HCHC works to expand health care transparency initiatives

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

As health care practices and medical billing policies continue to change in the world of medicine, Henry County Health Center (HCHC) has joined forces with other statewide health care entities to better provide clear billing and cost information to patients at the local health center.

?We know that some people don?t always understand what the costs are going to be for a procedure when they leave a hospital, so that?s really what brought on this transparency and consumerism initiative at the health center and throughout Iowa,? said Dave Muhs, HCHC CFO.

Leading the statewide change in this effort to make Iowa hospital patient billing more user-friendly and clear is the Iowa Hospital Association and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

?In health care, something we have realized is that we sure can schedule appointments and diagnose issues really well, but sometimes we fall short in telling patients what the cost of that appointment is going to be for them. It?s understandable that people get frustrated when they find out their bill is much more than what they thought it would be,? Muhs continued.

To face this issue head-on, Muhs, along with HCHC?s financial transparency task force, have been working to ?make financial transparency a priority, enhance patient communication and engagement, and promote associate engagement and awareness.?

Already, HCHC has implemented a variety of services that explain patient billing and payment due dates. In addition, HCHC can provide patients with access to financial counselors and online tools that will communicate directly with an insurance provider to obtain bill estimates, allowing patients to make an informed decision about their care.

?With regards to being open to the public, we have gone through and updated all of our financial policies to be easier to understand and have tried to lay out all the different options available to our patients in terms of billing,? said Sara McClure, HCHC Patient Financial Services Director. ?Also, on our statements and at registration, we do provide patients with information about where they can apply for financial assistance and those types of things.?

In addition, HCHC has also added notifications about prompt pay discounts for patients that pay their bill within 30 days, as well as loan programs for certain patients with high deductibles.

And, like many other hospitals in the state, HCHC has now linked its website to Iowa Hospital Charges Compare, which allows patients to compare hospital charges and care quality for inpatient and outpatient services by city and facility. HCHC has also linked its website to Medicare Hospital Compare, which provides patients with the ability to view patient satisfaction scores and quality data with other local hospitals.

With all the changes that HCHC has been making in regards to patient billing and medical transparency, the health center was recently recognized as an adopter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association?s Patient Financial Communications Best Practices. According to Muhs, HCHC joins a select group of other hospitals in the country that have achieved this national recognition.

?Patients are a lot more receptive and happier to know what they are going to pay ahead of time, especially if they were informed of something they didn?t know before,? said Stephanie Giberson, HCHC?s Director of Health Information.

?Sometimes, they feel better going into a procedure when they know what?s going to happen afterwards. And if they do have something coming up, they have time to financially plan beforehand, as we do send out estimates before the procedure,? Giberson continued.

As to how the transparency initiatives have impacted the number of patients the health center is seeing, HCHC officials say some impact has been seen, but that every attempt to provide the right type of service to patients remains a priority.

According to health center data, average scores of patients who reported that they would recommend HCHC to a friend has increased from 52.8 percent in January - April of 2013, to 71.2 percent during the same month span in 2015. Additionally, Muhs says that since the health center began implementing patient-friendly billing, cash flow has improved.

?We have had patients that have realized they can?t afford certain things, but since they know what it?s going to cost them, we have seen people save up and come back later to get the testing or procedure they need,? said McClure. ?And if there are ways we can help that patient through one of our financial assistance programs, we will. We don?t want to deny people care, but we do want them to understand every aspect of their health care. We take pride in our work and we want what?s best for our patients.?

To learn more about HCHC?s patient financial services, visit their website at www.hchc.org or call 319-385-6140.