MONEY MATTERS IN HEALTH & TECH : Discussing the cost of healthcare with patient

Despite the fact that there are varieties of healthcare payment modes, out-of-pocket payment system for the healthcare services is prevalent in both government and private healthcare facilities.

This is arguably due to majority of people not being enrolled in healthcare insurance schemes or third party payers.

Patients are persistently being forced by situation to apply this out-of-pocket payment irrespective of the financial implications to individuals and their households.

The healthy practise of patient-financial communication

In out-of-pocket payment approach, majority of patients find themselves in the state of surprise when the medical bills are being communicated to them.

There are indeed different reactions as far as this is concerned. There are those who see the communicated medical and treatment bills unrealistic, in the sense that the bills are comparatively high.

This scenario is common in private health facilities. On the other hand, a few proportions find the bills rational.

The ways a patient’s financial information is passed from a provider to client matter a lot to both the patient and the healthcare facility.

Speaking of an improved patient financial communication means better way of communicating medical and treatment bills, payment and financial accountability between patients and health providers.

In this, patients are communicated in an organised approach, which entails an elaboration of all services offered and their respective costs.

The patient are counseled about things such as the financials by an expert or modality of payments and this is done on regular basis using polite language and so forth.

It is unfortunate that healthcare service delivery is characterised by asymmetrical information, in most hospitals and healthcare facilities in Tanzania.

This means, health providers and doctors have a vast knowledge with regards to the diseases compared to the patient/clients.

The patients hence have a limited decision making option with regards to their treatment modalities. This is where the problem begins.

Health providers enjoy an excessive freedom to decide what to do to a patient they are offering care, without bearing in mind the importance of communicating to a patient on the ‘why’, ‘cost’ and the psychological impact borne with it.

What’s the case with our healthcare system?

Surprisingly, the situation is alarming as far as patient financial communication is concerned.

Many hospitals lack financial counsellors and majority of hospital billing personnels do not have the habit of elaborating in details to the patient about their bills.

Patients are not given feasible options to payment modalities. Most of the time, the language used is never friendly.

The outcome of this; patients feel robbed, lose trust with the health facilities, a very low patient paying rate and some abscond the healthcare facilities.

Majority of the patients find that hospital bills are unrealistically high as compared to the value of service rendered. This can probably be because of the lack of detailed financial information.

Patient-financial communication within healthcare facilities is very crucial. There are positive impacts of this aspect to both patients and health facilities.

The advantages gained are:

•Increases transparency within the health facility. Transparency reduces misunderstanding between the patients and the facility.

•Good reputation of facility is ultimately built when there is an improved patient financial communication. There is an increased rate of patient’s willingness to pay the hospital bills and reduced cases of abscondees in facilities where this aspect is effectively implemented.

•Reduces unnecessary anxieties and surprises to patients. Patients are briefed on the services they have been offered regularly, why and its cost.

Clients understand clearly their responsibility in fixing their medical bills. They are being psychological prepared to receive the medical and treatment bills.

• Patient satisfaction: This leads to most important factor of enhanced patient satisfaction.

Studies show that the patients were more satisfied with facilities that applied proper patient-financial communication compared to those that did not use.

Patient satisfaction is an important aspect of quality in healthcare service delivery.

•Patients are given options to decide on the modality of payments, whether wholly or in one, two or three installments.