Geisinger will provide a refund for part or all of the hospital’s copay for spine and bariatric procedures when patients aren’t happy with their care. The hospital already provides a 90-day warranty for surgery patients, an initiative that began nearly 10 years ago.
Here are five key notes on the strategy behind the refund:
1. Geisinger took cues from consumer-focused businesses like Starbucks or FedEx that will give refunds if customers are unhappy. The patients use a new app, ProvenExperience, available for free to give positive or negative feedback and patients with concerns can request a partial or full refund: $1,000 for spine surgery, $2,000 for bariatric surgery.
2. The program will begin at two of Geisinger’s 12 hospitals — Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre.
3. Patients receive their refund in three to five days, and Geisinger leaves the amount up to the patient based on an “honor system.”
4. Jonathan Slotkin, MD, is the director of spine surgery at the Geisinger Health System Neuroscience Institute and medical director of Geisinger in Motion, which produces mobile apps. He was the care provider for the first patient who received a refund when the cost of care was more than anticipated, and Dr. Slotkin helped design the app for all patients as a result.
5. Geisinger’s CEO feels the new initiative won’t lower quality of care, as patients with high deductibles desire being treated as a valued customer.
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