News: Patients increasingly more likely to switch providers after poor billing experience, survey says

According to survey results recently published in a study from RevSpring, 56% of patients care about the billing experience enough that they would switch providers if they had a poor experience. The survey sought to better understand how the patient experience affects trust, loyalty, and financial outcomes, asking if they had encountered a poor billing experience whether they’d seek a new provider afterward. Nearly 33% said they would be somewhat likely, 23% said very likely, 10% said somewhat unlikely, 4% said very unlikely, and 30% were neutral, HealthLeaders reported.

The results came from 1,000 respondents who had visited a doctor at least once in the past year, had been responsible for paying their medical bills, and had paid a bill in the previous six months. From the results, nearly three in four respondents (74%) aged 18 to 26 said they would likely switch providers because of a poor billing experience, while 33% of patients aged 65 and above said the same.

Personalization and consistency were regarded as important as well in the experience, with personalization selected as very important to 42% of respondents and somewhat important to 41%, while consistency was very important to 59% and somewhat important to 31%.

“We've conducted patient experience surveys every few years since 2016 and it's clear patients have higher standards now, especially when it comes to personalization,” said Kristen Jacobsen, vice president of marketing and OmniChannel engagement at RevSpring. “The challenge and opportunity for the industry today is fulfilling those high expectations. With combined intelligence, such as demographic and behavioral data, providers can understand patients at scale, not only meeting their preferences to build trust and loyalty but also driving desired actions."

Making bills understandable to patients is a primary way that revenue cycle departments can appeal to patients, she said.

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this story, click here. To read the survey results from RevSpring, click here.