Patient responsibility
Healthcare organizations contend with the dual issues of healthcare affordability blocking patient access to care and the need to increase patient financial responsibility collection. Digital tools, good patient financial experience, and automation are integral for overcoming barriers.
Top Stories
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News
29 Oct 2024
Out-of-pocket healthcare costs tarnish patient experience
High out-of-pocket healthcare costs, plus poor health plan navigability, harm the patient experience and care access. Continue Reading
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25 Oct 2024
Has hospital price transparency affected healthcare costs?
Data indicates that hospital price transparency laws have caused healthcare costs to level off. Continue Reading
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10 Oct 2024
CFPB warns medical debt collectors of consumer rights laws
Medical debt collectors may not attempt to collect on debts that are inaccurate or inflated, according to the CFPB. Continue Reading
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12 Jul 2024
Out-of-pocket drug costs rise when patients join Medicare
Out-of-pocket drug costs for diabetes medications go up when patients join Medicare, adversely affecting medication adherence. Continue Reading
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09 Jul 2024
Pandemic policies shrank cost-related barriers to healthcare
The number of adults reporting cost-related barriers to healthcare went down by 4.75 million people, new data shows. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Feb 2024
How GoodRx Brings Low Drug Costs in Vexing Healthcare Landscape
GoodRx saved users around 82 percent off retail drug costs last year, which it said is a key step in helping consumers navigate a complex policy landscape. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Feb 2024
Exploring Healthcare Price Transparency for the Consumer Experience
Healthcare price transparency is important to a good consumer experience, leaving organizations to look for tools to provide reliable estimates. Continue Reading
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08 Dec 2023
Behind Walgreens' Move on Prescription Drug Costs, Patient Experience
The new prescription drug cost savings tool, Rx Savings Finder from Walgreens, complements the retailer’s overall investment in patient experience. Continue Reading
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20 Nov 2023
Healthcare Affordability Woes Affect High- and Low-Income Patients Alike
For some metrics, healthcare affordability is more challenging for high-income Americans than low-income folks in similarly developed nations. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Nov 2023
Breaking Down the Basics of Healthcare Consumerism
With healthcare consumerism front and center, organizations should look to personalized care strategies. Continue Reading
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26 Oct 2023
High Healthcare Costs Bar Care Access Despite Insurance Status
High healthcare costs were most likely to affect the uninsured, but a new report showed that it also has a sizeable impact on those with different insurance types. Continue Reading
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17 Oct 2023
Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs Double with Dementia Diagnosis
Out-of-pocket healthcare costs went from around $4,000 to an average of $8,000 within eight years following a dementia diagnosis. Continue Reading
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26 Sep 2023
Consumers Feel the Pinch of Medical Debt, Skip Healthcare Access
About a third of patients skipped healthcare access this year because of medical debt, up from 28 percent of patients who did the same in 2022. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Jun 2023
Expanding Cancer Screening Access Beyond Charity Care
Charity care may cut some cost-related barriers to cancer screening access, but organizations need a bigger safety net for potential cancer treatments. Continue Reading
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24 May 2023
Over A Quarter of Americans Say High Costs Bar Patient Care Access
With the median out-of-pocket healthcare costs ranging from $1,000 to $1,999, more consumers are facing patient care access barriers. Continue Reading
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22 May 2023
Cost a Barrier to Medication Adherence, But Price Estimates May Help
Nearly 90 percent of patients said they are open to their providers using a real-time benefits checker to address cost barriers to medication adherence. Continue Reading
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29 Mar 2023
Does Cost-Sharing for Screening Result in Missed Cancer Diagnoses?
Patients facing higher cost-sharing and out-of-pocket costs for follow-up breast cancer screening do not access those procedures, research has found. Continue Reading
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21 Mar 2023
Challenging Patient Financial Responsibility Uncommon, But Fruitful
Still, experts should consider whether it is truly the consumer’s obligation to challenge patient financial responsibility; rather, payers and providers should send correct bills. Continue Reading
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23 Feb 2023
Why Shared Decision-Making Tools Should Include Price Transparency
Access to shared decision-making tools, particularly those with price transparency information, were useful for three-quarters of older adults and their caregivers. Continue Reading
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01 Feb 2023
45% of Women Forego Preventive Care Access, Care Costs a Key Barrier
For 25 percent of the half of women going without preventive care access, the high cost of healthcare is the biggest barrier. Continue Reading
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17 Jan 2023
$35 Cap on Insulin Could Boost Medication Adherence, Satisfaction
Having insulin costs exceed $35 each month was linked to a 61 percent decrease in medication adherence problems for seniors with Medicare Part D. Continue Reading
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20 Dec 2022
Patient Financial Responsibility Dissuades ED Care Access
One in five older adults said concerns about high patient financial responsibility discouraged ED care access, even when they thought they needed emergency care. Continue Reading
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26 Oct 2022
Inflation Spurs Healthcare Affordability, Patient Care Access Woes
One in 10 people said inflation has exacerbated healthcare affordability problems and impeded patient care access. Continue Reading
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09 Aug 2022
Patients of Color Feel Impact of Inflation, Patient Care Access Problems
Inflation is causing a healthcare cost problem, leaving racial health disparities in patient care access burdens and SDOH challenges. Continue Reading
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14 Jul 2022
How Cost Drives Poor Patient Access to Care for American Men
Men in the US have the highest rate of preventable deaths, which researchers said is tied to the high cost of care and patient care access barriers. Continue Reading
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16 Jun 2022
Patient Financial Responsibility Burdens Affect Pre-Medicare Crowd
Adults between ages 50 and 64 not yet eligible for Medicare coverage are more likely to report patient financial responsibility problems than their older, sicker counterparts. Continue Reading
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31 May 2022
Price Transparency Tools Remain Key for Financial Experience
Two-thirds of patients offered a price transparency tool said they use it, but some key fixes could enhance the patient financial experience. Continue Reading
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27 Apr 2022
County Struggles with Income Affect Social Determinants of Health
Income and wages are key social determinants of health issues for counties across the country, stunting the nation’s efforts to recover from COVID-19. Continue Reading
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25 Apr 2022
Medical Financial Hardship Drives Mortality Risk for Cancer Survivors
Medical financial hardship among cancer survivors is associated with greater mortality risk, highlighting a need for better health insurance coverage to mitigate care costs. Continue Reading
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18 Apr 2022
Better Cost Data Key to Patient-Provider Communication on Affordability
Patient-provider communication about healthcare affordability is key, both parties agree, but access to cost data to inform conversations is scant. Continue Reading
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31 Mar 2022
Patient Access to Care Stymied Amid COVID-19 Funding Debate
KFF stated that the COVID-19 funding debate could create out-of-pocket patient costs that ultimately deter patient access to care. Continue Reading
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24 Jan 2022
Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Cost Burden Begets Health Disparities
Although out-of-pocket prescription drug costs are burdensome Medicare beneficiaries regardless of demographic, key health disparities by race, sex, income, and disease state exist. Continue Reading
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24 Jan 2022
US Mental Healthcare Access Trails Other Nations’ Due to Cost
For adults over 65, costs deter mental healthcare access, exposing gaps in Medicare coverage for this type of medical care. Continue Reading
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15 Dec 2021
DMV More Popular than Patient Financial Experience for Fifth of Patients
Patients say paying their medical bills online is a mostly positive process, but there is room for improvement to create a good patient financial experience. Continue Reading
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14 Dec 2021
More Patients Cite Out-of-Pocket Costs as Care Access Barrier
The number of patients saying out-of-pocket healthcare costs are a care access barrier is the highest it’s been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading
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07 Dec 2021
90% of Patients Say Loyalty Relies on Patient Financial Experience
More than half of patients said patient financial experience sways their loyalty and whether they recommend a provider to family or friends. Continue Reading
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06 Dec 2021
High Drug Costs Bar Care Access, Medication Adherence for 13M Adults
High drug costs are particularly salient for women, people with low incomes, and chronically ill people, leading to care access and medication adherence hiccups. Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2021
Rising Prices Led to Higher Patient Healthcare Costs
The US saw a more than 20 percent increase in patient healthcare costs over five years for individuals on employer-sponsored health plans, largely due to unit price increases. Continue Reading
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04 Aug 2021
Patient Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs Balloon by 10% Since 2020
Researchers also estimated patient out-of-pocket healthcare costs could continue to grow 9.9 percent through 2026. Continue Reading
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22 Mar 2021
93% of Patients Negotiate Out-of-Pocket Patient Costs, Debt Away
Patients said their negotiations were partially or fully successful at mitigating high out-of-pocket patient costs. Continue Reading
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22 Mar 2021
What Is Patient Financial Health Literacy, Why Is It Important?
Patient financial health literacy is important for patient collections and the patient financial experience. Continue Reading
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04 Dec 2018
Confronting Indirect Patient Healthcare Cost Hurdles, SDOH
Patients face healthcare costs barriers such as transportation prices and the cost of taking time off work. Continue Reading
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15 Oct 2018
How Patient Experience in Billing Offices Impacts Patient Payments
Patients with complicated medical bills are more likely to have a negative experience in the billing department. This trend could complicate patient payments. Continue Reading
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14 Aug 2018
Patients Unprepared for Out-of-Pocket Costs for Long-Term Care
Most patients aren't saving up for long-term care, despite the high out-of-pocket costs associated with the facilities. Continue Reading
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05 Jun 2017
Top Challenges to Collecting Patient Financial Responsibility
Healthcare organizations must overcome billing challenges to collecting patient financial responsibility. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2017
Effective Patient Advocacy Starts with Strong Relationships
Patient advocates rely on meaningful relationships with their patients to ensure they can meet all of their logistical and healthcare needs. Continue Reading
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11 Jan 2017
How Out-of-Pocket Costs Affect Patient Healthcare Access
As patients face higher out-of-pocket costs, they may face limited healthcare access. Providers need to understand this and implement consumer-centered strategies to help patients. Continue Reading
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14 Sep 2016
How Healthcare Orgs Can Manage Patient Financial Responsibility
Through targeted patient engagement strategies, healthcare organizations can improve revenue by supporting patient financial responsibility. Continue Reading
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11 Apr 2016
How Patient Portals Can Produce Revenue Cycle Benefits
Between providing more efficient bill pay, improved patient loyalty, and better chronic disease management, patient portals can produce boost revenue cycle benefits. Continue Reading