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While credit card transactions and contactless payments have long been associated with retail and e-commerce, they also play a significant role in the healthcare industry and are factored into a patient’s healthcare experience. With the increasing use of online patient portals, telehealth services, and medical billing systems, healthcare organizations and patients rely on the flexibility and convenience to securely process credit card payments for co-pays and out of pocket expenses. That’s why it is imperative for healthcare providers and managed care organizations to adhere to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance to safeguard sensitive credit card information, protect patient data, and maintain trust with their patients. Today, most healthcare companies are not PCI compliant. In fact, just 27% of them are, despite the existence of regulations and organizations that can help businesses achieve and maintain compliance. With more than 90% of consumers demonstrating a strong interest in digital self-service options for pre-appointment tasks such bill payment, it is more important than ever to ensure compliance. Let’s explore how the healthcare industry enables credit card PCI compliance in healthcare and the measures healthcare organizations can take to ensure data security and deliver on their promises to their patients.
Protecting Sensitive Credit Card Information
The PCI SSC mission is to enhance global payment account data security by developing standards and supporting services that drive education, awareness, and effective implementation by stakeholders. Healthcare organizations that accept credit card payments are entrusted with sensitive financial information, including credit card numbers, cardholder names, and expiration dates and failure to protect this information adequately can lead to severe consequences such as financial loss, legal penalties, damage to reputation, and loss of patient trust. Compliance with PCI DSS standards provides a framework for healthcare providers to establish robust security measures and protect credit card data.
Benefits of PCI Compliance in Healthcare
Adhering to PCI DSS compliance offers several benefits for healthcare organizations, including:
- Data Security: Compliance ensures that credit card data is stored, transmitted, and processed securely, protecting patients from financial fraud and identity theft.
- Regulatory Compliance: PCI DSS compliance aligns with other healthcare regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). By meeting PCI requirements, organizations can address multiple compliance obligations simultaneously.
- Customer Trust: Demonstrating a commitment to data security through compliance enhances patient trust and confidence in the organization’s ability to protect their sensitive information.
- Risk Mitigation: Compliance helps organizations identify vulnerabilities and implement appropriate controls, reducing the risk of data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.
Combining PCI DSS compliance with elements of Healthcare Financial Management Association’s (HFMA) guidelines for Patient Financial Communication Best Practices and Patient Friendly Billing Initiatives help improve patient trust and satisfaction in healthcare.
SpinSci’s Patient Comply Solution
As part of SpinSci’s comprehensive Patient Access Care solution portfolio, Patient Comply is a reliable payment protection solution specifically designed to address credit card PCI compliance in healthcare call settings with a live care team member. It ensures the secure handling of credit card transactions while providing a seamless experience for both patients and healthcare providers.
While most health systems have consolidated the billing statements with investments in single billing office, there are several operational challenges when it comes to processing payment itself.
- Ability for contact center agents to process all pre-encounter payments within the scope of PCI DSS
- Ability for contact center agents to process all post-encounter payments within the scope of PCI DSS
- Auto pausing the voice and screen recordings so no PCI sensitive data is captured and stroed in non-PCI zone
- Enable Self-service payment options for patients to process payments securely using IVA via voice or chat bots and auto-reconcile in the EHR systems
With SpinSci’s out of the box offerings, combined with leading EHR and CRM integrations like Epic, Patient Comply eliminates the need for complex integrations with external payment gateways, simplifying the payment process for patients and providers, while maintaining a high level of privacy and data security. Robust features like Auto Pause & Resume, Dual -Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) masking and a cloud-based bill pay Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, Patient Comply helps deliver choice and convenience for a better patient financial experience, boosting their overall patient satisfaction.
Ensuring Credit card PCI compliance is only one component of revenue cycle management (RCM) but is crucial for healthcare organizations that process credit card payments to ensure timely payment processing and revenue realization. By adhering to PCI DSS standards with Patient Comply, healthcare providers can offer customers multiple bill payment options that ensure the security of sensitive credit card information, protect patient data, and maintain trust with their patients. Implementing robust security measures not only safeguards financial transactions but also contributes to an overall culture of data security and trust within the healthcare industry, resulting in better patient interactions and improved patient experiences.
To learn more about Patient Comply and the full SpinSci Patient Access Care solution portfolio, visit www.spinsci.com or request a demo today.
