Tech & Innovation in Healthcare

Question: Our practice accepts in-office payments of cash, checks, and credit cards for our patients’ medical bills. We also have online bill pay and we have a policy that keeps a patient’s credit card on file. However, for several of our patients, we are the only healthcare option within 100 miles of their home, and they don’t have a computer with internet access to pay their bill on time.

Are there other payment options that we could offer our patients?

North Dakota Subscriber

Answer: Online bill pay and a credit-card-on-file strategy are great alternatives to traditional payment options. Another method you could add to your revenue cycle management department is text to pay.

According to Pew Research, approximately 97 percent of Americans own a version of a cell phone and approximately 85 percent of Americans own a smartphone. By having this technology readily accessible, your patients can easily pay their medical bills over secure text messaging.

The way the service works is simple. When a patient’s bill is ready, the service texts the patient’s mobile phone number on file with a message indicating the patient owes a payment. The patient then taps the link in the text message to open a window where they can complete the transaction without needing login credentials.

Text to pay provides your patients with the option to easily pay on the spot when they receive the text message. For patients who live far from the practice, such as those you describe, they can settle their bill without having to drive back to the practice or mail a check. Plus, your practice receives payment in a timely manner without having to send multiple follow-up notices.