Urgent Care Providers Tout Benefits of A-Claim Medical Payment Solution

CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM) has begun a sponsorship of the A-Claim™ medical payment solution that includes discounts on A-Claim for all AAUCM members.

A-Claim (www.A-Claim.com) is a proprietary medical payment solution developed by Preferred Health Technology Inc. (PHT) of Carrollton, Texas, that is changing the way physicians, hospitals and other health care providers are paid. The system simply and securely verifies patients' insurance eligibility, provides real-time copayment and deductible responsibilities for each patient, adjudicates insurance claims, and accepts credit, debit or prepaid cards for payment at the time of service, before the patient leaves the office.

By knowing what a patient owes and securing payment at the time of service, physicians can streamline billing procedures, lower collection costs and accelerate cash flow. Patients can authorize payment immediately and avoid sending checks through the mail. Studies show that health care providers collect only about 50 percent of their charges from patients who leave the office without paying.

Franz Ritucci, M.D., AAUCM president, said, "The AAUCM continually seeks out companies that provide valuable products and services tailored to the specific needs of urgent care. We are pleased to have developed this relationship with A-Claim. AAUCM members now have discounted access to A-Claim's medical payment solutions, giving them the opportunity to utilize A-Claim's valuable services in their practices."

A-Claim's patent-pending technology works with all major insurance plans and any medical office's practice management or EMR system. It is available for a low monthly subscription fee and minimal transaction charges.

"A-Claim allows the office staff to simply swipe a patient's insurance card to verify immediately whether the patient is eligible for insurance benefits and to determine the amount of any copayment, coinsurance or unmet deductible the patient will owe," said Mary Dees Griffith, president of PHT. "This is more important than ever as more patients switch to high-deductible insurance plans and pay more out of pocket for medical services.

"We are pleased that the AAUCM has recognized the benefits A-Claim offers its members and their patients. We look forward to helping members receive accurate and timely payments for the services they provide."

About PHT

Preferred Health Technology Inc., headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, provides electronic payment and transaction-processing services to the health care industry. Its parent company operates one of the largest health care insurance data center sites in the world in support of Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Federal Employee Program and Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as other private health plans.

About the AAUCM

The AAUCM represents physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who practice urgent care medicine in various clinical settings throughout the United States. The AAUCM's purpose is to contribute to the field of urgent care medicine in the areas of professional growth, scientific and medical research, and medical education, all to improve the overall quality of medical care.

SOURCE Preferred Health Technology Inc.