In their haste to design their first electronic communications, billers may neglect to build information navigation capabilities into their eOBs, displaying lists of transactions that cannot be sorted or filtered. adding design features that allow clients to search, sort, and filter transactions helps a client make sense of the transactions by reducing an overwhelming list into aspects they can understand. This is an example of how electronic communications can save time and reduce frustration. If charges can be filtered and sorted, individual charges can be displayed differently, with context, web links, or other information to explain the price, charge, and value of the service. a chat, email, FEATURE sTOrY Making EOBs interactive involves rethinking the entire billing and collection process. or other engagement function can be invoked to offer a chance to reduce confusion. Letting consumers drill down to the items that are confusing before they engage a call center, email, or chat function can increase the consumer’s knowledge when they engage. Charts and tables can display information in many innovative ways. specific charges may be expressed on a timeline, allowing the client to understand which charges are associated with a particular day. multiple charts and tables can be linked to help the client understand the order, price, and value of the services they received. Likewise, interactive charts can allow mobile phone and tablet users to explore the value of the service they receive through categorizing data, or displaying value in a way that is easier to understand visually. as an example, some healthcare statements display the amount the consumer paid alongside a stack graph of the amount the insurer paid, as well as the discount the insurer negotiated with the provider. This puts the emphasis on value and reminds customers of the long-term value of the service. provide Value-Added information The customer experience can also be enriched if eOBs engage with data from other communications. eOBs are often part of a prolonged service engagement. It is possible to display additional relevant information when the client has other related or recent eOBs. allowing the client to quickly find older eOBs can help them to resolve questions that arise from their experience when it spans multiple eOB documents or eOB periods. similarly, if a consumer’s situation has unusual charges that would have or could have been avoided if they were better informed of the full range of service they were entitled to receive, an eOB could highlight how a charge can be avoided or reduced in the future. This is critical for companies that are up for annual renewals, as they can offer a chance to be a trusted advisor to their customers. many tools can be used today to create and implement these charts and graphics, ranging from freeware to expensive and highly configurable niche charting applications. Only a few communication design packages are able to link multiple charts and tables together to really help clients drill down to explore the data to their satisfaction. lower operational costs and a Shorter Revenue cycle When it comes to acquiring revenue through an eOB, how this document is formatted can also make a big difference in the remittance process. When a patient disputes a line item on their bill, often all the other line items are left unpaid while the charge is disputed. This slows down the revenue cycle tremendously. separating costs on the eOB provides a clear path for patients to pay the charges they agree with, even while disputing some of them. every healthcare biller interested in enhancing its revenue cycle should make static documents a thing of the past. Providing patients with the opportunity to interact with the communications you deliver through their method and channel of choice, assuming it meets compliance, will help improve their customer experience and loyalty, as well as your organization's profitability. Steve Francis is president and general manager for GMC Software Technology, North America, a provider of multichannel and highly personalized document outputs for customer communications management. For more information, please visit www.gmc.net. THe jOurNaL OF THe HeaLTHCare BILLINg aNd maNagemeNT assOCIaTION 31
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