Text-to-Pay simplifies the process of notifying patients about outstanding balances and provides a convenient way for them to make payments online.
This patient payment solution utilizes SMS to direct patients to your dedicated Balance Collect (online payment) portal to pay their balances.
It’s a straightforward and efficient process! Practices collect patients’ cell phone numbers, enabling revenue cycle teams to send text messages notifying patients of their balance due. Patients then tap the link in the text notification to open a mobile-friendly Balance Collect page and complete their payment directly from their phone.
You can send single Text-to-Pay messages or use the Bulk Text-to-Pay feature to reach multiple recipients at one time.
Accessing Text-to-Pay
Text-to-Pay is available via the Custom messaging feature within Patient Express if you have a Balance Collect account for online payments. When Bulk Text-to-Pay is enabled, you can access it by clicking Balance Collect > Payment Requests in the left menu.
The Practice Management Bridge Difference
Unlike many Text-to-Pay solutions that lead patients to a portal or app requiring login credentials, ours eliminates this friction. There’s no app to download or login required; patients simply tap the SMS link and make their payment effortlessly.
Benefits of Text-to-Pay for Patients and Providers
Text-to-Pay is a streamlined solution that complements billing software while leveraging the technology that 97% of Americans have in their pockets.
This mutually beneficial feature requires minimal effort from providers while eliminating patient confusion and barriers.
Research also shows that using SMS for medical bills increases payment rates by 30%.
Beyond simplifying payments, Text-to-Pay also lowers administrative costs and enhances cash flow by cutting down on call volumes and reducing paper expenses. Practices no longer need to manage the printing and mailing of paper statements or continuously call patients to collect their balances.
Impact of Text-to-Pay on Patient Satisfaction
While not a line item in a balance sheet, patient satisfaction significantly influences revenue. A crucial aspect of this satisfaction is the patient payment experience.
If patients encounter difficulties or dissatisfaction during payment, they may seek alternative healthcare providers. In fact, half of healthcare consumers state that one bad digital experience can ruin their entire experience with a provider.
Today’s patients are informed consumers who approach healthcare decisions much like shopping online – they compare costs, evaluate payment methods, and seek personalized experiences tailored to their preferences. One of their expectations is streamlined digital healthcare payments.
Text-to-Pay allows providers to meet patients where they are and demonstrate their attention to patient satisfaction beyond the exam room.
When patients understand their financial responsibilities and can easily fulfill payments, they are more inclined to settle their balances quickly.
Text-to-Pay vs. Traditional Patient Payment Options
Text-to-Pay is simple to use, requiring minimal effort from patients compared to the frustrating experiences often associated with traditional billing methods. These other methods typically involve multiple rounds of communication to correct errors and address patient confusion. Mailing statements is also costly, time-intensive, and often results in returns due to inaccurate patient information.
Collecting a phone number during the registration process and sending Text-to-Pay messages is considerably more straightforward and effective.
Implementing Text-to-Pay is not a major IT challenge either — this feature posts payments across all EHR, EMR, and medical billing platforms while remaining HIPAA and PCI compliant.
Your patients have a cell phone. Why send paper statements to their mailbox when a notification in their pocket is all it takes? Practice Management Bridge’s proven mobile payment solutions make it easy for patients and convenient for your revenue team, delivering immediate and significant results.
Traditional Billing:
- Manual
- Difficult to navigate
- Confusing Expensive (paper, call center staffing, etc.)
- Delayed Payments
Text-to-Pay:
- Automatic
- User-friendly
- Straightforward
- Cost-effective
- Fast Payments
Text-to-Pay and Bulk Text-to-Pay Limits
Note Regarding Text Limits: To comply with CTIA guidelines, the same patient can receive no more than one Text-to-Pay message per day and three Text-to-Pay messages per week. These limits apply to both Text-to-Pay messages and Bulk Text-to-Pay messages. To change the default limits, contact Customer Care at moc.htlaehelgnatcer@erac or call 800-337-3630 (option 3).
Text-to-Pay (Custom Message):
If a user attempts to send a Text-to-Pay message to the same Patient ID at a frequency that exceeds the daily or weekly limit, instead of a success message they see the message, “You have reached the limit for this number. Please try again tomorrow.”
Bulk Text-to-Pay:
If a Bulk Text-to-Pay file is uploaded and processed that contains Patient IDs of patients that have reached the daily or weekly limit, the file appears to process successfully, but in the Text-to-Pay report, the Delivery Status remains “Sending.”
