Patient-friendly billing: are your bills patient-friendly? If not, we're here to help

Healthcare Financial Management, Nov, 2004 by Joyce Zimowski

As I travel around the country to attend HFMA chapter meetings, I often ask how many attendees have heard of HFMA's PATIENT FRIENDLY BILLING project. I'm pleased to see a growing number of bands go up. My follow-up question-"Do you work for an organization that has embraced the Patient Friendly Billing philosophy?"--unfortunately gets a less affirmative response. Although many folks are familiar with HFMA's efforts to focus the industry's attention on this topic, apparently not everyone has jumped on the bandwagon to implement the: recommendations.

For those unfamiliar with this effort, Patient Friendly Billing is a collaborative endeavor of HFMA, the American Hospital Association, the Medical Croup Management Association, and select provider partners to promote clear, concise, and correct patient friendly financial correspondence. A team of talented volunteers has spent more than three years highlighting opportunities to improve the messages and information that we send to our patients via the patient billing process. This group began by sitting down with hospital and physician billing office staff to identify barriers to cresting patient-friendly communication. In addition, hospital software vendors were consulted to validate the find lugs and, more important, to be part of the solution. The team also formed focus groups of patients and family members to determine at what point during the process communication is preferred and, if so, what level of detail should be provided.

The results of this extensive research can be viewed at the project web site (www.patientfriendlybilling.org), where you will find a wealth of information and practical ideas that can be used by all provider organizations. You can find case studies, best-practice ideas, sample billing forms, and a glossary of commonly accepted terms to ensure that we all are talking the same "billing" language. In addition, regardless of the information system vendor you have or other system limitations that exist, all providers can take certain steps to create clear, concise, patient-friendly financial correspondence within their organization.

I have to admit, when I first heard about this project, I was skeptical. It's taken us 30 years to create this billing mess we're in. I didn't believe it could be fixed, at least not in my lifetime. However, this group of dedicated volunteers has made me a believer. Every one of us can promote Patient Friendly Billing. I believe this is the one area where we, individually and as an association, can make a difference and improve the industry. I urge all of you to visit the Patient Friendly Billing web site and obtain the tools and knowledge that will help your organization embrace the Patient Friendly Billing philosophy.

The Patient Friendly Billing project is provided in an effort to offer value to our members, enhance their careers, and to help go beyond the numbers.