Today’s healthcare patient call centers are buzzing with activity, and it’s not surprising why. Healthcare is confusing even for the savviest consumers, and when the annual healthcare deductible reset occurs, well, that just adds an additional layer of complexity. Healthcare financial leaders recognize the importance of patient call centers, but do they truly understand the direct and indirect revenue potential? Below are significant opportunities to utilize your call center as a financial resource, as well as tactics to maximize value further and yield greater results.
Patients who understand what they owe and why are more likely to follow through with payment or sign up for a payment plan. Call center agents can promote accelerated patient payments that lead to smooth cash flow.
Call center agents can provide proactive patient financial education to help organizations avoid penalties for noncompliance with the No Surprises Act.
Patient call center agents are an extension of the organizations they serve. As such, they have opportunities to build rapport in an age of digital communication, enhance patient engagement, and boost overall patient satisfaction. In addition, they can cost-effectively perform CAHPS and other patient experience surveys that organizations can, in turn, leverage to gain feedback.
Through outreach and care coordination, patient call center agents can greatly impact hospital readmissions, improve outcomes, and lower costs.
Below are five strategies to maximize the value patient call centers can provide:
Certain days of the week—or even hours of the day—may be busier than others in terms of patient call volume. Adjustable staffing accommodates these variations, thereby reducing hold times that could negate an otherwise positive patient experience.
Patients aren’t always able to contact the call center during normal business hours. While organizations with call centers operating outside of 7 am to 5 pm may struggle to recruit and retain qualified agents, one option is to partner with an outsourcing vendor that provides 24/7 coverage (including coverage on U.S. holidays) by leveraging offshore employees.
Identify root causes of claim denials or surprise medical bills. Then identify ways in which the patient call center can mitigate risk. For example, if incorrect primary insurance is a common reason for denial, organizations can develop a call center script to take extra steps when collecting and validating this information. Or if noncoverage for a particular procedure is a common complaint of surprise medical bills, call center agents can alert patients in advance.
The most effective way to do this? Partner with an outsourced patient call center vendor. Outsourcing your patient call center means you eliminate the costs of recruitment and training, including the cost of turnover. Turnover averages 30-45% in call center settings, which can create serious strain on your operating budget. Outsourcing also allows you to eliminate the rising costs associated with employee benefits, as well as real estate and other overhead fees. If outsourcing is not an option, it becomes extremely important to monitor key performance indicators and increase existing staff efficiency when possible. However, be careful not to create an environment of healthcare worker burnout. In general, the call center agent utilization rate is 75%-90%. Increasing this rate to above 90% causes burnout while decreasing below 70% reduces call center effectiveness. To calculate your call center agent utilization rate, take these steps:
For example, can call center agents provide timely discharge support? What about facilitating follow-up tests and visits? What about performing medication reconciliation or coordinating home services
As healthcare organizations continue to look for ways to improve cash flow, reduce compliance-related fines, and enhance patient engagement and outcomes, the patient call center is an often-overlooked asset. Taking the time to maximize its value can yield significant financial and operational results.
Our revenue cycle and patient call center professionals operate as an extension of your team, Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Schedule a meeting to discuss your scope of work and current challenges.
Step 2: Global assembles, trains, and manages a team of highly skilled professionals to work on your project only.
Step 3: In an average of 30 days, your team is fully ramped up and operating at your designated benchmarks and KPIs.
