In the healthcare industry, customer service is critical to providing patients with quality care and support. However, managing customer service can be time-consuming and costly for healthcare providers. That’s where outsourcing companies come in.
By partnering with a top healthcare customer service outsourcing company, healthcare providers can focus on their core services while providing their patients with exceptional customer service.
In this article, we’ll highlight the top healthcare customer service outsourcing companies in the nation for 2023. From customer service support to revenue cycle management and claims processing, these companies offer a range of services to help healthcare providers and patients meet their customer service needs. Read on to discover the top outsourcing firms that can help elevate your organization’s customer service game.
But first, here’s an overview of this growing business practice:
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
Top Healthcare Customer Service Outsourcing Companies in the US (2023)
What is healthcare customer service outsourcing?
Healthcare customer service outsourcing is a practice where a healthcare facility outsources its customer service functions to a third-party provider. This can include tasks such as handling patient inquiries, managing appointments, answering phone calls and emails, providing billing and payment assistance, and managing patient accounts.
The practice allows healthcare organizations to focus on their core competencies while delegating routine tasks to specialized service providers. This can help improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve patient satisfaction by providing timely and personalized customer service.
During the height of the pandemic, when many healthcare facilities saw their labor force drop, many hospitals and clinics turned to customer service outsourcing companies to provide support and continue their organizational functions.
In turn, experts see great promise in the outsourcing of customer service functions by healthcare facilities as it could lead to more players joining and creating innovations in the market.
Importance of healthcare customer service outsourcing
Healthcare is one of the most critical sectors where customer service is of utmost importance. Patients and their families often experience significant stress and anxiety due to medical conditions, making compassionate and efficient customer service essential. However, labor shortages and high operational costs can affect the delivery of services. This is where healthcare customer service outsourcing comes in.
By outsourcing, healthcare providers can free up resources and focus on delivering quality patient care while also improving their bottom line. Outsourcing companies’ core services focus on providing customer service, so they are better equipped to handle inquiries efficiently and effectively.
One significant advantage of outsourcing healthcare customer service is that it can improve patient satisfaction. When patients receive prompt and accurate answers to their questions, they feel valued and cared for. Outsourcing also allows healthcare providers to handle an increased volume of inquiries without sacrificing quality, resulting in a more positive patient experience.
Additionally, outsourcing gives hospitals and clinic access to experts and tools that may not have been available to them if processes are done in-house. That’s because third-party providers have teams of professionals with diverse backgrounds and experience levels. They can bring new perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, leading to improved processes and services.
Overall, outsourcing healthcare customer service can be a beneficial strategy for healthcare providers looking to improve patient satisfaction, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. By leveraging the expertise of third-party providers, hospitals and clinics can focus on delivering quality patient care while leaving customer service to the experts.
The top healthcare customer service outsourcing companies in the US
While most of the companies listed offer outsourcing services to a diverse set of clients in various industries, their healthcare divisions are known for delivering top-notch services.
1. Alorica
Alorica is a California-based business processing company that provides healthcare customer service outsourcing solutions. They offer end-to-end customer service support for healthcare providers, payers, and pharmaceutical companies.
They have a diverse suite of digital offerings that serve to help address healthcare facilities’ pain points, with an emphasis on creating a seamless integration of processes via automation and omnichannel solutions.
2. Foundever (formerly Sitel Group)
Foundever, formerly known as Sitel Group, provides a wide range of customer service outsourcing solutions, including for the healthcare industry. Their services include healthcare plan enrollment, healthcare delivery support (patient admissions, billing and payments, etc.), and even lifestyle coaching and chronic disease management. Its headquarters are in Florida.
The company is focused on scalable solutions to enhance the patient experience. With a global network of healthcare experts, Foundever is able to provide services within a digital-first and customer-centric framework.
3. Sagility (formerly HGS Healthcare)
Sagility, formerly known as HGS Healthcare, offers a range of healthcare customer service outsourcing solutions, including patient health and welfare management, claims management, and healthcare front and back office support services.
The company operates from five countries, namely the US (with its headquarters in Colorado), India, the Philippines, Colombia, and Jamaica. The company focuses on transformative healthcare solutions that aim to engage and retain patients by providing them with the best care possible.
4. Concentrix
Concentrix is a customer service outsourcing provider headquartered in California. They cater to many industries and fields including healthcare customer services, with an aim to “build a resilient healthcare system with a focus on care.”
They have a diverse set of offerings, customized to meet the customer service needs of healthcare providers and payers. Some of their service offerings include revenue cycle management, claims processing services, as well as care coordination services.
5. Cognizant
Cognizant is a New Jersey-based healthcare customer service outsourcing company that provides customer service outsourcing solutions to healthcare providers, payers, and pharmaceutical companies.
They offer a wide array of services that include customer service support, claims processing, and revenue cycle management. Their focus is on providing targeted solutions that are backed by technology to ensure on-demand service delivery.
6. EXL
EXL is a BPO company headquartered in Manhattan, NY whose healthcare division offers a wide range range of customer service outsourcing solutions to payers, healthcare providers, as well as pharmacy benefit managers, and life sciences companies.
With a focus on using AI and cloud technology alongside analytics, the company aims to provide solutions to complex healthcare problems. Some of the areas in healthcare that EXL provides services in include clinical, pharmaceutical, data analysis, and payment services.
7. Optum
Optum is a healthcare customer service outsourcing company, based in Minnesota, that provides a range of services, including customer support, claims processing, and clinical support.
It is one of the largest healthcare services companies in the US, operating under the UnitedHealth Group. Their core competencies include data analytics, healthcare technology, and clinical expertise, distributed into three divisions: Optum Care (the company’s nationwide physician network), Optum Financial (finance and payment services), and Optum Rx (prescription management services).
8. Conduent
Conduent is a New Jersey-based customer service outsourcing company with a presence in over 40 countries and serves clients across multiple industries, including healthcare.
Their healthcare division focuses on automation, digital transformation, and data analytics, to provide end-to-end solutions to the various stakeholders in the healthcare industry: payers, providers, drug manufacturers, as well as government agencies tasked to deliver health services to the public.
The future of healthcare customer service outsourcing
The future of healthcare customer service outsourcing is promising, with the advancements in technology revolutionizing service delivery. Tech advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and chatbots, have the potential to improve service delivery by reducing wait times, enhancing personalization, and increasing efficiency.
One of the significant advantages of outsourcing healthcare customer service is the cost savings that come with it. As healthcare providers continue to grapple with budget cuts and labor shortages, outsourcing is becoming increasingly attractive. Outsourcing also provides healthcare providers with access to a larger pool of skilled professionals, enabling them to provide superior customer service.
In the “New Normal,” healthcare customer service outsourcing will continue to play a significant role in the industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for healthcare services, creating a need for more efficient and effective customer service delivery. Outsourcing can help healthcare providers meet this need by providing high-quality customer service at a lower cost.
Furthermore, as the healthcare industry continues to shift towards value-based care, healthcare customer service outsourcing will become more critical. Patient satisfaction is a crucial factor in determining value-based care, and outsourcing can help healthcare providers improve patient satisfaction by providing superior customer service.
In conclusion, the future of healthcare customer service outsourcing is bright, with technology playing a significant role in improving service delivery. Outsourcing will continue to be a valuable tool for healthcare providers as they navigate the “New Normal” and strive to provide high-quality care to patients.
Make sure to explore your options thoroughly to find the best service provider that fits your healthcare facility’s needs.
Elevate your customer service experience with our blog post on the top 10 customer service software solutions for 2023, tailored to enhance healthcare service efficiency and satisfaction.
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References
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“Importance of Great Customer Service in Healthcare and How to Provide It.” Freshdesk Blog, 17 Dec. 2021, https://www.freshworks.com/freshdesk/help-desk-software/healthcare-customer-service-blog/.
Short, Jesse. “Delivering Great Customer Service in the Healthcare Industry.” Help Scout: Shared Inbox, Help Center, & Live Chat Software, Help Scout, 1 July 2021, https://www.helpscout.com/blog/customer-service-in-healthcare/.
“The Impact of COVID-19 on Patient Contact Centers: How the Pandemic Accelerated Use of Outsourcing.” Https://Www.Beckershospitalreview.Com/Patient-Experience/the-Impact-of-Covid-19-on-Patient-Contact-Centers-How-the-Pandemic-Accelerated-Use-of-Outsourcing.Html, Becker’s Hospital Review, 6 July 2021.
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