Availity and NextGen Healthcare collaborate to enable cost transparency in an industry fraught with rising deductibles
For healthcare providers, the laborious process of registering patients, estimating costs, collecting up-front payments, reducing denials and securing overall financial clearance is challenging, requiring the immediate need for efficiency and improved workflow. As deductibles rise, patient demand for cost transparency prior to service is skyrocketing. To meet these needs, NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXGN), the leading provider of ambulatory-only technology solutions, and Availity, the nation’s largest real-time health information network, have collaborated to offer clients NextGen® Pre-Service Solutions.
“With NextGen Pre-Service Solutions, providers benefit from true revenue cycle workflow improvements resulting in increased staff efficiencies, practice cash flow, patient satisfaction and ultimately the highest quality care,” said John Beck, Chief Solutions Officer and Executive Vice President for NextGen Healthcare. “Our partnership with Availity is another step forward in our mission to enable the transformation of ambulatory care.”
With the integration between NextGen® Enterprise PM and Availity, NextGen Pre-Service Solutions arms staff with real-time access to data, including insurance benefit verification, cost estimation, patient financial scripting, address verification and payment options. This more efficient approach to pre-service registration, supported by improved technology, will enable providers to meet the demands of the new, consumer-focused healthcare environment.
“The patient-as-payer era presents an incredible challenge to providers as they seek to collect what they are owed while delivering a positive financial experience for patients,” said Scott Herbst, Senior Vice President, Provider Solutions at Availity. “The collaboration between Availity and NextGen Healthcare empowers providers to deliver transparency and clarity to the patient billing process.”
Research shows that today’s patients demand a higher level of service and transparency from healthcare providers before and at point of service. Approximately 92 percent of patients want to know their payment responsibilities up front1, and 65 percent of patients would consider switching healthcare providers in exchange for a more positive healthcare financial experience2. However, it is hard to improve the patient billing experience when 49 percent of healthcare providers don’t know how much to collect from a patient at the time of treatment3. This recent data shows that NextGen Pre-Service Solutions will fill a need for more efficient provider practices.
Please contact us to learn more about NextGen Pre-Service Solutions.