Past patients of Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City can now "point, click and pay" their hospital bills thanks to the addition last week of a convenient new payment feature on the healthcare provider's web site.
Mercy is the first hospital in the region to offer Internet bill payment service from its home page. By selecting the "on-line payment" tab at http://www.mercysiouxcity.com , former patients can pay their entire hospital bill, pay a portion of their balance, or set up a monthly payment plan. Users of the new option can elect to make a payment from their checking account, savings account or from a major credit card.
"We are excited about this new innovation in good customer service," said Shea Thomas, director of Patient Financial Services at Mercy Medical Center. "It allows our customers and patients the convenience of making payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
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As they are guided through the on-line bill payment service, web users will even find a schedule listing interest-free monthly payment options. Those using this payment method can authorize automatic payments directly from their checking or savings account, or from a credit card account. They can also select the monthly payment date that works best for them.
Before transacting their business on the Internet, however, patients will need their patient account number specified on the statement they have received from the hospital. A notation now being printed on all hospital statements reminds patients that the new on-line service is available to them.
Those using the new on-line payment option can trust the integrity of the service, said Thomas. "We utilize a confidential, secure server provided by Patient-Pay, a reputable national firm that specializes in healthcare services. You are as secure making payment on this web site as you would be on any government or bank web site. All payment transactions are regulated by Federal Reserve banking law and are fully compliant with the privacy provisions outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)."
Thomas, who has worked in the health care industry for the past 22 years, said he was not surprised to see such an innovation implemented.
"This is clearly a trend in healthcare just as it is in the rest of society and business," he asserted. "As such customer-friendly on-line services become more and more popular, we would fully expect many other healthcare providers across the country to follow suit."
Making electronic bill payment available to patients also benefits hospitals like Mercy in that it streamlines the processes involved in making such transactions and enhances efficiency.
Hospital leaders at Mercy suggest that bill payment might be just the first of many additional services and features that will be made available on-line in the near future.
Thomas emphasized that on-line bill payment is merely an added option available to Mercy patients.
"If anyone using the on-line payment option has any questions about the process, they can still call us," he said. "Of course, our customers can still transact their business in person at our office in the Central Medical Building during regular business hours, or they can arrange payment options by phone, as well."
For more information about the Patient Financial Services at Mercy Medical Center, call (712) 279-2266.
