ECHO Health offers a payment management solution that attempts to streamline provider efforts to collect patient out-of-pocket amounts. ECHO recently commissioned Milliman to research current healthcare payment and collections processes, and to evaluate the feasibility of their program, named “Simplicity.” This white paper describes challenges that affect patients, providers, and health plans under the current medical billing paradigm. The report also includes Milliman’s review of the ECHO Health Simplicity program. The paper’s main sections discuss the following:

• A financial challenge for both provider and patient
• Research on current approaches
• Characteristics of a broad solution
• Our analysis of Simplicity

This paper was commissioned by ECHO Health, Inc.