The Affordable Care Act set into motion sweeping changes in the United States’ healthcare system, and has consistently been a central topic within the national conversation. Healthcare in the United States has always been a layered and complex issue. It’s a unique, complicated and emotive field, one which relies on quality care and the dissemination of information to patients.



Companies within this industry are challenged to walk a fine line between adhering to a myriad of legislative regulations while providing consumers with information they need to make the best decisions about their health in a manner that is both transparent and compassionate.

While opinions on the ACA vary, it’s clear that many healthcare providers have changed the way they provide care as a direct response to the new law. Though such changes are clearly documented, are they being clearly communicated to patients? With so many options for healthcare, making an informed choice is critical for patients and getting them the information they need is critical to that process.

The US healthcare system does not respond to pure market force in the same way as other industries. At most hospitals and medical centers in the United States, it’s impossible for a patient to determine the cost of a service until it is rendered. In simple terms, this flagrant, though not deliberate, lack of communication about cost is unsettling to the patient at a time when their stress levels may already be high. On top of this, the labyrinth of varying pricing options for different insurance providers makes it next to impossible to determine the true value of care.



The rise of urgent care centers



While public healthcare facilities and hospitals may not follow traditional free market forces, urgent care centers often do. Since urgent care centers are not required by law to see all patients, they can limit their patient base to paying customers.



For urgent care centers, communicating how this impacts the patient is imperative. With everyone paying their way and thus, removing the risk of delinquent payments, the cost structure is easier to both set and maintain. Knowing the cost of care, just like knowing the cost of anything before purchase, is reassuring to customers, making these types of centers increasingly attractive. Many pharmacies (Walmart, CVS, Walgreen’s, among others) are starting to provide basic care at their stores. Additionally, some large-volume discount stores now offer walk-in clinics for those suffering from basic health problems. Essentially, the message they are sending is simple: for a fee, usually one-third of the cost of a doctor’s visit, patients can see a nurse practitioner for their healthcare needs.



In today’s world, where consumers have more access to information than ever before, it will be important for these urgent care centers to clearly convey their cost structure and the benefit of this business model to patients. Although it remains to be seen how these businesses will address this communications challenge (and the Walmarts of the world may very well have a different approach than regional or standalone centers), if done effectively, there is a potential for other healthcare providers to follow in their footsteps and change the tone of the entire conversation around healthcare and cost of service.



Once again, it will be all about communicating the details, ensuring that patients are making informed decisions. For urgent care centers, it will be key to educate consumers on the differences between their services vs. more traditional office visits, walk-in clinics and emergency room trips. To establish credibility and trust among consumers, urgent care clinics will need to focus on explaining the level of skill provided by the nurse practitioners and doctors on staff, while clearly communicating the differences and limitations in their abilities as compared to a traditional office visit.



Although the care may be excellent and nurse practitioners receive much of the training that regular physicians receive, nurse practitioners undergo less specialization and residency than fully-qualified physicians. Conversely, while hiring a fulltime nurse practitioner may cost upwards of $120,000 a year, they usually cost less than half as much as an MD. As urgent care clinics seek to provide patients with services that are more directly correlated to endcosts, this should be a key part of the education process.



Urgent care and cost



Unlike a traditional hospital, urgent care facilities are able to provide accurate pricing charts for patients, allowing patients to see the cost of services before they receive them. Under this urgent care clinic model, prices are often similar to insurance prices, ensuring that the patient knows the cost and will not receive unexpected bills. Of all the advantages and attractions of urgent care clinics, this is perhaps one of the most significant. As such, it should remain a key aspect of messaging for any urgent care business or administrator.



Due to their ongoing incentive to keep prices affordable, urgent care clinics are important for those without health insurance. While the ACA (or “Obamacare” as it has been colloquially entitled) has increased the number of insured patients in the US, there is still a significant number of people who do not have insurance. Therefore, it can be expected that urgent care clinics and the healthcare professionals will (and should) remain a key voice in the media coverage on uninsured Americans and the effects of Obamacare.



As the numbers of urgent care clinics continues to rise, it will be important for these facilities to communicate their points of difference in a transparent way — clearly identifying their capabilities, as well as their limitations on care, while linking this to the corresponding patient cost. Because their business model affords them a natural opportunity to speak out on two key national issues within the conversation on healthcare — cost of care and patients without insurance — this is a segment with a major opportunity to set a new tone in this discussion. As such, it is an area which healthcare communications specialists would be wise to pay careful attention to over the coming months and into 2015.



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Erika Kauffman is Executive Vice President and General Manager at 5W, and heads the company’s health practice.

