How Health.Finance is tackling modern-day healthcare patient financing

There are some stunning numbers for you to think about regarding modern-day healthcare patient financing. Are you ready? Here we go.

•       Total patient financial obligation is around $400 billion
•       37% of providers surveyed said their main revenue cycle concern is the increase in patient responsibility
•       There has been a 50% increase in deductible plans in recent years
•       Only 15% of bills sent to collections are recovered
•       Medical bills are the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. at 62%
•       34% of consumers pay their medical bills late. It has made the healthcare industry the most consistently delinquent billing category

These staggering totals are in part why Armada Labs recently launched our new division called Health.Finance. This new endeavor provides a streamlined payment process that becomes a win-win for both patient and provider.

The platform is a premier solution for today’s healthcare patient financing industry. It allows patients affordable payment options, and healthcare providers to supply more needed services to their community. With the desire for patients to get on a payment plan, and providers to ensure they collect for services, this is the perfect solution for both ends of the payment cycle. Our platform is not only data driven, but we use machine learning as well. What it does is outline the outcome of the probability that a patient will be able to make payments. The platform is comprehensive, scalable, and patient-friendly.

Armada Labs at FinTech Connect

Nick Varnitski, Armada Labs’ Founder and CEO says:

“We’ve been in FinTech software development for the last 17 years, even before everyone started using the term “FinTech”. When it comes to financial services, consumers are used to the latest advances in technology.

I, as a consumer, can get a loan right from my mobile phone, I can apply for a mortgage, open a bank account or trade stocks from anywhere where there is internet connection. But when I come to a hospital or doctor’s office and become a patient, it feels like I stop being allowed to be a consumer. The convenience of the technology is taken away from me. I am handed a paper form and a pen and am supposed to remember all my financial details.

This is what Health.Finance is trying to solve. We feel that patients are consumers too, and should enjoy the benefits of technology they have gotten used to.”

For providers out there, think about this:

•       You will have the ability to understandunique patient financial situations
•       It will createless time-consuming manual reporting burdens
•       You will significantlydecrease write-offs and unpaid collections
•       There ismore flexibility in the application, which will lead to more patient payments

For patients out there, think about this:

•       37% of those surveyed saidlack of financing was the main reason for not paying medical bills. Now, you can have it
•       Gone are the days of the $20-$25 co-pay. You can spend thousands of dollars on medical care. And now, Health.Finance can be your solution totake care of those costs without stressing about how to come up with the total amount all at once
•       The process to set up paymentsdoesn’t require you to fill out long paper forms. It can be done in a few minutes on your cell phone

Varnitzki adds, ““Health.Finance is not a lender, we don’t lend money to patients, but rather provide doctors and hospitals with the same level of financial technology that only large lenders and banks used to be able to afford. We are enabling hospitals to do something that they are already doing, offering payment plans to patients who can’t afford to pay up front, but doing it in an automated manner, where both hospital and patient benefit.”

In the United States, for example, healthcare financing can be confusing for the average patient. When government administrations change out, oftentimes there are attempts to put different healthcare plans into place. The ever-evolving world of political change in America brings with it different strategies as to how healthcare should be maintained.

Throughout the industry, patients and providers are in constant flux when it comes to a payment structure that can meet the needs of both parties. Developing effective, efficient ways to improve the patient financial experience is an essential strategic priority for all providers, as they navigate the shift to self-pay models. Fortunately, many healthcare organizations have come to realize that a little flexibility, patience, and compassion go a long way and send a strong message for improving both patient experience and a hospital’s bottom line.

Preventive care is under-utilized, resulting in greater spending on more complex, advanced diseases.

Patients with chronic diseases like hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes commonly do not receive proven and effective treatments such as drug therapies or self-management services to assist them manage their conditions in a better fashion. This holds true for insured, uninsured, and under-insured patients. These issues are exacerbated because there can be fragmentation of healthcare systems. So, it’s not surprising at all, given that healthcare providers don’t always have a platform that ensures accounts received become payments collected. The correct software that delivers for both ends of the provider/patient revenue cycle can significantly improve patient care.

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