Practitioners, hospitals, practices and clinics now have an efficient, secure and convenient way to send invoices directly to self-pay patients after Healthcode expanded its popular online payment service with patientzone.
In response to customer demand, the online technology specialists have made it easy for thousands of providers who use its Clearing Service to access the patientzone platform so they can send electronic invoices to patients. As well as being more time-efficient than printing and posting paper invoices and more secure than sending unencrypted emails, the solution is also cost-effective when compared with arranging a merchant account or paying credit card processing fees. It’s quick, easy and secure for patients to settle their invoice online and they receive an electronic receipt to show their payment has been processed.
Healthcode first launched online patient invoicing via patientzone to users of its ePractice software in 2019 and in 2021 it began a Shortfall Collection Service for hospitals which automatically identified shortfalls and used patientzone to send invoices and collect online payments. Both have proved popular: more than 76,000 electronic patientzone invoices have been processed since launch and volumes have increased year on year.
By creating a seamless integration between its Clearing Service and patientzone, Healthcode has now opened the door to self-pay patient invoices for providers that currently use third-party software. The solution is possible thanks to Healthcode’s interoperable technology which allows organisations to connect seamlessly and securely with its online services. To use the service, providers pay patientzone a fee of 2.5% per paid bill (+ VAT) and a charge of 10p (+VAT) for each reminder letter sent.
Managing Director, Peter Connor said: “Our Clearing Service paved the way for the private healthcare sector to adopt electronic billing for insurers and I’m proud to say we’re continuing to break new ground with a service that’s both necessary and timely. As the self-funded market grows, it’s essential that providers can manage the patient journey as efficiently as possible rather than get bogged down with labour intensive and costly admin. Online invoicing via patientzone is painless and more cost-effective than alternatives, as well as being a secure and convenient option for patients.”