Texas Hospital Assoc. Endorses nTelagent's Retail Application for Healthcare

Hospitals across the state of Texas can now take advantage of the necessary tools and technology to better manage the financial accounts of the patients they serve. Thanks to a just-announced endorsement by Austin-based Texas Hospital Association and its marketing subsidiary HealthShare, participating hospitals can gain access to nTelagent, Inc.’s proprietary technology platform, the Self-Pay Management System (SPMS). SPMS, the Retail Application for the healthcare industry, is revolutionizing the way providers interact with patients at the point of service regarding financial responsibilities. Similar to applications used in the retail industry at the point of sale, the company’s automated system tells healthcare registrars and financial counselors exactly what to do and what to say to each patient.

"As is happening all across the country, our hospitals here in Texas are facing the challenge of efficiently and consistently managing self-pay accounts, from collecting co-pays and co-insurance upfront to screening for charity care. It is truly one of the industry’s biggest problems, and, at this point, many providers simply do not have the appropriate technology and processes in place to deal with these accounts, which can have a negative impact on the facility’s financial situation," said Jim Dixon, president and CEO of HealthShare. "The Self-Pay Management System is a unique tool that will help both patients and providers in our communities, ensuring that all patient accounts, from the insured to the uninsured, are handled in an appropriate and consistent manner." Approximately 430 hospitals and health systems are members of THA, and all members will have the opportunity to implement the SPMS solution, with usage fees based upon volume of patient registrations.

nTelagent’s web-based Self-Pay Management System improves upfront and overall cash flow, receivables and profitability for healthcare providers by reducing bad debt and improving the revenue cycle process for self-pay patients. Consistently moving workflow to the front end of the revenue cycle, SPMS provides registrars and financial counselors with interactive scripts that tell them exactly how to handle each patient’s account at pre-registration and point of service. In addition, SPMS allows for clearer, more consistent administration of charity care policies. Using non-credit score demographic information, SPMS automatically identifies truly needy patients and screens them for social service assistance, alerts the registrar to discounting and charity care options when applicable, and standardizes policies and procedures in the reporting of charity care numbers.

"We at nTelagent are honored to have been chosen by THA as an endorsed vendor. The industry has shifted to a retail revenue cycle model, and we look forward to partnering with this group and its members, as we work to give them the tools and processes they need to make better decisions concerning self-pay patient accounts," said Earl T. Winter, chairman and CEO of nTelagent. "By streamlining this aspect of their business, healthcare providers can focus on the most important things: delivering top-quality care, maintaining excellent patient relations and offering much-needed community benefits."

According to THA, Texas has the nation’s highest rate of people without health insurance. An estimated 24.6% of the total population, or 5.5 million Texans, were uninsured in 2005.

About Texas Hospital Association and HealthShare
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents nearly 85 percent of the state’s hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 320,000 health care professionals statewide. HealthShare is a wholly owned subsidiary of THA, whose mission is to market best-of-breed, competitively priced products and services offered through THA-endorsed vendors that benefit hospitals’ quality, service and bottom line. 

About nTelagent, Inc.
nTelagent, Inc. has developed The Retail Application for the healthcare industry, called the Self-Pay Management System (SPMS). Similar to applications used in the retail industry at the point of sale, the company’s proprietary, automated system tells healthcare registrars and financial counselors exactly what to do and what to say to each patient at the point of service regarding financial responsibilities. Moving workflow to the front end of the revenue cycle, nTelagent helps providers ensure a better patient experience through clearer communication and better handling of patient accounts, while improving upfront and overall cash flow, receivables and profitability by reducing bad debt. Using non-credit scoring data, SPMS provides interactive scripts that integrate patient demographic information with each provider’s business policies and rules. The system allows for price transparency and automatically identifies discounting options, social services eligibility and charity care options when applicable, ensuring that patient financial accounting — for both insured and uninsured patients — is handled appropriately and consistently. Visit www.ntelagent.com for more information.