How to leverage patient support tools during the first quarter of the year

The first quarter of the year is always busy for medical practices as patients seek to understand their annual healthcare deductible reset. It’s not uncommon for patients to have a whole host of questions such as: What is my new health insurance deductible amount? How does my new health insurance deductible work? What counts toward my health insurance deductible, and what doesn’t? How much will I need to pay out of pocket for today’s visit? It’s not surprising why patients are confused. An office visit that previously cost a $20 copayment could now require hundreds of dollars or more out of pocket. That’s enough to send anyone spiraling into a sea of anxiety.

Rising costs are a hard pill to swallow especially for patients with high deductible health plans (HDHP). For calendar year 2024, the IRS defines an HDHP as one with an annual deductible of at least $1,600 for individuals and at least $3,200 for families. Fortunately, health savings account (HSA) contribution limits are higher than ever before as well. For 2024, these limits are $4,150 for individuals and $8,300 for families. 

Still, about half of U.S. adults say it is difficult to afford health care costs, and one in four say they or a family member in their household had problems paying for health care in the past 12 months, according to a recent report. Six in ten uninsured adults (61%) say they went without needed care because of the cost.

Leveraging patient support tools

It’s important for medical practices to devise a proactive strategy for ongoing patient education and support particularly during January when the annual healthcare deductible reset occurs and beyond. In the absence of this strategy, practices run the risk of creating front-desk bottlenecks, increasing patient accounts receivable, and falling prey to dissatisfied patients who simply seek care elsewhere. 

In times of persistent healthcare staffing shortages, providing comprehensive patient support requires a variety of digital support tools:

• Phone support with an interactive voice response system to handle inbound call and streamline call flow
• HIPAA-compliant real time chat integration to address patient questions, manage and resolve payment issues, share documents, and more
• Secure mail and text support to respond to patient questions as quickly as possible

Following are four best practices to leverage these and similar tools:

1. Upskill your staff. Patient support tools are designed to augment existing staff capabilities. While the technology can—and should—handle basic inquiries, your staff must be prepared to address more complex and nuanced questions and issues related to the annual healthcare deductible reset with ease and empathy. For example, how will staff promote up-front collections when a patient voices concern over an unanticipated out of pocket dollar amount? How will staff explain why some services during a single encounter apply to the health insurance deductible and others don’t? All of this may require additional training prior to rolling out the tools. The good news is that upskilling your staff may lead to greater staff satisfaction and retention. 
   
   
2. Develop policies. It’s important to identify how and for what purpose you will use patient support tools. For example, what are the use cases and exceptions for each tool? Who within the medical practice will handle technology issues and questions when they arise? What safeguards can you put in place to ensure timely messages aren’t overlooked? 
   
   
3. Educate existing patients. Patients won’t know about tools available to them unless you make them aware. This is where a patient education campaign centered on empathy and support can help. It’s about letting patients know your medical practice cares about them and their ability to understand and pay for healthcare services—especially when their health insurance deductible resets. That’s why you’ve invested in tools to make it easier for patients to get answers to their most pressing questions. Signage in the waiting area and exam rooms can help. In addition, clinical and administrative staff can let patients know you provide on-demand support to accommodate busy lifestyles. 
   
   
4. Use patient support tools to attract new patients. Undoubtedly, your ability to provide on-demand support is one of many reasons why patients should choose your medical practice over others. As such, it only makes sense to highlight these advantages on your medical practice website, social media, and other channels to let prospective patients know what they can expect when they seek care with your providers. 

Conclusion

Improving the patient experience through ongoing support during and after the annual healthcare deductible reset provides medical practices with opportunities to attract and retain patients, enhance operational efficiency, and even boost revenue. Learn how Inbox Health can help. 

Lisa A. Eramo, MA is a freelance healthcare writer who specializes in healthcare reimbursement, health information management, value-based care, and patient engagement. She contributes bylined articles to various healthcare trade publications and also assists clients with healthcare content marketing. You can reach her at lisa@lisaeramo.com or by visiting www.lisaeramo.com.