Tag: Jennifer Leon
Bill paying: Don't set it and forget it
August 3, 2020Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa - With an estimated 60% of DME patients walking out the door without making any sort of a payment, Jennifer Leon says it's time for a shift in thinking.“We have to change the mindset,” said Leon, vice president of patient collections for Brightree, during a session for VGM's Heartland at Home Conference in June. “We are no longer going to bill and chase; we are going to collect at the time of service.”That means everyone from front-line staffers to delivery...
Patient Collections: Fine-tune where needed
August 29, 2018Jennifer Leon
The essential techniques for an effective automatic payment program include: establishing, preparing, communicating and lastly—maintaining. You've established your card on file plan, and that's great. However, it's not enough; you must continue to uphold the changes to your billing plan and strive to create an ideal billing experience.Below are three ways to maintain the momentum with your new 'card on file' policy:Hold staff accountable, and continue trainingYou must hold staff accountable...
Patient collections: Train, then communicate
July 30, 2018Jennifer Leon
A. Once you've decided to implement a 'card on file' payment method, and you've begun changing internal processes, the next step should be to communicate this policy—the key in developing a successful automatic payment program.Below are three ways to ensure successful communication:Conduct proper training internally Once you develop an internal policy, you must first communicate that policy company-wide. Designate the key staff members, and utilize them to lead the rest of the team. Develop...
Patient Collections: Lock it down like Fort Knox
June 26, 2018Jennifer Leon
A. There are four simple steps.Select a Payment Vendor that Holds the Highest PCI DSS CertificationFirst and foremost, you want to make sure your vendor has a strict set of security requirements in place for the management and protection of cardholders' private information and other payment processing related activity.Update Internal ProceduresSurely your staff is not photocopying card information, saving it in an Outlook task item or writing it down—are they? If you answered yes to any of...
Patient Collections: Don't bet against the house
May 29, 2018Jennifer Leon
A. Did you know that 60% of the amount owed by patients is never collected, and that 30% of patients have a past due balance of 60 or more days?Even if you are collecting initial copays up front, HME providers are quickly realizing the value of having a card on file for future payments is more of a necessity than it has ever been. What's astonishing is the rate in which automated payments is growing—111% year over year—and that number will certainly continue to rise.Failure to create...
Capture customers, payments
July 25, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa - Whether it's offering information, selling products, or providing an easy way to pay, providers more than ever need to shift their focus to technology, say industry experts.
Capturing customers
Providers need to be where the customers are—these days, that's online.
“People don't go online anymore—they live online,” said Josh Weum, of Google, in the session, “Micro Moments: How Our Biggest Opportunities are Found in the Smallest Moments,”...
Billing technology: Select the right agent
June 20, 2014Jennifer Leon
A. Fast, easy and automatic has become the new standard in today's society. Patients want things the simplest way they can get them, so what better way to implement this new standard of automation in your business than through self-service virtual agents?If you can get your patients to pay their bills quickly and effortlessly, positive changes are immediately apparent. Periodically reminding your patients of their unpaid bill only fuels the fire that gets them to pay. If a virtual agent does nothing...
Billing technology: Make waste unnecessary
May 23, 2014Jennifer Leon
A. As new knowledge and technologies like online bill pay and automatic payments emerge our lives become more streamlined and therefore more simplified. Billing can be a hassle, but with new technology billing becomes a dream rather than a nightmare. Invoice history This is the biggest benefit of all. Many patients go back at tax time to collect healthcare bills they can deduct. Electronic invoicing makes this process easy for your patients and much easier on you. Your staff no longer...
Billing technology: Transition gently to new technology
April 25, 2014Jennifer Leon
A. Automatic payment is something that providers must bring to the forefront of their businesses. This technology not only eliminates the time it takes to get paid, but it also ensures the 100% coverage model that providers so desperately need.Automatic payments are on the rise, so why aren't providers making better use of this technology?As it stands today, many providers are experiencing high costs related to old fashioned and expensive billing. Automatic payment eliminates those costs while freeing...