5 Reasons to Outsource Statement Printing & Mailing for Patient Documents

If your company currently operates in the medical industry, there will naturally be many important decisions that you will need to make over time. The medical industry frequently deals with important personal information, meaning that one of your highest obligations is to assure that this information remains protected.

One of the important decisions that you will need to make is how you plan to print and distribute valuable patient information. Documents such as medical statements, bills, and other patient records will need to be handled with care. Finding a quality statement printing and mailing service will be incredibly important.

While many businesses that operate in the medical industry might attempt to handle their statement and printing mailing duties in-house, there are actually many potential benefits that can come from outsourcing these duties to an experienced firm. There are a remarkable number of printing and mailing services available and most of these services are equipped to handle the rigid specifics of the medical industry.

In this article, we will discuss five of the best ways that medical companies can benefit from outsourcing their statement printing and mailing needs. We will also discuss how you can find a company will be able to help your specific business. By making an effort to find a reliable outsourcing partner, your business will be able to direct more attention to your patients.

When it was first passed in 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) had a major impact on the way patient documents are handled. Since its passage, medical companies are now required to take additional steps to keep patient information confidential. Failure to comply with these laws can result in various legal penalties.

Fortunately, the best statement printing and mailing services will be HIPAA certified and able to assure that all sensitive information is handled with care. By working with someone who is familiar with the medical industry, it will be much easier to overcome the industry’s unique set of challenges.

In addition to complying with all HIPAA codes and regulations, it will also be crucial to assure that all medical information remains physically secure as well. Though mail fraud does not occur very often in the United States, there are still many things that can be done in order to make sure sensitive information is protected.

By working with a statement printing and mailing specialist, you will be able to have access to these desirable security features:

• Special envelopes that are impossible to read through
• Security seal
• Printed stamps (impossible to remove from envelop)
• Other features that vary by company

Even large medical enterprises can benefit from finding a partner capable of making sure that all sensitive information is secure, and delivered in a timely manner. Most statement printing and mailing services also typically offer access to priority mailing in instances where information needs to be delivered quickly.

Another benefit that can come from outsourcing your patient document responsibilities is that—by choosing an experienced firm—you will have access to already existing infrastructure. For medical businesses that may need to deliver hundreds, or even thousands of statements per week, pre-existing infrastructure can make a major difference.

Statement printing and mailing services can improve your operations by offering quicker, higher quality (fewer mistakes), and more efficient statement deliveries. As your business continues to grow, the benefits of outsourcing these operations will consequently increase.

Any company that consistently relies on mailing as a form of communication (as most medical businesses still do) will want to minimize the per-unit cost of mailing. Finding ways to save on paper costs, stamps, envelopes, ink, and other related expenses can make a significant difference over time.

Working with a major statement printing and mailing service will allow you to save on all of these printing costs. Depending on how efficiently your business operates in the status quo, your savings may be as much as 50% per unit. Though statement printing is usually a small part of a medical business’ overall expenses, outsourcing these services can provide an immediate operational advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Patient statements are one of the few tangible forms of communication that your business will actively have with your patients. Consequently, any medical business that wants to improve its relationship with its patients should consider improving its communication methods to the greatest extent that it possibly can.

Outsourcing these tasks will make it possible to have patient statements that are secure, easy to read, HIPAA compliant, and professionally designed. This will make it much easier to assure that your patients are aware of their status and financial situation. Furthermore, issuing professionally crafted statements can help you avoid potential legal clashes with your patients in the future.

Finding the Outsourcing Partner that’s Right for You

There is no doubt that hiring a professional statement printing and mailing service can help medical businesses of all varieties. However, once you have made the decision to outsource, you will still need to select your business’ outsourcing partner.

On the surface, many of these services might appear to be quite similar. When visiting their websites, it will be important to keep these things in mind:

• What is the company’s pricing structure? Are there any additional services currently being offered?
• Is the prospective company HIPAA certified? Are they familiar with the medical industry?
• Does the firm typically work with smaller companies or larger companies? Would they likely be able to handle your document printing and mailing needs?
• What are the things about this company that immediately seem appealing?

It will also likely be helpful to speak with a representative of the company in order to make sure that all of your questions get answered. Most of these companies will be very happy to assist you.

Conclusion

With medical costs rising over time, many medical business owners are finding themselves scrambling to contain costs in any way they possibly can. But instead of cutting corners when it comes to any treatments being provided, it may be more beneficial to strive for operational efficiency in all things that you do.

Many medical businesses can immediately benefit from outsourcing their document printing and mailing needs. By working with a professional statement printing company, you will be able to provide the security, quality, and efficiency that your patients are expecting.