Health systems often overlook the most essential staff to the revenue cycle – and it costs them. Front-end Patient Access Staff are the first step in the revenue cycle and arguably the most critical. These team members, who typically are among the lowest paid, have a greater influence than many realize on patient accounts as they set the tone for patients at the onset of their experience.
Patient Access Staff are responsible for the first point of contact. A patient’s initial experience begins with scheduling, a place we find many missed opportunities for ensuring proper revenue cycle engagement. During this initial encounter, staff verify the patients’ identities, insurance coverage and can provide an estimate of cost. Some of the most common mistakes at this critical point in the revenue cycle are a simple matter of approach by Patient Access Staff.
Ask Don’t Tell
We all understand how any minor discrepancy in insurance or patient contact information can slow the revenue cycle. An incorrect address can result in months of failed billing, and incorrect insurance means a trip through the costly denial process. Patient Access Staff must understand that it’s not as simple as verifying the information on file at the onset of treatment – it’s how you verify it. We refer to this as the “ask don’t tell” rule. Patients are busy, they are usually not pursuing treatment as a planned encounter, and this means they often have other things on their mind. You may be surprised how easy it is for a patient to uh-huh their way through a pre-treatment interview.
Is your address still…. Uh-huh
Is your Insurance still… Uh-huh
Is your phone number still… Uh-huh
It’s important to ask the patient to supply the details of their contact and coverage information rather than supplying them with the answers you may already have on file. This forces patients to stop and think and can prevent accidental verification of the wrong data.
Patient Access duties can vary slightly from organization to organization. Some departments are responsible for authorizations, the determination of out-of-pocket costs, finding patients financial assistance or even taking payments. Each one of these presents an opportunity to boost the revenue cycle through a single simple action…
Sign Patients up for the Self-service Portal
This one often overlooked step can result in faster time to first payment, faster account resolution, and even a better propensity to honor payment plan agreements. It’s as simple as informing patients about the self-service portal and its conveniences, providing them with a link, and encouraging them to sign up at the time of service. Portals not only improve patient financial engagement, but they take a huge burden off of Patient Access Staff by minimizing time-consuming tasks such as fielding questions about billing or taking payments over the phone. In many ways, they can also improve the patient experience by providing complete billing transparency, supplying vital financial information in one convenient place, and making payment arrangements quickly and easily.
Failures in Patient Access can reverberate through your organization beyond the revenue cycle. They can damage your reputation by lowering patient satisfaction scores. Patient Access Staff must be given the proper tools and training to ensure their essential function in the revenue cycle. Professional’s consultants are standing by to help, contact us to schedule a conversation today.