Making the financial side of healthcare more manageable and engaging for consumers is something I?ve been passionate about for a long time. It started back in 1999, when my mother ? staring at a kitchen table covered with EOBs and medical bills ? proclaimed that she was never going to the doctor again. It was all just too much for her to digest. Now that?s a problem to solve.

Today, nearly 20 years later, it still remains this way for many. Between skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs (up 230% from 2006 to 2015 alone, according to Kaiser Family Foundation) and language and numbers that don?t always add up, patients are desperate for help. And they?re looking to providers and technology for help.

Consider this:

• One in five working-age Americans with insurance?has had problems paying medical bills in the past year. (Kaiser Family Foundation / New York Times)
• 77% of patients have been confused by an EOB sent by their health plan; 76% are confused by bills from their providers. (InstaMed)
• 61% of patients are either sometimes or always surprised by out-of-pocket costs. (TransUnion)
• 91% of patients say it?s important to know payment responsibility prior to a provider visit. (InstaMed)
• More than half of 18-34 year olds are willing to use a service or online solution to help them manage medical expenses; 33% of those 35-54 are willing, and 9% of those 55+ are. (PwC Health Research Institute)

What can providers (and technology innovators) glean from statistics like these? A lot.

1. Now more than ever, consumers are being crushed by rising out-of-pocket costs, something that is largely attributable to the increasing popularity of High-Deductible Health Plans. This puts both patients AND providers at risk, since under HDHPs, getting paid means providers must work directly with the patient ? rather than relying on payers alone to make it happen.
2. There is a tremendous need for providers and payers to work hand-in-hand to help patients better understand and estimate the cost of care before it?s consumed. The HITECH Act and Affordable Care Act have helped open the door for this to happen, but there?s much more work to be done.
3. Patients want technology to help them become better consumers of healthcare ? and they are looking to their providers to deliver. Technology has permeated almost every other area of our lives (Pew Research Center says that 77% of Americans now own a smartphone!), why not make scheduling appointments, viewing medical records, communicating with clinical staff, receiving and paying bills, and assessing healthcare costs and quality measures just as accessible??

Can technology really be the answer?

At PointClear Solutions, I get this question a lot. My answer? In many ways, yes.

While technology isn?t able to solve all problems for all people at all times, over the last 10+ years in the digital health space, our team has seen ? and helped create ? a number of software solutions that successfully help patients become smarter, happier, more responsible consumers of healthcare, while simultaneously supporting providers in their efforts to increase patient satisfaction, speed payments, and drive revenue.

Here are a few of my favorite projects that fall into this category: