How Southeastern Cardiology Associates Cut Pre-Visit Work by 50% with Pledge Pre-visit AI
50%
Reduction in Pre-visit Work
Cut administrative time in half
780
Hours Saved Annually
More time for patient care
1,300+
Monthly Visits Processed
Efficiently managed through Pledge
"Pledge has streamlined our insurance verification, reducing manual work and stress while improving accuracy. Its automation and EMR integration have been a game-changer."
Overview
Managing over 1,300 cardiology visits a month requires efficiency. Southeastern Cardiology Associates faced challenges with manual insurance verification, leading to delays and increased administrative workload. By implementing Pledge Pre-visit AI, the practice dramatically improved efficiency, reducing time spent on pre-visit work by 50%.
The Challenge
Before Pledge, Southeastern Cardiology Asscoiates' administrative team spent significant time on:
- Manual insurance verification
- Identifying and resolving coverage issues before appointments
- Creating patient cost estimates
With a team of 6 cardiologists and a total staff of over 30 providers and support professionals, pre-visit verifications and estimations consumed over 30 hours per week. They needed a more efficient way to manage these tasks. The bottom line? Their team needed to spend less time on paperwork and more time delivering exceptional cardiac care.
The Solution
Southeastern Cardiology implemented Pledge Health, an AI-powered solution designed to streamline and maximize pre-visit workflows. The team experienced immediate benefits:
- Automated benefits verification, payer coverage rule checks, and patient cost estimations
- Reduced manual work
- Faster processing of patient appointments & happy patients
The Results - Pledge Impact
50% Time Savings
Reduced weekly pre-visit work of benefits verification and cost estimation time from 30 hours to 15 hours.
Optimized Staffing
Streamlined the process from 5 team members to 4, efficiently managing verifications & authorizations for 1,300 appointments per month.
Enhanced Quality
Freed-up time is now dedicated to complex claim management, high-dollar testing appointments, improved benefits verification accuracy, and enhanced patient support.
Q&A with Ashlie Randall, Revenue Cycle Director
What challenges did you face before using Pledge?
The biggest challenge was the manual work required to verify insurance and eligibility. We spent too much time gathering information before patient visits, impacting efficiency.
How has Pledge impacted your workflow?
We've cut pre-visit administrative time in half. What used to take 30 hours per week now takes 15. Our team is more productive and can focus on higher-value tasks.
Our favorite part about using Pledge is the ease and efficiency it brings to our workflow. Instead of spending hours manually verifying every insurance plan, our team can now focus solely on the outliers—such as inactive plans or exceptions that require attention.
What were your initial concerns about using Pledge, and how were they addressed?
I was skeptical about automation due to the complexity of our benefits verification. Other solutions lacked accuracy, making reliability a concern. However, Pledge exceeded expectations with hands-on support, proactive problem-solving, and seamless implementation. Their responsiveness gave us complete confidence in the system's accuracy and efficiency.
How does Pledge compare to other solutions?
Unlike other solutions we've explored in the past, Pledge stands out in two key ways:
Specialty Benefit Verification – Previously, no system we tested was capable of accurately verifying specific specialty benefits capturing the nuances of our insurance verification needs, which are crucial for our operations. Pledge fills this gap, ensuring we get precise benefit details without manual workarounds.
Seamless EMR Integration – Other solutions lacked the ability to integrate smoothly with our EMR system (eClinicalWorks), requiring additional manual data entry and slowing down workflows. Pledge's interface has eliminated these inefficiencies, enabling a more automated and streamlined process.
Overall, Pledge has provided a level of flexibility and partnership that we haven't experienced with other platforms.
Would you recommend Pledge to other practices?
Absolutely. Pledge has been a game-changer for us, and any practice looking to improve efficiency should consider it.
Success With AI Automation - Yes, It's Real!
Southeastern Cardiology's success with Pledge showcases the power of automation in streamlining pre-visit workflows. By reducing administrative work, the practice can focus more on delivering quality patient care.
But don't take our word for it!
"Pledge has transformed our workflow! The user friendly interface and features make it a game changer for benefits verification and review. The Pledge team goes above and beyond to take feedback on making it more efficient and cater to our use."