Why I Joined Health iPASS: Introducing Amanda Comer

Hi there! I’m Amanda Comer, the new Health iPASS Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast. I’m here today to talk to you about why I joined Health iPASS, and it involves a component of your practice that has been steadily gaining importance over the years. This component is likely more crucial than ever after disruptions caused by COVID-19. What am I talking about? It’s the experience you provide your patients. Are you delivering the absolute best experience for patients from the first touchpoint to final payment of their visit balance? If the answer is no, you will be losing patients to providers who do.

Like many of the patients you interact with each day, my family and I have been on a high-deductible healthcare plan for several years. It seemed like the right choice as we are generally healthy. However, nothing involving healthcare billing and payment is all that clear, speaking historically. For example, just when you think you have met your yearly deductible and the next test or procedure is covered, it turns out there is some complication like one out-of-network provider who was involved, and now you have a separate bill for that. Whew. Understanding what you owe your medical provider and why can be a challenge, even for a person like me with 20 years of experience in the industry. The implications for your practice can be crushing. Unclear costs and complicated billing practices reduce the likelihood of payment. It’s that simple.

A 2019 report showed that of the one-third of Americans with unpaid medical bills, 24 percent didn't even realize the bill was owed and 13 percent said they never received the bill in the first place. Another 10 percent said the bill was sent to collections mistakenly, even though they had already paid it. With all of that confusion, combined with rising patient out-of-pocket costs, your patients are craving better cost communication & an easier way to pay.

I also have three children who are highly active in sports. Anyone who is a parent knows that you are likely going to be visiting doctors frequently. Let’s face it-- kids get sick a lot-- and athletics come with special physicals, injuries, etc. When you are juggling three children and work, the last thing you feel like doing is arriving to your appointments 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork. Yet far too many providers still expect this step from their patients. There’s a better way.

One more consideration when it comes to your patient experience-- the effect of telehealth on your patient loyalty. The implications of expanded telehealth adoption (for more info on this trend, check out this blog post) means your patients now have a much larger network of providers from which to choose-- and given the choice, they might not pick you. In fact, a recent survey by Cedar reported that 41 percent of patients would consider switching  providers for a better digital experience.

The good news is that Health iPASS has all the tools your practice needs to deliver a top-notch experience for every step of the patient journey. From smart appointment reminders and 100% mobile patient intake, payment, and check-in, to automated eStatements and payment of residual balances, our platform will improve engagement while putting smiles on your patients’ faces and payments where you need them—funding your practice.

To hear more about what Health iPASS can do for your practice, contact me at Amanda.comer@healthipass.com, or visit our website to schedule a demo.