The PatientPay Blog & Newsroom

Egg Freezing's Billing Problem

Egg freezing volume has grown more than 500% in a decade and 39% in the most recent reporting year alone, almost entirely paid out of pocket by patients who don't fit the traditional IVF profile. The clinics that recognize this is a different business with different billing requirements are positioned to dominate the next decade of fertility growth.

How Private Equity Is Rewriting the Fertility Billing Playbook

In a little over a decade, fertility care has gone from a market of independent groups to one dominated by sophisticated, multi-site networks backed by institutional capital. The expectations these networks bring to billing infrastructure are reshaping what every fertility group, regardless of ownership, needs to be able to deliver.

The Fertility Bill Is Where the Premium Experience Falls Apart

Fertility groups invest heavily in the parts of the patient experience they can see. The lobby, the consultation, the clinical workflow, the lab. The bill, which arrives weeks later in a format the patient didn't choose, is rarely on that list, and it is exactly where the experience tends to break.

Why Shared-Risk IVF Needs a Smarter Billing Engine

Shared-risk and multi-cycle programs have become a defining feature of premium fertility care, and patients increasingly expect them. The clinical and pricing logic is well-understood, but the billing infrastructure required to actually run these programs cleanly is where many groups quietly struggle.

Embryo Storage: The Forgotten Revenue Stream

Cryopreservation and storage are some of the most predictable revenue a fertility group will ever generate, and some of the most consistently uncollected. The cause is not patient unwillingness to pay. It's a billing experience that loses contact with the patient at exactly the moment recurring revenue starts.

Why Fertility Patients Walk Away From Treatment

In a field where the medical complexity is the obvious challenge, the financial complexity is often the deciding one. The clinics that recognize this are quietly changing their patients' outcomes alongside their own.

At-Risk Patients Are Now 77% of What You're Trying to Collect. Most Billing Systems Were Built for the Other 23%.

The patient your billing system was designed around (commercially insured, stable, digitally engaged) is now a minority of the revenue at stake. New industry research forces an uncomfortable question about how much of the traditional collection playbook is actually working.

Agentic AI in the Revenue Cycle: What's Production-Ready, What's Close, What to Buy First

The pitch in 2026 is no longer dashboards with fancier charts. Agentic systems autonomously act on prior auth, denials, and posting, and the question for RCM operations has shifted from whether to invest, to how to tell the difference between what's production-ready and what's a polished demo.

When the Family Is the Payer, the Billing Experience Is the Care Experience

In memory care, families manage every dollar. The billing experience is not separate from the care experience. It is the care experience for the people paying the bill.

The Most Complex Billing in Senior Living Deserves the Most Integrated Payment System

CCRCs manage three contract types, multiple care levels, and billing that changes every time a resident transitions. Your payment system should handle that complexity, not add to it.

Your Residents Pay $5,900 a Month. Their Families Expect a Modern Billing Experience.

At nearly $6,000 per month, assisted living families expect consumer-grade billing. The gap between what they pay and what they experience is where you lose them.

Three Outcomes, One Decision

Better family experience, lower operational costs, and stronger competitive positioning are not three separate projects. They are three outcomes of one decision about how you collect payments.

How Smart PointClickCare Customers Are Turning Billing Into Competitive Advantage

Sixty-seven percent of families would choose a card-accepting facility over one that does not. Billing convenience is no longer a back-office issue. It is a competitive weapon.

You Already Run PointClickCare. You Are Just Not Using It for Payments.

PointClickCare runs 27,000+ facilities but most are not using its billing integration capabilities. The EHR you already own is the fastest path to modern payments.

75% of Senior Living Communities Still Rely on Paper Checks. Here Is What That Actually Costs.

Your finance team spends 25 hours per billing cycle on a process that takes 40 minutes when automated. Paper is not just slow. It is the most expensive way to get paid.

The Person Paying Your Bill Is Not Your Resident: Why Family Experience Is the Real Billing Challenge

Sixty-three million Americans are caregivers and most of them are the ones actually paying your bill. When your billing system ignores the family, the family ignores your invoice.

Your New Residents Are More Digital Than You Think

Seventy-eight percent of seniors over 65 own smartphones and 75% of families want to pay by card. Your billing system was built for a generation that no longer exists.

The Senior Living Demand Wave: What the Numbers Say About 2026-2030

11,200 Americans turn 65 every day and new construction is at a decade low. The demographic wave is here, and your billing infrastructure is the bottleneck you have not planned for.

Your Billing System Isn't Built for How Senior Living Community Families Actually Pay

Most Senior Living community billing systems assume one resident equals one payer, but the reality of adult children, trust accounts, and split payments creates chaos that's costing your community more than you think.

The January Cash Flow Crisis

Every January, healthcare practices watch their revenue plummet by up to 40% as patient deductibles reset, yet most do nothing to prepare until the crisis hits and the damage is already done.

How Optum and PatientPay are Helping Providers Reclaim Patient Payments

Hundreds of healthcare organizations just discovered they've been leaving patient payment revenue on the table. The solution is simpler than you think, and it's already saving practices thousands in hidden costs.

Digital Billing and Payments Aren't Just for the Young

Many healthcare providers still believe older adults won’t engage with digital payment tools, but the data proves otherwise. This article explores the facts and shows why embracing digital options for all age groups can drive better financial and patient outcomes.

Coordinating Fertility Benefits Without the Chaos

Nearly half of large U.S. employers now offer fertility benefits, often through a specialized vendor that pays a defined portion of the cycle and leaves the patient responsible for the rest. The arrangement is good for patients, but for fertility groups, it has quietly created one of the most complicated coordination-of-benefits puzzles in modern healthcare.

Cycle-Based IVF Needs Cycle-Based Payments

Fertility care doesn't behave like the rest of healthcare, and standard healthcare billing keeps trying to make it. The result is a payment process that fights against the way IVF actually unfolds, and it costs both patients and practices more than it needs to.

The Multi-Payer Reality of Fertility Billing

Most billing systems were designed for a world where one patient receives one bill. Fertility care has never lived in that world, and the gap between how families actually pay and how most groups actually bill is creating friction at exactly the moments patients can least afford it.

Why Fertility Patients Are Still Surprised by the Bill

Fertility treatment is one of the largest out-of-pocket medical purchases most patients will ever make, with roughly 85% of IVF costs paid directly by the patient rather than through insurance. The price quoted at consultation and the bill that arrives weeks later are almost never the same number, and the gap between them is quietly shaping which fertility groups are winning patient trust in 2026.

The $3 Billion Refund Problem Nobody Talks About in Healthcare Billing

Healthcare billing conversations always run one direction: how do we collect faster? The reverse flow, the money going back out to patients, is eating staff hours and quietly creating regulatory risk in most practices that have never actually audited it.

The Real-Time Payments Shift Is Coming for B2B Healthcare. Here's What It Means for Your Group.

Most groups know payer money is arriving differently than it used to. What gets less attention is the cost of letting it arrive in formats your team has to process by hand, and the specific economics that make Straight-Through Processing worth a closer look.

Embedded Payments, Reconsidered: When the Built-In Pitch Is the Wrong Answer

Your software vendor's pitch is hard to argue with on paper: fewer vendors, less admin overhead, payments built into the platform you're already using. For some groups it's the right call, and for others it's a quiet trade of flexibility for convenience that gets noticed at renewal.

Which 2026 Healthcare Payment Trends Actually Apply to Senior Living

Industry trend reports get written for hospital CFOs, not senior living operators. Here's the honest sort: which trends actually move the needle for senior living this year, and which ones can be safely ignored despite all the noise around them.

70% of Senior Living Bills Still Go Out on Paper. Only 9% of Resident's Families Want to Pay That Way.

Two thirds of the people getting CCRC bills are receiving them in a format they don't want to use. The cost of that mismatch shows up everywhere on the operations side, and it's getting more expensive every year a community puts off fixing it.

Surcharging Is Going Mainstream. How Senior Living Should Think About It.

Half of independent practices already pass credit card fees to their patients, and the trajectory points toward 90% within a few years. For senior living, PT, and behavioral health, the more useful conversation isn't surcharging at all. It's something else.

How Healthcare Medical Groups Are Building Resilience

We all have a plan for our business and where we want it to go, but there is a vast array of factors that we simply cannot account for or control. When those unforeseen forces arrive at our doorstep smart medical groups focus on what they can control adapt.

Deductible Season Doesn't Have to Destroy Your Cash Flow

January deductibles don't have to tank your revenue if you know the collection strategies that high-performing practices use to turn their slowest month into their strongest start.

What Happens When Patients Pay Providers Through Their Health Plan or Health Savings Account Portal

Insurance provider & HSA portals are rapidly becoming a primary way patients pay their medical bills, but the process isn’t as simple as it looks. Behind the convenience are hidden risks, delays, and revenue leaks that practices can’t afford to ignore.

Why Patients Pay $50 But Ignore $400 Bills

Healthcare providers lose billions each year not because patients can't pay, but because of a counterintuitive psychological phenomenon that makes small bills more likely to get paid than large ones.

The Two-Minute Rule

The Two-Minute Rule isn't something we came up with in a marketing meeting; it's something we discovered watching our customers go live. Within two minutes of launch, the first payment comes through, and it happens every single time.

Patient Financial Engagement

Patients judge their healthcare experience by more than the care they receive. Discover how transparent billing, flexible payment options, and digital engagement can turn financial interactions into a driver of trust and loyalty.

Why Virtual Cards Are Gaining Ground in Healthcare Payments

Virtual cards are transforming how patients pay, and how providers get paid. But if you’re still treating them like a fringe use case, you might be missing one of the biggest financial opportunities in healthcare today.

Choosing the Right Payment & Billing Partner

Not all billing platforms are built for smaller healthcare providers. Learn what features and red flags to look for when evaluating patient payment solutions—and how to find a partner that actually fits your needs, budget, and goals.

The Rural Revenue Squeeze

Self-pay rates are rising and rural hospitals are feeling the pressure. Learn what’s behind the revenue squeeze, why waiting on policy won’t fix it, and how modern digital billing can help providers stabilize their financial future now.

Thriving in Uncertainty – How Healthcare Providers Can Strengthen Financial Stability

An Immediate Impact Makes a Huge Difference

Deep Dive into the Patient Financial Experience

7 Habits of Highly Effective Patient Payment Solutions

Calculating Your Patient’s Out-of-Pocket Expenses Accurately

Yet Another Reason to Move on From Paper-Focused Patient Billing

A Comprehensive Overview of Patient Payment Options

Healthcare Patient Payments in 2020 & Beyond

RCM Operations… This One’s For You

What Does it Mean to be a Healthcare RCM Partner?

Gettin’ Texty

What Kind of Lemonade Stand are you Providing for your Patients?

With All the Noise from Healthcare Payment Technology Vendors, How do you Stand Out? Easy...A Better Result!

Accelerating Patient Payments in a Time of Crisis

The Time is NOW to Implement a Mobile Billing Strategy

What Would Steve Jobs Say?

What is a Payment Facilitator or PayFac?

Do You Know Why Patients Don’t Pay Their Healthcare Payments?

The True Cost Of Processing A Patient Bill

Don’t Let Patient Accounts Receivable Impact Your Cash Flow

Market Shift And The Plight Of Paper Billing

Why Specialists Need A Specialized Patient Payment Solution

Flexible Patient Payment Plans: Driven by Ability to Pay

Prompt Patients to use HSA & FSA Funds

What You Need to Know About Patient Responsibility Payments

Why Specialist Patient Payments Should Be “Goin’ Mobile”

Why Does Healthcare Post Patient Payments To The Oldest Balance Due???

A Happy New Year Gift from the USPS

June 2026: New Go-Lives, an Accelerate Win, and Stronger Payment Safeguards

June brought a wave of go-lives across hospitals, surgical groups, and specialty practices — including William Newton Hospital's rural clinics in Kansas and a new Accelerate launch with Simplex Health. Here's what shipped, the safeguards we strengthened, and where we're headed next.

PatientPay CEO Tom Furr Featured on the Hospital Finance Podcast

PatientPay CEO and Founder Tom Furr was recently featured on Besler's Hospital Finance Podcast, where he joined host Kelly Wisness to unpack one of the most consequential trends in healthcare finance right now: the shift away from ACA marketplace plans and what it means for how providers collect patient dollars going forward.

February 2026: New Go-Lives for a Modern Patient & Resident Experience & Improved Operations

February was a busy month across every vertical we serve. From physical therapy and primary care to senior living and virtual card automation, here is what shipped.

November 2025: Momentum, Go-Lives, and the Two-Minute Rule

We added seven new customers across multiple specialties, published thought leadership on rural hospital revenue strategies, shared the story behind our Two-Minute Rule, and reconnected with the physical therapy community at APTA's annual conference. Here's what happened.

PatientPay Heads to Orlando for APTA Private Practice Annual Conference

Visit PatientPay at Booth 1, APTA Private Practice Conference, Nov 12-14 in Orlando. Get paid faster, reduce admin burden.

Optum Financial Highlights PatientPay as a Key Partner in Their Fintech Evolution

In a recent Advisory.com feature, Optum Financial spotlighted PatientPay as a key partner in its fintech transformation. See how this collaboration is reshaping provider payments and why it’s creating measurable impact across healthcare organizations.

PatientPay Partners with iRCM to Accelerate Patient Payments for New York Providers

PatientPay Expands Reach with Strategic Partnership to Improve Cash Flow for Specialty Provider Groups

PatientPay Launches Accelerate to Eliminate Delays in Payer-Collected Patient Payments

Get Paid Faster

PatientPay Increases Year-Over-Year Sales Growth by 93%

PatientPay Awarded Provista Contract for Patient Billing and Payment Platform

PatientPay Partners with Azalea Health to Improve Financial Outcomes for Community Hospitals and Medical Groups

PatientPay Emerges as a Powerhouse in Healthcare Billing and Payments through a Strategic Merger with ClearGage

PatientPay and Higher Standards Partner to Create a Frictionless Payment Experience for Healthcare

Curing Payment Confusion with Patient-Friendly Solutions

Three Community Hospitals Select PatientPay for their Digital Payment Strategy

It’s Time to Rethink Healthcare’s Reliance on Legacy Tech Amid Cyberattacks

A Model for Modern Pharmacy Billing and Payments in Long-Term Care Centers

PatientPay Achieves PCI DSS Service Provider Level 1 Recertification

How One CEO Has Seen ‘Huge Returns’ on Implementing Digital Payments

Benefits of Mobile Payments in Healthcare Financial Strategies

Why Medical Providers Need to Embrace Digital Payments

PatientPay Increases Revenue by 616% in a Two-Year Period

Redefining Patient Payment Experiences with a Personalized Approach

PatientPay Recognized for Improving Data Operations with AWS Native Tooling

PatientPay Recognized Among Top Revenue Cycle Management Companies

How Digital Payment Could Drive Options for Physical Therapy Groups

Beating the Q1 Slump: How Digitally Driven Patient Engagement Can Boost Revenue

Mobile Pay Revolutionizes Specialty Groups: Unlock the Data-Driven Potential

When Patients Pay the Bill for High-Cost Services: Navigating Patient Financial Engagement

Turning Increased Ambulatory Volumes into Financial Strength: 4 Moves for RCM

When National Financial Stressors Affect Consumer Payments

Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Pete Heydt of PatientPay on How Medical Practices Can Use Technology to Provide Better Care

PatientPay and WebPT Accelerate Patient Payments for Physical Therapy and Rehab Groups

PatientPay Announces Session Presentation at 2023 HBMA Fall Revenue Cycle Management Conference

PatientPay Announces Partnership with SlicedHealth™

PatientPay Announces Integration with PointClickCare, Enabling Faster and More Seamless Collection of Patient Payments

As Patient Financial Responsibility Grows, Technology Key to Collections

Revamping Payment Solutions with Integrated Rehab Group CFO Janet Carbary

Financial Success for Specialty Groups Depends on a Strong Back-End Approach

Clinicient Looks to PatientPay to Drive Collection Growth & Boost Patient Engagement

PatientPay Oversubscribes $6M Funding Round

PatientPay Announces New Patent for ‘Instant Integration for Installment Payments’ for its Patient Payment Solution

PatientPay partners with First Data for payment gateway and statement printing