ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- A Lehigh Valley-based company wants to help pay your medical bills.
And area health care networks are buying in.
- AblePay Health is a no-cost program that aims to save patients money on out-of-pocket expenses
- The program pays medical providers and offers patients up to 13% off their bill
- Anyone with medical insurance can use AblePay with participating providers
Starting this week, patients of St. Luke's University Health Network will see information enclosed with their medical bills letting them know about AblePay Health.
It’s a no-cost program that aims to save patients money on out-of-pocket expenses.
AblePay works with patients to lower their payments, while making sure providers get paid.
"Depending on how you wish to pay your bills, we give you the option to save up to 13% on those expenses,” said Rick Schoenen, AblePay’s vice president of marketing and communications.
Along with St. Luke’s, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Tower Health, Penn State Health, and Grand View Health accept AblePay.
Schoenen said AblePay pays off the provider within 14 days, then patients have the option to reimburse the service right away and save money or pay up to 12 months with zero interest.
"Depending on how you wish to pay your bills, we give you the option to save up to 13% on those expenses.”Rick Schoenen, vice president of Marketing and Communications, AblePay
"We're bridging the gap between medical providers and their patients,” Schoenen said, “Allowing our members to save money on their out-of-pocket medical expenses, so their deductibles, coinsurance and copays, while we're assisting the medical providers in lowering their costs of collecting on those patient responsibilities."
Michele Moyer began using AblePay when it was offered through her employer, Cedar Crest College, as a free benefit.
“This past year, I had some issues where I had to go to the emergency room and had to have some different things and it adds up when you're talking about insurance," Moyer said.
"And AblePay was amazing. What it would let me do is it helped me keep track of everything, first of all, because there are so many different bills and different providers and different people coming up with everything, so it organizes everything for you.”
Moyer said some of her co-workers were skeptical at first.
“I know as we went onto this platform, people were like, ‘I don't get it. What's the catch? What's the hook?’" she said. "And after using it for a couple of years, and again, having to use it a little more substantially this past year, there is no hook."
Schoenen said anyone with health insurance is eligible for the program, even children.
"Even if there's different insurances in the household, if you're married and you have benefits through your spouse or you have your own benefits, your spouse has their own benefit, it doesn't matter. You're all on the same AblePay account," he said.
The company also has in-house billing advocates who will answer billing questions or call the hospital's billing department for you. People with larger bills who may not be able to pay within a year can ask a representative about additional options.
