HFMA Digital Annual Conference - Technology for Financial Engagement

Dallas-based healthcare executive Paul Generale joined CHRISTUS Health in 1998 and has served as executive vice president since 2015. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Paul Generale is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

The HFMA Digital Annual Conference 2020 invited multiple health companies to give short presentations about their innovative solutions for improving performance in healthcare revenue cycles. The first health system in the country to utilize augmented reality in its billing process, Banner Health developed an application that, with the scan of a QR code on a billing statement, introduces an avatar to explain each aspect of the bill.

Patients gain a clearer understanding of their financial responsibility, payment due dates, and portions covered by insurance, without having to call a customer service representative. In its first eight months of service, more than 1,600 patients downloaded the app, and among them, only 9 percent called customer service after using the app. This represents a marked reduction in traditional call rates for customers following bill receipt.