Have you seen our new Explanation of Benefits (EOB)?
Have you seen our new Explanation of Benefits (EOB)?
Last year we identified that our EOB was a significant source of dissatisfaction for our members. You told us that
- the statements weren't helpful, and
-
we weren't being efficient with all the envelopes we were sending.
So we changed.
Our new EOB design provides much more detail than the previous one. You can more clearly see the services for which you are billed, what they cost, and what your patient portion may be.
We asked our members to comment on the new bill with a brief postcard questionnaire. An overwhelming response revealed that 66% of you think these new statements are a significant improvement. However, another 33% provided us with ways we can still improve. The most common identified improvements were
- to reduce the amount of paper used, and
- identify each physician's name individually on the statement (as opposed to the overall group practice name)
For those members who use Scott & White (S&W) physicians, many of you would like the Health Plan to include the payments that you have made to the S&W Clinic. Unfortunately the Health Plan and S&W Clinic use different "systems" for billing and claims payment. New technology may eventually allow us integrate these two systems and we will address this as advancements are made.
We will work on the improvements that you have suggested. Meanwhile, we have four members who were drawn from all the respondents who received gift certificates at Diamondback in Waco, and at Meggs in Temple, Round Rock, and College Station. We thank you all for taking the time to provide us with the valuable feedback.