The way patients seek out and pay for care will likely change due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to VMG Health's 2020 "Healthcare M&A Report."
Four considerations pertaining to patient payments and collections:
1. Declining income levels could affect demand for healthcare services among patients with high-deductible insurance plans.
2. High unemployment rates could cause ASCs to see fewer patients with commercial payment plans and a corresponding rise in Medicare and Medicaid patients.
3. Certain services being dropped from Medicare and Medicaid plans could influence what kind of care patients seek.
4. Smaller providers may have to address patient safety concerns to avoid "volume tailwinds" and resulting revenue losses.