2 Ways to Use the Internet to Promote Your EMS Billing Program
The Digital Age
We are completely immersed in technology today. The Internet, mobile technology and the digital portability of everything we do has taken over our world as we know it.
But, does your EMS billing program look more like 1999? If Windows 95 and MySpace are the extent of your reach into technology….you are in trouble! However, for those of you who actually have a smart phone, can surf the web with zeal and actually know how to Tweet and SnapChat…read on.
1. Use the Website
We hope by now your EMS agency has some kind of website. It may not be anything fancy or daring, maybe just a hosted site…but if you have a site, something needs to be posted on the site about your billing program.
Patients are looking for you online more than you may think. Maybe they just received a bill and they want to do a Google search to find out how to contact you and maybe even how to make a payment.
If you outsource, your billing contractor probably offers a solution to allow your patients to connected to make a payment, share insurance information and/or reach out to contact you/them about the bill they received. It is very helpful if you can post a direct link to your billing company’s patient interaction site plus a telephone connection and publishing contact times to reach the billing office is also helpful. And…If the contractor doesn’t offer some digital payment option, maybe you need to have a talk with them or better yet, seek out another billing partner!
If you are billing in-house, it’s time to be sure that your patients have an Internet option to pay and connect with you regarding their bill. This most likely means that you’ll have to come up with a secure firewall protected solution and employ a good IT contractor or IT person on staff to monitor all of this. Of course, you need a digital payment platform too…some means of accepting digital payments (which comes with a fee- shop around!)
Additionally, your website can contain valuable information regarding any subscription program your EMS agency offers and how that program applies to the billing scenario. It is also helpful to provide good information about how you conduct your billing program, maybe in the format of a few F.A.Q’s (Frequently Asked Questions) with answers supplied.
2. Use Social Media
Social Media is another way that you can establish digital connections with your patients.
Why not try to post a billing fact that pertains to your EMS billing program, every now and then, to your Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or Twitter pages. Some of you may even have an Instagram presence too…use it!
We find that there are many well-written articles pertaining to Medicare and other insurances that you may wish to share out to help educate your patient population regarding common billing scenarios.
Our clients, here at Enhanced Management Services, may always share this blog to their social media pages. Hopefully, your outsourcing billing partner offers such educational opportunities for you to share. Or, if you have your own in-house program, maybe there is someone with hidden writing talent that can help you publish some informative articles to the Internet that will help your community understand EMS billing as it pertains to your situation.
Of course, be careful that you never share HIPAA protected confidential information on an open social media channel and be prepared for those individuals who are less than enamored with receiving a bill for your services who may post some negative comments to your pages. Be prepared to act in grace and with professionalism and move the conversation to a less open platform immediately.
Develop a Plan
With some ingenuity and a well-devised plan you should be able to take advantage of digital communication channels via the Internet to promote your EMS billing program. We wish you the best of luck as you enter the digital age with gusto.
Now about that upgrade…
