Many Americans are looking for new ways to optimize the manner by which they make payments.
United Healthcare is hoping to innovate such things in the medical field. The firm announced earlier this week that they will allow its customers to pay their medical bills online with a credit card, making them the first national insurer to offer such capability.
The program has many aims, including aiding consumers to check their claims in real-time to help prevent improper expenditures, helping them to track medical costs in terms of future tax reporting, allowing consumers to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses online. The software also includes a glossary, for the sake of explaining health care terms in an easy-to-understand mode of language.
"This tool helps consumers take greater ownership of their health care decisions and treatments, offering a simple and clear way for people to manage all their health-related finances," said Yasmine Winkler, the chief marketing executive at United Healthcare. "By enabling consumers to more easily monitor, manage and understand their health care expenses, people can take charge of their health and make more informed decisions regarding their care."
There may be more evidence that new methods of online credit card processing are the future for service providers. The amount of people using transactional mobile banking services in 2016 will amount to roughly 550 million users, a stark increase from the 185 million who were recorded using such services in 2011, according to Juniper. Additionally, by 2016, roughly 80 percent of all users who've downloaded mobile banking applications will be paying their bills via a mobile device with the help of recurring billing software.
"Customers are becoming increasingly more confident in using basic informational mBanking services," explained Windsor Holden, the research director at Juniper. "The natural progression is to engage in transactional banking, as they demand tighter control over their finances within a turbulent economic environment and busier lifestyle which are at odds with a 9 to 5 branch-based service."
"Technology is rapidly changing how people interact with health care professionals, navigate the health care system and make health care payments," said Franco Rizzolo, partner and administrator at Suburban Orthopaedic Medical Center.
He suggested that the ability to make easy payments through electronic outlets is becoming an attractive feature for consumers in all fields. He stated that giving patients the ability to make easy payments via their mobile phones is an "important advancement" that will benefit both the patients and the healthcare provider.
