New Data from Cedar, Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network Validates that Payer-Provider Collaboration is Key to Improving Billing Process

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Sep 26, 2023, 09:00 ET

Implementation of Cedar Pay with the Payer Intelligence Layer results in a $17 million increase in payments and 90% customer satisfaction

NEW YORK and PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite efforts to simplify the billing experience, consumers are still frustrated to receive multiple, uncoordinated bills and explanations of benefits for a single care visit. Addressing the structural challenges of health care billing must take a radically different approach—beyond investments in EHR functionality. To proactively address these challenges and deliver a remarkable healthcare experience, Pittsburgh-based Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) chose to partner with Cedar, an enterprise financial engagement platform that improves the end-to-end journey for consumers, to power a connected financial experience that integrates payers, providers and financial institutions.

New Data from Cedar, Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network Validates that Payer-Provider Collaboration is Key to Improving Billing Process

"When it comes to the financial experience in healthcare, consumer needs are too vast and too complicated—it's an impossible task for providers alone to help them resolve their bills," said Seth Cohen, president of Cedar. "Our partnership with Highmark Inc. and Allegheny Health Network has proven that it is possible to bring key industry stakeholders—including providers, payers and HSA banks—together to benefit consumers."

By implementing Cedar Pay, a patient billing and payments solution, with the Payer Intelligence Layer, Highmark members who receive care at AHN have access to uniquely integrated billing information and insurance data. AHN was the first health system to implement Cedar's Payer Intelligence Layer, and in just one year, they experienced a $17 million increase in payments, as well as:

90% customer satisfaction
33% lift in HSA/FSA utilization
11% reduction in customer service requests

The significant lift in payments paired with high satisfaction reinforces that Cedar Pay empowers consumers to resolve bills with greater ease and peace of mind and focus on what's most important: their health.

"I've been impressed by how much Cedar's Payer Intelligence Layer affects customer engagement," said Adam Lough, director of Revenue Cycle Strategic Initiatives and Optimization at Allegheny Health Network. "I have my provider saying this is good to go. I have my insurance saying it's good to go. Great, I can pay with confidence."

"Cedar has shown us that if you make it easy, if you deliver transparency, and if you provide the right information when people need it most, you can achieve exceptional outcomes that free people to be their best," said Neil Kulkarni, vice president, Customer and Clinician Experience Solutions at Highmark Health.

To learn more about Highmark Inc. and AHN's successful partnership with Cedar, read the full case study here. And for those attending HTLH 2023, Cedar President Seth Cohen will be presenting on these results, as well as more on the company's innovative work to connect consumers with an integrated ecosystem of payment options, at 2:10pm PT on October 10 on The Newsroom Stage.

About Cedar
Cedar is committed to improving the healthcare financial experience for all. With an innovative platform that connects providers and payers, Cedar empowers healthcare consumers with an optimized journey—all powered by data science and interactive design. For Cedar clients, this leads to increased payments, more efficient operations and greater consumer loyalty. To learn more about why leading U.S. healthcare organizations trust Cedar to manage the end-to-end consumer experience from pre-registration to post-visit billing, visit www.cedar.com and join us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

About Highmark Health
Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA-based enterprise that employs more than 42,000 people who serve millions of Americans across the country, is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, enGen, and Helion. Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates provide health insurance to 7 million members in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York, as well as dental insurance, and related health products through a national network of diversified businesses. Allegheny Health Network is an integrated delivery network in western Pennsylvania comprised of 14 hospitals, more than 2,600 affiliated physicians, ambulatory surgery centers, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute, a group purchasing organization, and health and wellness pavilions. enGen is focused on meeting the information technology platform and other business needs of the Highmark Health enterprise as well as unaffiliated health insurance plans by providing proven business processes, expert knowledge, and integrated cloud-based platforms. Helion works with payers to cultivate high-performing networks while empowering providers to operate at their best. To learn more, visit www.highmarkhealth.org.

About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 21,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

SOURCE Cedar