revealed some common frictions in the patient journey. The results showed that patients are enthusiastic about digital technology but often can’t access the tools they’d like to see. Patients are frustrated by poor communications, clunky, opaque billing processes, and a lack of digital options (such as patient portals). There’s a clear message: outdated technology and manual processes are hurting the patient experience. If there’s one thing to stop in 2023, it’s reducing reliance on antiquated systems and technology. Opening the digital front door with automation, advanced data analytics, AI and self-service tools can offer patients reliable, personalized, anytime-anywhere access to the care they desire. 3 ways to leverage digital tools to build a better patient experience 1. Give patients control with on-demand patient access Patients are no longer passive participants in their healthcare experience; they're thinking and acting like consumers. They’re choosing providers that give them choice, convenience, and above all, control. This should start with their first interaction with the provider: appointment scheduling. In Experian Health’s State of Patient Access 2.0 survey, almost 80% of patients said they preferred to schedule their own appointments at any time and from any device. Sanju Pratap, Vice President, Product Management at Experian Health, says, “when patients have to wait for the office to open or negotiate with a call-center representative to make an appointment, scheduling feels like a hassle. For patients who are accustomed to online scheduling in other areas of their lives, lack of access could be a reason to look elsewhere for care.” But the digital front door doesn’t close when the appointment is booked. Patients will be frustrated if a great online self-scheduling experience is followed by a stack of paper registration forms to be filled out in the waiting room. Experian Health’s suite of patient access solutions offers patients a consistent and frictionless experience that includes online self-scheduling, mobile-enabled registration, automated price estimates and payment management. 2. Provide financial clarity and support with patient-friendly billing Many of the most common complaints about the patient experience involve payments and billing. Patients want clarity and will switch providers to get it. For that reason, one of Experian Health’s “predictions for 2023” is that patients will increasingly choose providers that offer a user-friendly financial experience. Healthcare providers can improve the patient experience by making it easier to navigate the payments side. This includes: Providing upfront Patient Payment Estimates so patients can predict and plan for their financial responsibility Locating patients’ missing insurance coverage (and reducing the risk of uncompensated care) with Coverage Discovery Using data to determine the right financial pathway for each patient and deliver personalized payment plans to take the stress out of healthcare billing Offering a variety of patient-centered payment options like contactless payments, mobile wallets and online portal 3. Personalize communications with targeted outreach Delivering a quality patient experience requires more than just offering good medical care - effective communication is key. For providers, it's essential to provide clear and personalized communication that speaks directly to the individual patient. Mass-marketing emails may appear more efficient but are often ineffective in conveying key information or fostering a sense of connection with healthcare providers. This leaves room for gaps in care, as well as confusion among patients. Targeted patient outreach can ensure patients get the right message at the right time, through their preferred communications channel. With the right combination of data and digital tools, providers can make sure their patients feel heard and understood throughout their patient journey. Bridging the digital divide Not everything can or should be automated. Patients still want face-to-face interactions. Automation and AI should be used to manage repetitive, process-driven tasks, so staff are free to support patients with more complex needs. To leverage the full potential of these digital tools, providers must understand how to use them to create a connected patient experience that flows seamlessly between face-to-face and digital domains, from scheduling appointments to paying for care. Find out how Experian Health is helping healthcare providers improve the patient experience in 2023.