What You Should Know:– Twilio, a customer engagement platform, and Cedar, a patient financial experience platform, today announced a strategic partnership to revolutionize how patients interact with their healthcare bills.– The collaboration leverages Twilio’s communication tools and AI capabilities to enhance patient engagement, streamline billing processes, and reduce costs for healthcare providers.Transform the Patient Financial Experience with AI-Powered CommunicationsNavigating healthcare billing can be a complex and frustrating experience for patients, particularly those with multiple providers or limited insurance coverage. At the same time, healthcare providers face significant challenges in managing patient inquiries and ensuring timely payments.This partnership addresses these challenges by integrating Twilio’s technology into Cedar’s platform, enabling:Streamlined Communication: Automated SMS notifications and reminders for bills and appointments, improving patient communication and reducing missed payments.Automated SMS notifications and reminders for bills and appointments, improving patient communication and reducing missed payments. Seamless Payment Experience: Secure phone payments via Twilio’s Voice API and Stripe Pay Connector, with support for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).Secure phone payments via Twilio’s Voice API and Stripe Pay Connector, with support for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Personalized Patient Support: AI-powered voice agents to automate inbound billing calls, providing instant support and reducing wait times.Expanding Access to Healthcare ResourcesBy integrating support for FSA and HSA payments, the partnership also aims to improve patients’ access to and utilization of these valuable healthcare resources. This can help patients maximize their healthcare benefits and reduce out-of-pocket costs.“At Cedar, the patient experience is at the core of all the work we do. Our work with Twilio enables us to combine AI-powered technology and empathetic service design, transforming how providers engage with patients about their bills,” said Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy at Cedar

As the only platform unifying all elements of the patient's financial journey—including HSA banks and financial assistance programs—Cedar is uncovering unique pathways to affordability for patientsNEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar , the leading financial experience platform, has released Our Year in Review and Vision Ahead : Cedar's Journey to Solving Healthcare's Affordability Crisis , underscoring the company's evolution from a patient engagement, billing, and collections platform to a comprehensive affordability solution. Through new investments in GenerativeAI and an expanding ecosystem of partnerships, Cedar is uniquely positioned to address affordability and define excellence in patient financial experience."We can make healthcare financially accessible while supporting providers' sustainability." - Florian Otto, Cedar Post this Cedar Unveils Year in Review and Vision Ahead Report, Showcasing Bold Advancements in Tackling Healthcare Affordability"We started with a simple belief: paying medical bills should be as easy as an online purchase. That vision helped us revolutionize medical billing for nearly 50 million patients. But, the rapidly increasing cost of care is preventing too many of these patients from receiving the care they need," said Florian Otto, CEO and Co-founder of Cedar. "Our 2024 initiatives, from AI-powered solutions to comprehensive affordability pathways, demonstrate that we can make healthcare financially accessible while supporting providers' sustainability."Key milestones from the report include:New affordability pathways: Cedar's intelligent matching engine uncovers new sources of funding and pathways to affordability that most patients never knew existed

Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy at CedarWhat if AI could dramatically reduce call volume, improve patient satisfaction, and empower your call center staff?  In this exclusive interview, Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy at Cedar, sheds light on the often-overlooked opportunity of leveraging AI in healthcare call centers.Winkie explores the unique challenges and opportunities AI presents for providers, highlighting the potential for increased efficiency, improved patient experiences, and significant financial gains. He also shares best practices for implementing AI in call centers and emphasizes the importance of a human-centered approach.Why are call centers often overlooked when it comes to leveraging AI in healthcare finance?Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy at Cedar: Everyone is talking about AI, but when it comes to the revenue cycle, it can be hard to know where to invest. Call centers represent an untapped opportunity for revenue cycle leaders to thoughtfully leverage AI, but can be overlooked due to: Ambiguous ROI: Call centers often struggle to accurately identify the root causes of patient inquiries due to inaccurate manual call categorization. This challenge is compounded by the complexity of patient questions, which often require data from multiple entities to provide correct, comprehensive answers.Ethical considerations: Healthcare providers must carefully consider the ethical implications of AI implementation, especially in areas dealing with sensitive patient information and financial data.Need for guardrails: Organizations are cautious about implementing AI without proper safeguards, which can slow down adoption in areas like call centers that handle critical patient interactions.But, by harnessing the transformative power of AI in this often-underestimated area, RCM leaders have the opportunity to unlock game-changing advancements in efficiency, elevate patient experiences, and drive significant financial gains. As the healthcare landscape rapidly evolves, those who recognize and seize the potential of AI in call centers will position themselves at the forefront of innovation, gaining a critical edge in the industry.What unique challenges and opportunities do they present for providers?Dugan Winkie: Dealing with medical bills is one of the most stressful, time-consuming, and costly parts of the patient experience. Patients are facing rising costs, causing more Americans to go bankrupt than any other sector