Recently proposed new rules from two agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are welcome signs of the healthcare industry’s inevitable inclusion with the rest of the consumer-driven U.S. economy. HHS’s rules represent a start, but patients are expecting much more.

Patients are setting the bar higher than ever. They are demanding not only more transparency into hospitals’ clinical performance, but also greater convenience in all aspects of how they plan and pay for care. The shift to patient-driven revenue streams has introduced many new challenges for providers—but it has also created opportunities for...

The increase in patients’ individual financial responsibility poses a serious challenge to hospitals’ billing and collections practices, because institutional payers and individual patients behave in very different ways. Insurance companies and government payers require a lot of data in a structured, standardized process. Patients are much more...

In a recent blog, we looked at how the playing field in healthcare is changing—and becoming more competitive. As more new players and merger-driven super-competitors enter the market, incumbent healthcare providers are facing unprecedented pressure on their market share.

To defend your patient base against these disruptors, you need to provide...

The financial dimension of the patient experience is extremely important. Today’s patients know they’re responsible for a significant share of their medical costs, and they want to be able to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. However, providers need to engage patients on financial issues earlier and more effectively to meet...

The partnership between UCSF and Dignity Healthcare in the development of a patient engagement platform is an exciting leap in the realization of Holistic Patient Engagement Models and Partner Based Collaborations. 

The healthcare market is changing. Decisions about care and spending are becoming increasingly consumer-driven, and new competitors are entering the marketplace to meet growing demand for cost-effective, convenient care. Hospitals need to adapt to this shift to retain patients and revenue streams.

We've seen the risks revenue cycle leaders take by not treating patients like consumers (Consumerism is the New Ball Game), and we’ve learned about how offering payment options (Solving the Patient Pay Challenge) and creating a digital engagement platform (Mastering the Art of Digital Patient Engagement) can set an organization on a path to...

In the first two parts of this series, "Consumerism is the New Ball Game" and "Solving the Patient Pay Challenge" we’ve seen how rising out-of-pocket costs for patients negatively impacts both them and healthcare providers, and how offering payment options can boost patient experience and provider profitability. Along with payment options, many...

In part one of this series, "Consumerism is the New Ball Game", we looked at the shifts happening in the healthcare industry. Though we painted a fairly dismal picture, we are confident savvy revenue cycle leaders will adapt to the new landscape and drive success for their organizations.