Challenge
As patients continue to face increasing financial responsibilities, Carilion Clinic sought an advanced technology solution to create a better patient billing experience — one that treats patients with financial compassion and works with them to address their needs with flexibility.
Carilion Clinic is a Virginia-based, physician-led, integrated academic health system with more than a thousand physicians and advanced care providers serving a population of nearly one million people in Virginia. The health system is committed to providing their community with compassionate, high-quality care and achieving the highest level of patient satisfaction.
Carilion’s approach to financial relationships with patients had to adapt. Their new approach prioritized treating patients as individuals, showing compassion and a human touch. In order to increase patient satisfaction, Carilion knew they needed to provide the same level of care through the financial process as they did clinically.
Solution
Carilion Clinic ultimately partnered with R1 to launch Carilion Bill Pay. Carilion believed a technology solution was critical to build the foundation that would support long-termclient relationships, and that solution needed to integrate with Epic. Leaders at Carilion felt a purpose-built approach would improve the patient financial experience, which led them to look at their revenue cycle from their patients’ perspective.
R1’s Patient Bill Pay platform connects to payment options and insurance information so patients can easily access all the details they need in a single view. Patients can see and pay bills for their entire household with a clear breakdown of what insurance has paid along with personalized, affordable payment options. Patients can also contact Carilion’s patient call center to better understand and pay their bill, receiving compassionate service and customized payment offers to best meet their individual needs.
Results
Carilion has accomplished and surpassed its patient payment goals during a time of financial uncertainty and has done so with compassion. With a technology-enabled service, they were able to enhance a data-driven approach, increasing digital engagement with patients through a solution that provides transparency and flexibility.
More than 109,000 patients have registered with the Carilion Bill Pay system since launch in January 2020, more than six times Carilion’s original goal. Plus, they’ve been improving patient satisfaction along the way. Carilion’s net promoter score has increased steadily since the launch and is now approaching an industry-leading 40 points. In addition, patients who have enrolled in Carilion Bill Pay repay 60% more of every dollar owed than those still using traditional payment approaches.
109k
users registered
60%
patient payment lift
40
billing experience net promoter ccore
With R1’s Patient Bill Pay, Carilion has automated tools to customize communications for patients based on their preferences. Patients can pay online, over the phone or through the call center, receiving a consistent and compliant financial offer tailored to their circumstances regardless of the channel they use.
Patients now have more freedom and control over the financial part of the relationship. They have trust in their health system, knowing that Carilion is there with solutions that work for them.
