Online Payment Systems for your eClinicalWorks Practice: A Closer Look at Healow Pay and PayGround

Collecting patient payments is often one of the biggest headaches for healthcare organizations. Mailed statements get lost, calls take staff away from other priorities, and balances linger in A/R. Online payments change the game, making it easy for patients to pay while improving cash flow for your practice.

If you’re an eClinicalWorks (eCW) user, two options stand out: Healow Pay and PayGround (a RCM360 partner). Each supports different stages in your patient engagement journey. This blog outlines key considerations for the two online payment systems that RCM360 —a Med Tech Solutions company — typically recommends to eCW clients.

Healow Pay: Seamless and Simple

Healow Pay is an effective solution for healthcare organizations using eClinicalWorks that are early in the adoption of patient portals or have less complex requirements. The platform is integrated with eClinicalWorks, with processes embedded into the system for patient check-in and kiosk.

The following features and functionality of Healow Pay deliver a straightforward patient experience:

• Patients receive a secure email or text line with a “Bill Pay” button that lets them pay without logging in.
• The patient may view their statement details, and pay via credit, debit, or electronic check (ACH) if enabled by the practice.
• In-office payments may be made by swiping a credit or debit card.
• Patient will receive a receipt via email for successful payments, and on-screen statement balances will be shown automatically in the system.

Healow Pay can also streamline workflows and reduces manual effort:

• Payments post automatically in eClinicalWorks, minimizing manual work and posting errors.
• Automated statements and payment reminders are sent securely via text or email.
• Patients have self-service visibility into balances and itemized charges, reducing inbound billing calls.
• Staff can view patient balances and required co-pays during check-in through eClinicalWorks without switching systems.

While Healow Pay’s simplicity and native integration with eClinicalWorks make it a strong choice, there are nuances:

• Integration setup can require advanced eClinicalWorks expertise and well-defined workflows.
• Usage fees apply, including transaction, per-transaction, messaging and statement fees.
• The system does not currently support Interactive Voice Response (IVR) payments via phone.
• Staff must manage statement file processes to take full advantage of automated statement delivery.

PayGround: Advanced and Patient-First

PayGround takes a digital-first, patient-centric approach, delivering a centralized dashboard where patients can view balances and make payments across multiple healthcare organizations. It offers convenience to patients, while aligning with healthcare facilities that require advanced patient engagement functionality.

With PayGround, patients will experience:

• A unified view of all of their medical bills across participating healthcare organizations.
• The ability to pay all bills through a single, intuitive smart phone app or web portal.
• The option to request payment plans and merge multiple invoices into one payment plan.
• Support for multiple payment methods
• A sense of empowerment that comes from a holistic view of services related to their care and the associated charges, regardless of which healthcare organization that care is coming from.

This level of functionality can support a healthcare organization’s overall patient engagement goals as they look for new ways to enhance patient experience through online tools that enable them to be more involved in their care and take control of their payment options. Practical, operational benefits include:

• Simple set-up and ongoing management
• Peace of mind with a HIPAA-compliant, SOC2, PCI-DSS certified infrastructure
• Lower statement costs and no per-transaction fees
• Built-In IVR solution for payments via phone
• Seamless process for digital outreach and statement delivery
• Support for Good Faith Estimate (GFE) requirements, in compliance with No Surprise Billing laws

While this tier of features and functions make it attractive for advancing the patient engagement journey, there are things to consider and prepare for in your workflows:

• The eClinicalWorks front office check-in process and kiosk functionality is not integrated into PayGround.
• For in-office payments, front desk staff must leave eClinicalWorks and open a separate PayGround window to accept the co-pay.

Simplify Patient Payments and Strengthen Your Bottom Line

Healthcare organizations at any stage in the journey to advanced patient engagement will benefit from an online payment platform. When patients have simple, digital options to view and pay their balances, a facility’s financial performance improves.

Reach out to the RCM360 team with any questions or to get started. We’ll help you identify which option best fits the needs of your organization, and guide you through successful implementation and integration with your eCW system.