Healthcare Technology Insights

Improve Patient Satisfaction With Enhanced Payment Options

Posted by Ian

Offering modern HIPAA compliant patient payment solutions provides a better customer experience for patients, encourages timely payment and is proven to bring financial savings and improved operational efficiency to any size of healthcare practice.

Adding multiple up-to-date payment options leads to improvements in satisfaction and retention levels. For example, making it convenient for patients to pay from their phones by automatically communicating balances and payment options by text and email, practice staff will spend on average 30% less time on payment collection and posting. Plus the practice will see a significant reduction in its accounts receivable numbers.

Non-Payment Is Bad For Both Patients And Healthcare Providers

Non-payment is known to be one of the main reasons why patients switch healthcare providers. Patients can become anxious when they owe money and frustrated if they find it difficult to make a payment.

Digital patient payment solutions that can be easily integrated with all existing practise management systems make it more convenient for patients to settle their medical bills. They also bring a wide array of benefits to the practice, such as improved cash flow, reduced AR rates, and staff efficiency.

Recent studies show that younger patients are open to switching healthcare provider to one that offers finance and convenient digital payments.

Features Of Patient Payment Solutions

If you don’t have digital payment options available, consider upgrading to add a variety of choices that make it easier for patients to pay their bills. Some examples include:

1. Contactless Payments

HIPAA Compliant Contactless Payments For PatientsContactless patient payment solutions are secure and can protect staff and patients’ health and safety by allowing patients to pay by touching their mobile device or card to a digital reader.

Offering contactless also means that if someone has forgotten their wallet, they can still make a payment with Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, SamsungPay® or a digital wallet.

Because contactless payments do not require patients to enter a PIN, swipe a card, or sign for a transaction, they decrease the time patients need to spend at the front desk, reducing queues and allowing your team to focus more of their valuable time on other tasks.

2. Patient Financing

Healthcare providers can encourage patients to seek medical care by offering patient financing as part of an upgraded payment solution.  The option of manageable monthly payments empowers patients to access the essential treatment they need.

Offer Patient Finance As A Payment OptionMultiple financing options are offered to patients just 30 seconds after applying, and the vast majority get approved.

Healthcare providers who offer patient financing will enhance their practice and are helping their patients who may otherwise pay surprise medical bills with expensive credit card debt.

Patient financing can strengthen cash flow and dramatically reduce accounts receivable numbers with zero risk to the practice, while at the same time increasing patient loyalty.

3. Online Payments

Online Patient Payment Solutions For HealthcarePart of a modern payment solution suite is a secure online payment gateway, allowing patients to pay online 24 x 7. Optimized for mobile devices, it also works with laptops and desktop computers, allowing patients to make payments from home or on the go.

A payment link can be added to your website, to emails, texts, and any other patient communications. This means patients will have a seamless and smooth payment experience.

Being fully integrated with your practice management software payments will be automatically posted to the patient ledger or electronic health records. This reduces errors and helps staff to monitor transactions.

4. Card On File

Card on file is functionality that allows a practice, with consent from the patient, to store their payment information securely and conveniently in a secure HIPAA compliant vault hosted in the cloud. 43% of patients say they are comfortable with automatic payments to avoid repetitive manual data entry of their debit or credit card.

Secure Online Vault For Payment SolutionsWhen patients leave a payment method on file, it means one less step during future checkouts. This can even be done ahead of visits when a patient fills out a digital registration form. The front desk can make the payment for the patient at checkout with no need to dig around for cards and a payment receipt will be automatically sent by email.

A card update feature checks stored card information and if anything has changed, the payment information is automatically updated in the vault. This saves staff time keeping up with payment information.

The healthcare organization is also protected from chargebacks or legal disputes with card on file agreements that are built in to the system and are kept on file with a patient’s record, and which can be emailed or printed for patients’ own records.

5. Subscription Payments

ubscription Payment Options For Healthcare ProvidersCard on file also enables healthcare providers to set up an automatically recurring payment to allow a patient to pay down a large out-of-pocket expense over several months. For many patients, having this interest-free option can make the difference between choosing to avail of medical care or not. This flexible payment option is a highly practical way for healthcare providers to receive more incoming payments and for patients to afford their treatment.

6. Increased Security & Fraud Prevention

With modern patient payment systems, data is never stored on the premises or servers of a healthcare provider.  Instead, the application stores all customer data in a secure, encrypted, electronic vault which is compliant with all relevant standards such as PCI, DSS, and HIPAA. The practice is also protected from the cost of fraud. Risk management experts monitor transactions and maximize security in order to detect attempts at fraud.

Summary Of Benefits To Healthcare Providers

Better Patient Payment SolutionsStreamlining your payment processes with a patient payment solution that seamlessly integrates with your existing practise management systems brings many business benefits while also providing an improved patient experience.

  • Reduced AR – Dramatically reduces accounts receivable numbers.
  • Stronger Cash Flow – Better payment options, including flexible financing means patients are able to pay medical bills immediately.
  • More Focus On Patients – Patient payment solutions bring greater staff efficiency allowing them to spend more time on patient care and less time on administration duties.
  • More Patients – Practices that offer digital payments bring in more new patients and have higher retention levels.
  • Increased Operating Margins – Practices that get paid more quickly and have less bad debts have lower accounting costs and higher margins.

Benefits Of Upgrading Payment Solutions For Patients

Empowering patients to pay bills from anywhere at any time with any internet connected device fosters patient loyalty and trust.

  • Empowerment – Flexible and varied payment options mean patients can confidently access the treatments they need.
  • Convenience – Multiple payment options provides a better, more convenient customer experience for patients.
  • Affordability – Spreading the cost with regular subscription payments or financing allows patients to receive the care they need and budget appropriately.

Find Out More About Patient Payment Solutions

Find out more about patient payment solutions by filling in a form on this page. You will be contacted by a member of staff from Rectangle Health our page sponsor.

Find out more about the Benefits Of Patient EngagementYou can ask questions, request a demonstration, or arrange a no risk evaluation, all with no obligation.

Since 1983 Rectangle Health has been providing financial technology solutions exclusively for healthcare organizations. Their fully HIPAA compliant solutions are used by over 60,000 healthcare providers in the U.S and they process over $6 billion of patient payments annually.

 

The HIPAA Journal has arranged a 25% reader discount on Rectangle’s list price for their patient payment solutions.

By supporting one of our sponsors, you are helping The HIPAA Journal to continue to provide our news service free of charge.

The post Improve Patient Satisfaction With Enhanced Payment Options appeared first on HIPAA Journal.

How to Become HIPAA Compliant

Posted by HIPAA Journal

When considering how to become HIPAA compliant, one of the simplest approaches is to adopt HHS’s “Seven Fundamental Elements of an Effective Compliance Program.” This will help you address compliance challenges identified in a HIPAA risk assessment. It can also be beneficial to take advantage of HIPAA compliance software that is built around  The Seven Fundamentals in order to maintain a compliant workplace.

7 Steps for HIPAA Compliance

In 2011, HHS published “The Seven Fundamental Elements Of An Effective Compliance Program”. We have slightly amended it to be more relevant to HIPAA compliance in 2026. Here is a summary of the elements, which we outline in more detail in this guide.

  1. Develop policies and procedures so that day-to-day activities comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
  2. Designate a privacy officer and a security officer.
  3. Implement effective training programs.
  4. Ensure channels of communication exist to report violations and breaches.
  5. Monitor compliance at floor level so poor compliance practices can be nipped in the bud.
  6. Enforce sanctions policies fairly and equally.
  7. Respond promptly to identified or reported violations, and breaches.

How To Become HIPAA Compliant

You can also read more about the background and history of the Seven Elements here.

The best HIPAA compliance software You might consider using >HIPAA compliance software which has been designed to use the seven elements framework and can simplify and automate compliance, and provides comprehensive risk management processes.

Step 1: Why HIPAA Privacy Rule Policies and Procedures?

Although HIPAA compliance consists of complying with all relevant Administrative Simplification Regulations, implementing HIPAA Security Rule and Breach Notification standards is generally an organizational process not connected with cultivating a culture of compliance. Additionally, the most common HIPAA violations are attributable to failures to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

However, it is no longer sufficient to develop policies and procedures that only address permissible uses and disclosures, the minimum necessary standard, and patients’ rights. Covered entities should ensure HIPAA Privacy Rule policies and procedures include how to explain to patients what PHI is (and what it isn’t), how to verify an individual’s identity, and how to record requests for privacy protections.

Step 2: The Roles of HIPAA Compliance Officers

It is interesting that the HHS’ Office of Inspector General placed this “tip” in second place after the development of policies and procedures. This would imply the roles of HIPAA compliance officers are to train members of the workforce, monitor compliance, and enforce the organization’s sanctions policy. However, there is quite a lot more involved in being a compliance officer.

In most cases, the HIPAA Privacy Officer will be the point of contact for members of the public and members of the workforce that want to report privacy concerns. Security Officers are generally more responsible for conducting risk assessments, ensuring security solutions are configured properly, and training members of the workforce on how to use the solutions compliantly.

Step 3: What Makes an Effective Training Program?

The effectiveness of the training provided to members of the workforce can make the difference between ticking the box of compliance or cultivating a culture of compliance. To make HIPAA Privacy Rule training effective, members of the workforce must understand what PHI is, why it has to be protected, and the consequences to patients, employers, and themselves of HIPAA violations.

HIPAA Security Rule training must be focused on protecting PHI in all formats and even more focused on the consequences of taking shortcuts, circumnavigating safeguards, and failing to alert managers of a data breach for fear of “getting into trouble”. One way of achieving this is to ask members of the workforce to run personal online credentials through the HIBP database to illustrate the importance of unique, complex passwords.

Step 4: The Importance of Two-Way Communication

While policy making and training has to come from the top down, it is important that any channels of communication relating to HIPAA compliance are also bottom up – not only to raise compliance concerns or report HIPAA violations, but also to provide feedback on what works and what doesn’t on the ground floor, and what new challenges are facing frontline members of the workforce.

This is why it can be important – when resources allow – to have a compliance team consisting of team members that have worked in or have knowledge of how different departments operate. For example, a compliance team consisting solely of lawyers and IT managers may not appreciate the difficulty of protecting the privacy of PHI in front of a grieving family mourning a recent loss.

Step 5: How Most Poor Compliance Practices Develop

Most poor compliance practices result from well-meaning intentions – for example, to “get the job done” or provide a good service to a patient’s family. When minor violations are allowed to continue, poor compliance practices can develop into a culture of non-compliance. This is why it is important to identify and address poor compliance practices at the earliest opportunity.

While it is important to have eyes on compliance at floor level, it is also important not to take eyes off compliance at higher levels. Busy managers and senior managers can also be guilty of taking shortcuts with compliance or ignoring non-compliant activities because they do not have the time to “sort it out” – when, in truth, the failure to take action is a failure of management.

Step 6: The Best Sanctions are Not Always Disciplinary

Sanctions policies can often be overwhelming documents threatening all manner of disciplinary actions for non-compliance from warnings to suspensions, to termination of contract and loss of license. Some even include the maximum federal penalties for violations of §1177 of the Social Security Act (up to ten years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines).

Although these sanctions may have to legally be included in a sanctions policy, making them the focus of attention is not necessarily the best way to cultivate a culture of compliance. The threat of a loved one being the victim of medical identity theft and the consequences of data breaches can encourage workforce compliance more than the threat of refresher training.

Step 7: Responding Quickly is the Key to Compliance

One of the keys to cultivating a culture of compliance is to respond to queries, issues, complaints, reports of violations, and data breaches as quickly as possible. Responding quickly to any type of communication demonstrates a commitment to compliance and an eagerness to ensure – once a compliant workforce is achieved – the compliant state is maintained.

Responding to queries, issues, complaints, etc. would ordinarily be the responsibility of compliance officers (or teams), but this can lead to the compliance officers being overwhelmed. Consequently, it may be necessary for managers and senior managers to take some responsibility for monitoring compliance and responding to workforce or patient communications.

The post How to Become HIPAA Compliant appeared first on The HIPAA Journal.