August 17, 2020
Today, St. Peter’s Health announced a series of changes to improve the billing experience for its patients. St. Peter’s Health patients now have access to a new, more user-friendly online payment portal and redesigned, easier to understand billing statements. The local healthcare system also moved its customer service center back to Helena, ending its contract with a third-party, Texas-based company and expanding their billing team by hiring locally trained professionals to proactively reach out to patients experiencing billing delays or insurance disputes.
New Online Payment Portal & Billing Statements
St. Peter’s Health patients can set up payment plans, view charge details, chat online with Helena-based billing representatives, and see bills that are still being processed through insurance via the new online payment portal. The new statements are designed to be understandable and comprehensive. Patients now also have the opportunity to receive text or email notifications when a new bill is ready.
Helena-based Customer Service Team
St. Peter’s Health has hired a new, Helena-based customer service team to serve our community. The customer service team is available between 8:00a.m. and 5:00p.m., Monday through Friday. Patients can reach billing customer service representatives at (406) 447-2783.
Expanded Patient Outreach
St. Peter’s Health customer service center employees will be focused on proactively reaching out to patients experiencing billing delays or insurance disputes to provide timely information or updates. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has worked closely with community members who may be experiencing financial hardship to connect them with financial assistance or payment plan options.
St. Peter’s Health recognizes that the patient experience starts when an appointment is scheduled or care is received and it does not end until the bill is paid. “We relied heavily on the community's input as we began to restructure our billing process,” said St. Peter’s Health Chief Financial Officer Nathan Coburn. “Through community surveys, written feedback and focus groups, we identified key pain points for patients and inefficiencies in our systems that were negatively impacting the patient experience. The decision to bring the customer service center back to Helena to be staffed by our friends, family, and neighbors was the right thing to do and a direct result of community feedback.”
Devon Murray is the Executive Director of Revenue Cycle at St. Peter’s Health. According to Murray, “We have an amazing team that has steadily made improvements over the past few years, from reducing the length of time to receive a billing statement to increasing our financial assistance program. The new payment portal and local customer service center are additional important milestones on our journey to deliver a gold standard experience to our community.”
Patients with billing questions can call (406) 447-2783 or www.sphealth.org.