Patient Portal & Payments
Patient Billing & Collections
Patient payments that actually get collected
Most practices collect less than 60% of patient balances. MedCods Patient Portal closes that gap with digital statements, real-time balance visibility, and one-click online payments patients actually use.
3.2×
More patient payments
collected online vs. paper
collected online vs. paper
A/R ↓
Days dropped from 42
to under 20 on average
to under 20 on average
24/7
Patient self-service
— no staff required
— no staff required
Industry — Patient Collection Rate
58%
Average across U.S. practices (MGMA 2024)
MedCods Clients — Patient Collection Rate
91%
Average within 90 days of activation
The difference for a $2M practice
+$330,000/yr
In recovered patient-responsibility revenue
Why practices leave millions uncollected every year
High-deductible health plans have shifted a growing share of the bill to patients — but most practices are still using paper statements, phone calls, and manual follow-up to collect those balances. The result: slow A/R, high write-offs, and frustrated billing staff chasing receivables that were due 90 days ago.
The industry average patient collection rate sits below 60%. That means 40 cents of every dollar owed by patients is written off before it’s ever seriously pursued. For a practice billing $2 million annually, that gap is $800,000 left on the table every year.
The fix isn’t more staff. It’s giving patients a modern, convenient way to view and pay their bills — on their phone, at 10 PM, without calling your front desk.
- Paper statements have a 28-day average response time — digital notifications prompt action in under 48 hours
- Patients who receive a cost estimate before their visit are 3× more likely to pay the balance in full
- Offering payment plans online reduces write-offs by up to 34% without any additional staff involvement
- HSA/FSA integration removes the #1 reason patients delay payment: uncertainty about their eligible benefit balance
From balance due to payment
received — automatically
MedCods Patient Portal connects directly to your billing workflow. When a claim adjudicates and a patient balance is determined, the portal activates — no manual setup per patient, no extra staff steps.
01
Claim Adjudicates
Insurance pays its portion. Patient responsibility is determined from EOB data — automatically calculated, no manual entry.
02
Patient Notified
Secure text or email notification is sent instantly. Patient sees their balance, what it’s for, and a direct link to pay — no login maze required.
03
Patient Pays Online
Credit card, debit, ACH bank transfer, HSA/FSA card, or payment plan — patient chooses what works. No phone call. No paper check.
04
Auto-Posted to A/R
Payment posts to your practice management system automatically. A/R updated in real time. No manual reconciliation. No posting backlog.
Everything patients need. Zero
staff involvement required.
Mobile-First Patient Experience
The portal is fully responsive and optimized for mobile — where patients actually open their notifications. No app download required. Works in any browser.
All Payment Methods Accepted
Visa, Mastercard, Amex, debit, ACH bank transfer, HSA cards, and FSA cards all accepted natively. One-click payment for returning patients who save their method.
Flexible Payment Plans
Patients can self-enroll in a payment plan without calling. You define the parameters — minimum balance, plan duration, installment frequency. Automated reminders keep plans on track.
Digital Statements & History
Every statement, every visit, every payment — accessible in the portal. Patients can view, download, and share itemized statements. Eliminates calls asking for statement copies.
Automated Balance Notifications
Text and email alerts fire the moment a balance is ready — before a paper statement would ever arrive. Configurable follow-up sequences escalate gently without requiring staff action.
HIPAA-Compliant & Secure
All data encrypted in transit and at rest. Identity verification at login. PCI DSS Level 1 payment processing. BAA included with every MedCods account. Full audit trail on every access event.
No Surprises Act — Cost Estimates
Good Faith Estimates generated automatically from verified insurance benefits — delivered to patients before their appointment, through the portal. Full NSA compliance, zero manual effort.
Automatic Payment Posting
Every patient payment posts to your practice management system in real time via ERA-equivalent file. No manual reconciliation. A/R stays accurate without anyone touching it.
Patient Collections Analytics
Track collection rate by payer, provider, and service line. Identify which patient segments have the highest open balances. Measure the impact of portal adoption on A/R days over time.
How MedCods compares
to legacy patient billing
| Capability | Legacy Paper / Phone Workflow | MedCods Patient Portal |
|---|---|---|
| Statement delivery speed | 7-14 days via postal mail | ✓Instant — text or email notification |
| Patient collection rate | Industry average: 58% | ✓MedCods clients: 91% within 90 days |
| Payment methods | Check or phone credit card only | ✓Card, ACH, HSA/FSA, payment plans |
| Cost estimate delivery | Manual or not provided | ✓Auto-generated — NSA compliant |
| Payment plan enrollment | Requires staff call and setup | ✓Self-service — no staff required |
| A/R posting | Manual — 1-3 day lag | ✓Real-time automatic posting |
| Statement history access | Requires staff to pull and mail | ✓Patient self-service, 24/7 |
| Follow-up for unpaid balances | Manual staff calls — high cost | ✓Automated escalating notification sequence |
| HIPAA & PCI compliance | Manual paper trail — variable | ✓Built-in — PCI DSS Level 1, full audit log |
Built for practices where patient
collections matter
MedCods Patient Portal is included in the Professional and Enterprise plans — and it’s the feature that typically generates the fastest measurable ROI for practices switching to MedCods.
It’s particularly impactful for:
- High-deductible plan patient mix:Practices where patients carry significant out-of-pocket responsibility benefit most from digital collection acceleration.
- Practices with A/R days over 30:If your patient A/R is aging, the portal’s instant notification and payment plan features directly target the cause.
- Small billing teams:If your front desk or billing staff is spending hours weekly on patient payment follow-up, the portal eliminates most of that work.
- Multi-location groups:The portal unifies patient billing across all locations — patients see all balances in one place regardless of which location they visited.
- Billing companies:The patient portal can be deployed white-labeled across all client practices from a single MedCods Enterprise account.
Included in Professional Plan
Full Patient Portal + Payments
- Online payment — all methods
- Digital statements & history
- SMS & email notifications
- Patient payment plans (self-enroll)
- No Surprises Act cost estimates
- Automatic payment posting
Enterprise Add-On
White-Label Multi-Practice Portal
- Your brand, your logo — patient-facing
- Deploy across all client practices
- Portfolio-level collections dashboard
- Custom domain for patient portal
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions practices ask before switching
Does the patient portal require patients to create an account?
No. Patients receive a secure link via text or email that takes them directly to their balance and payment options without creating a username or password. For patients who want to track history across multiple visits, optional account creation is available — but it’s never required to make a payment. Removing the login barrier is one of the primary reasons MedCods patient payment rates exceed the industry average.
Which practice management and EHR systems does MedCods integrate with?
MedCods integrates natively with Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Kareo, DrChrono, Greenway, NextGen, ModMed, Netsmart, and 30+ additional EHR and PM platforms. For systems not on the standard integration list, MedCods connects via HL7 FHIR API or secure file exchange. Integration typically takes 3–5 business days. Our implementation team handles the technical setup — your staff doesn’t need to configure anything.
How do patient payment plans work, and who manages them?
You configure the parameters — minimum balance eligible for a plan, maximum plan duration, and installment frequency options. Within those parameters, patients self-enroll entirely through the portal without speaking to anyone on your staff. Automated reminders are sent before each installment is due. If a payment fails, the system notifies the patient and retries automatically. Your billing team sees plan status in the MedCods dashboard but doesn’t need to manage individual plans. Practices using payment plans report a 34% reduction in write-offs for balances over $200.
Is the portal HIPAA compliant, and what security certifications does MedCods hold?
Yes. MedCods is HIPAA compliant with a signed Business Associate Agreement included for every account. All data is encrypted using AES-256 in transit and at rest. Payment processing is PCI DSS Level 1 certified — the highest level available. Patient identity is verified before any account data is displayed. A full audit log records every access event, payment action, and notification sent. MedCods undergoes annual third-party security audits and penetration testing.
How quickly can we activate the patient portal after signing up?
Most practices are live within 5–7 business days of signing. Our implementation team handles EHR integration, payment processor setup, and notification configuration. You’ll complete a single onboarding call to review your preferences (notification timing, payment plan parameters, branding). The first patient balance notifications go out automatically once integration is confirmed — no ongoing configuration required from your staff.
Can patients view and pay bills from multiple locations in one portal?
Yes. Multi-location practices are fully supported. A patient who has visited your dermatology office and your infusion center sees all outstanding balances consolidated in a single portal view — with clear labels showing which location each charge is from. Payment can be applied to individual balances or split. For billing companies managing multiple client practices, patients interact with a branded portal specific to each client practice, keeping the billing relationship clear.
Free Demo
See the portal in action — live,
with your numbers
In 30 minutes, we’ll show you exactly how the MedCods Patient Portal would work for your practice — including a live walkthrough, your projected collection rate improvement, and a clear implementation timeline.