Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/112770
insight on Technology innovations By Stephanie S . B eeche r Is this a bill (or what)? Jay Fulkerson leads new firm for streamlining medical mail S even years ago, Jim Brindley was a practicing lawyer recently diagnosed with cancer. After months of treatment his routine trips to physicians and specialists resulted in a flood of medical bills. Soon, the papers filled an entire shoebox, leaving Brindley feeling overwhelmed. For Brindley, the experience set off a light bulb. There has to be a better way, he thought. Brindley is co-founder and an executive vice president at Milwaukeebased Health Payment Systems. The privately held company has created an innovative approach to streamlining the medical billing process. In a video created by HPS and posted on YouTube, the company highlights a typical American family. Each member necessitates specific health care needs. The father has hit age 50, the mother is due for a physical, the daughter has sprained her ankle, and the son has come down with a nasty case of strep throat. These aren���t extraordinary Families can end up getting swamped by medical bills. Health Payment Systems offers a hub to health providers to consolidate a family���s bills into one concise document. circumstances but the number of bills that follow is. Similar to Brindley, those doctor���s visits amounted to the equivalent of 125 pieces of paper. HPS has developed a patented system to dwindle those bills into one. ���They���re at home looking at these bills, trying to find out what portion of the bills they have to pay, and what the insurance provider will pay,��� says Jay Fulkerson, HPS president and CEO. ���It ���They���re at home looking at these bills, trying to find out what portion of the bills they have to pay, and what the insurance provider will pay. It becomes a lot of paperwork. We make it really simple.��� ���Jay Fulkerson, HPS President and CEO w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m becomes a lot of paperwork. We make it really simple.��� Borrowing methods from the credit card industry, Fulkerson says HPS acts as a liaison between health care providers and their patients, similar to how credit card companies interact with retailers. Instead of billing patients directly, providers send HPS all of their bills. HPS prepays the medical costs, processes the insurance claims and sends patients a single itemized statement at the end of each month ��� for all family members. It removes the financial risks from the health care provider and eliminates the confusion associated with acquiring multiple bills for the patient, Fulkerson says. It also keeps those bills top of mind; [continued] �� M a r c h 2 013 ��� Insight | 31