Being more proactive about communicating with patients has been a key driver of a 7,200% increase in payment collections for an Indiana healthcare organization.
Goshen Health operates 20 facilities in Goshen, Indiana. Amy Floria, the chief financial officer of Goshen Health, spoke at a conference in Las Vegas this week and detailed how the company improved from collecting $2,500 per month in 2014 to $240,000 per month in 2017, according to a published report.
“Five years ago we had no policy in determining which patients would qualify for financial assistance,” Floria said. “We had everyone apply and just charged off bad debt when they didn’t end qualifying and stuck the system with their bill.”
To improve communication, the company redesigned its website and made sure that someone from the company met with every patient while the patient was still in a facility, to answer questions and go over options.
“We are able to help more patients who can’t pay their bill instead of just charging them off to bad debt,” she said.
