Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, is making efforts to simplify and improve patient billing, according to a Chillicothe Gazette report.
The efforts are part of an internal project at the hospital. ARMC has contracted with Ensemble Health Partners, a Huntersville, N.C.-based revenue cycle solutions provider, to reboot its billing cycle. Patients now have new tools to make insurance validation more efficient and effective. The improvement efforts also include a price transparency initiative where patients are able to receive an estimated cost of service and an out-of-pocket cost estimate at registration. Patients can also assess different options for paying their medical expenses, according to the Chillicothe Gazette.
In addition, patients may now talk to a financial counselor, or receive help with Medicaid applications, according to the report.
Changes to the actual patient bill are also planned. Health System President and CEO Jeff Graham told the Chillicothe Gazette he hopes all patient services for a procedure are on one statement within the next 18 to 24 months. This simplifies bills for patients by ensuring they don't receive multiple bills for services such as the anesthesiologist and emergency department.
Read the full report here.
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