Building Stronger Payer Partnerships: A Guide for ASCs

Establishing robust payer relationships is essential for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) aiming for sustained financial growth. The ability to secure timely and accurate payments from contracted payers is pivotal to the financial health of ASCs. Thus, enhancing payer relationships is a strategic imperative. In fact, according to one survey 92% of healthcare executives nationwide prioritize collaboration with the aim to improve patient care and reduce costs.¹

However, fostering such partnerships requires a blend of collaboration, innovation, and technology to align the interests of payers and ASCs with the overarching goal of high-quality, cost-efficient patient care. Here are four steps to improve your payer relationships:

1. Understand Payer Perspectives
   To foster a productive relationship, begin by understanding the challenges payers face. Navigating the complexities of financial and compliance landscapes, payers focus on minimizing healthcare costs and risks. This goal can seem contrary to clinical objectives but finding a middle ground is both necessary and achievable. Viewing payers as partners rather than adversaries is crucial. Adapt your billing processes to meet specific payer requirements by staying informed through regular engagement in payer meetings and industry forums.
2. Establish Proactive Communication
   Effective communication is the cornerstone of strong payer relationships. Establishing transparent, ongoing dialogue builds trust and preemptively addresses potential issues. Proactively engage with payers to smooth billing workflows, adapting practices as needed to ensure timely reimbursements. Updating payers on regulatory changes or service expansions that may influence billing processes is also beneficial.
3. Bolster Relationships with Tech-Driven Services
   Leveraging technology can streamline payer interactions. Implementing automated billing systems, electronic health records (EHRs), and analytics tools can enhance billing accuracy and efficiency, reducing the workload on your team. Utilize analytics insights to improve financial transparency and tackle billing and reimbursement barriers together.
4. Leverage Expert Help to Strengthen Relationships
   Navigating payer relationships is complex, and external expertise can be invaluable. Partnering with an organization like in2itive provides a strategic advantage. With proven methods for managing challenging payer situations and technology to bridge gaps, in2itive aligns ASC and payer goals. Our team, experienced in contract negotiations and dispute resolution, ensures fair and prompt reimbursements for ASC services.

Strengthening payer relationships is vital for the financial stability of ASCs. By understanding payer perspectives, communicating proactively, leveraging technology, and seeking expert support, ASCs can position themselves as valuable partners in the healthcare ecosystem.

Eager to enhance your payer partnerships? Contact in2itive today for expert insights and discover how our proven practices can elevate your ASC’s financial health.

Sources

1. Provider Perspectives: How Health Plans and Health Systems Can Collaborate to Benefit Members. (2024). Kyruus Health. https://kyruushealth.com/resource/provider-perspectives-how-health-plans-and-health-systems-can-collaborate-to-benefit-members/