Revenue Cycle

Avoid confusion on billing statements

Patient Financial Services Weekly Advisor, July 2, 2004

Patients who visited Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, VT, were having trouble understanding their bills, and subsequently, the hospital's phones were ringing off the hook with questions and complaints.

Carol Muller, director of customer service and self pay, shared the principles of the process she used to overhaul the statements during HFMA's annual meeting this week in Nashville.

In order to make statements more user friendly and clear, consider the following:

  • Would your father be able to understand this?
  • Would he be able to read the print?
  • Is the use of color eye-catching or confusing?
  • Do you properly identify hospital v. physician bills (if your system bills both)?
  • Is there too much or not enough clinical information?
  • Are you using simple language?
  • Do you have a payment policy in place? If so, it's a good idea to print it on the back of the bill.
  • Are the access points clearly outlined so the patient knows how to call you back?

    Before the new format, Fletcher Allen received an average of 4,651 patient calls per week. Muller reported that calls dropped 43% in one month after the new bills were launched (2,636 calls per week).

    Two years later, calls per week have dropped to 1,997.

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