The Executive Suite: How digital tools can alleviate health care access and affordability issues for women

By developing a greater understanding of some of the challenges women face with healthcare, providers can help improve healthcare access and affordability issues for them.

For example, women are 35% more likely than men to say they’ve skipped or delayed medical care, which leaves their conditions untreated for longer and can compound costs, according to a recent report from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

Additionally, women (29%) are more likely than men (22%) to say that they have avoided or delayed obtaining mental health services due to cost. The types of health care services women are skipping or delaying as a result of costs include acute illnesses (38%), preventive care (35%), women’s health issues (34%), and dermatology concerns (19%).

The report’s authors suggest that these issues are indicative of deeper problems that American women are experiencing with U.S. healthcare and noted three specific “structural design flaws” that contribute to women avoiding or delaying care. The three issues relate to affordability, access, and prior experiences.

As it relates to patient payments, providers have tools at their disposal that can help alleviate some of the problems that women face with affordability and access. By adopting consumer-friendly options such as payment plans and offering new digital tools such as pre-service cost estimates and digital wallets, providers can begin to improve some of the gender-related disparities in healthcare.

A deeper look at the problem

Women face some healthcare barriers at a more acute level than men. For example, women were almost twice as likely as men to say they aren’t financially prepared to pay an unforeseen medical bill. Further, even after excluding maternity expenses, employed women still spend 18% more than men on healthcare. What’s more, these affordability challenges are occurring at a time when American women earn an average of 82 cents for every dollar a man earns and therefore might be less able to cover out-of-pocket expenses, according to Deloitte.

In terms of access issues, women are 50% more likely than men to report skipping care due to a long wait time and are twice as likely to miss a medical appointment because of a transportation issue. However, on the positive side, many women are looking to digital options to make care more accessible. Among women who have participated in a virtual health visit, 80% said convenience and access were their top reasons for the choice, Deloitte reported.

It is important to note the broader impact as well, studies show women make approximately 80% of household health care spending decisions in the United States.

What providers can do to help
Following are three options providers can adopt to relieve healthcare accessibility and affordability issues for women:

Adjustable payment plans: For some patients, access to payment plans can be a significant help in addressing financial strain. Instead of paying for the entire cost of care upfront, payment plans give patients the ability to pay for care over a predetermined time period. This can provide relief and allow for currently available resources to be used to cover more immediate needs.

From the provider’s perspective, offering payment plans is an important consideration towards enabling patients to pay unexpected expenses over time and access care that may otherwise be unaffordable. Payment plans also increase the likelihood that providers will eventually be able to collect payment for delivery of services that are not fully covered by insurance.

Pre-service check-ins and price transparency: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on an average day, women (86%) were significantly more likely than men (71%) to spend at least some time on household responsibilities. When it comes to obtaining medical care, convenience is critical.

With pre-service check-ins, patients are sent a message in their preferred channel containing a link that confirms several key pieces of data: demographic information, insurance and benefits coverage, copay, and service amount estimates based on visit type. They can complete paperwork and co-payment in advance of their visit. As an example, consider an expectant mother who has other children. This convenience can save time in the office and make it more feasible for her to make an appointment. In addition, helping patients understand what they will owe for medical care can help empower them to coordinate care and payment ability with the provider in advance and adjust their own budget as needed.

Modern payment methods: Today’s consumers expect flexibility in payment methods when shopping online or with retailers. These expectations are increasingly extending toward healthcare providers. Accordingly, providers should embrace modern payment methods such as digital wallets, card on file, and peer to peer payments to accommodate growing consumer preferences towards these payment approaches. Further, digital wallet services such as PayPal and Venmo do not require users to have bank accounts, making them potentially desirable options for “unbanked” patients.

Women no doubt face unique challenges in managing healthcare in America, but the good news is that providers can take a few simple steps to deliver relief. By adopting digital payment tools, payment plans, and promoting price transparency, providers make healthcare more affordable and accessible for women.