Financials
Shifts in reimbursement make managing financials very difficult for home health organizations because they must stay on top of changes. Any kind of lapse in data—or lag in submitting for reimbursement—is expensive. We wanted to understand mobile technology's impact on healthcare organizations' financial health and management.
We looked at how mobile technology impacts agencies' ability to process claims quickly for faster reimbursements. Fifty-seven percent of our survey respondents ranked mobile technology's impact on the ability to submit for reimbursement quickly and accurately as significant or very significant.
Caregiver mobile technology is a significant cost to be considered. We asked respondents about the average cost of supporting caregivers' mobile technology, including hardware, software licenses, telecom expenses, and support. Home health agencies spend an average of $288 per employee per month.
There are many different ways to acquire technology, and the attractiveness of each method will vary for different organizations. An important part of the strategy is to be aware of hidden costs and choose the technology acquisition that is right for the organization's goals. Fifty-five percent of organizations purchase their devices outright—either online or via a technology provider—where there may be room to purchase more cost-effectively. Another 28 percent purchase through carriers—either subsidized or not.
Home healthcare agencies spend an average of $288 per caregiver per month on mobile tech
We asked respondents which is more important when choosing mobile devices for the organization, and 68 percent of respondents chose performance and durability over price.
Interestingly, those who get their devices free from carriers are most likely to choose their devices based on price, and all other buying categories choose their devices based on features.
Because mobile technology reliability is significant to the speed of reimbursements, there's a strong argument for choosing powerful and robust devices. Subsidized technology comes with hidden costs, and a bargain phone or tablet isn't a bargain when it cuts into productivity, or you're locked into high-rate data plans.
Companies looking to keep a lid on costs should look to telecom expense management (TEM) solutions that simplify the financial tangle of carrier contracts, inventory management, device replacement, and more. SmartSIM solutions can also help because they connect home health workers to the best network wherever they are. Data is pooled, avoiding individual line overages month after month. Instead of manually managing all your mobile-related information—and possibly spending money where you could be saving it—many TEM and SmartSIM solutions improve mobility management.
