Credit management for the healthcare sector
In healthcare, attention goes to the patient. And that is exactly how it should be.
In healthcare, the focus is on the patient. And that is exactly how it should be. Yet behind that care runs a financial reality that needs attention of its own: deductibles that go unpaid, personal contributions that are left outstanding, or invoices that remain unsettled because of confusion about reimbursement. For larger healthcare providers, those amounts add up to substantial items on the balance sheet.
At the same time, healthcare is a sector in which not every approach is open to you. A patient with an outstanding bill is not a defaulter. Often it is someone who does not understand the invoice, or someone for whom an unexpected medical bill comes on top of other financial problems. How you handle that situation has a direct bearing on your reputation and on the relationship of trust that healthcare depends on.
Ultimoo supports hospitals, clinics, mental health institutions, dental practices and other healthcare providers in setting up a receivables process that is financially effective and fits the care provider you want to be.
The patient behind the invoice
Our approach starts from the recognition that a healthcare invoice works differently from an ordinary one. There is an insurer in between, there are schemes and reimbursements, and patients often do not know exactly what they have to pay themselves, or why. A large proportion of unpaid invoices in healthcare stems not from unwillingness, but from a lack of clarity.
That is why we put the emphasis on personal contact and clear explanation before a case escalates. We approach patients the way you would yourself: explaining, respectful and focused on a solution. In more than 90% of cases this leads to a resolution without going to court, often through a payment plan that matches what someone can genuinely afford.
Where there are wider financial difficulties, we identify them and refer the patient to debt counselling services. For Ultimoo, socially responsible collection is not an afterthought but the starting point: we were involved in the drafting of the Wet kwaliteit incassodienstverlening, the Dutch Debt Collection Services (Quality) Act, and we are NVI-certified.
Why healthcare providers choose Ultimoo
Careful handling of data
Healthcare claims touch on special category personal data and on medical confidentiality. Ultimoo is ISO-certified for information security and sets up data exchange so that no more information is shared than is necessary for collection.
Taking pressure off your finance department
Receivables management in healthcare is labour-intensive: many cases, small amounts, lots of questions. By outsourcing that process or having it supported, your team keeps capacity free for the work that really belongs with you.
Insight into payment behaviour
Continuous monitoring and portfolio-level reporting give you a clear view of where arrears arise, which patient groups need a different kind of communication and which actions work.
A tailored process
Your receivables process is set up around your organisation: your tone of voice, your patient groups, your payment terms and the points at which you want to stay involved yourself.
The full process under one roof
From early customer contact and receivables management to amicable collection and, where genuinely necessary, the judicial route. One partner, one case file, one point of contact.
Less pressure on the finance department
A regional hospital was dealing with a large number of outstanding patient invoices. The finance department was losing a great deal of time tracing and following up individual cases, while the number of arrears kept growing.
Ultimoo took over receivables management and revised the process on two points. First, the routine work was automated, so that follow-up happened consistently and on time rather than depending on available capacity. Second, the communication was rewritten: easier to understand, explaining reimbursements and personal contributions, and aimed at reaching a workable arrangement.
Within a few months, the number of outstanding invoices fell considerably and cash flow improved. More important for the hospital was that the finance department regained room for its own work, and that patient conversations about payment were noticeably calmer.
Your sector, our experience
Ultimoo is one of the largest debt collection and credit management organisations in the Netherlands, with over 25 years of experience and offices in Woerden and Eindhoven. We work for clients in the financial sector, housing associations, energy, healthcare and business services — sectors where volume, regulation and customer experience come together.
Would you like to know where in your acceptance or receivables process there are gains to be made? Our specialists would be glad to analyse your current set-up and the scope for reducing risk without leaving revenue on the table. Book an appointment.