The PEAR™ Approach: Predict, Engage, Assist, Resolve

Patient balances do not all need the same thing.

Some patients may be ready to pay as soon as they receive a reminder. Others may have questions about what they owe, need more time to pay, or be unsure why insurance left them with a balance in the first place.

When every patient receives the same statement, at the same time, with the same message, it can be easy for balances to go unresolved.

That is why Patriot Pay uses the PEAR™ approach to patient billing: Predict, Engage, Assist, and Resolve.

What is the PEAR™ approach?

The PEAR™ approach helps healthcare organizations better understand each patient balance, communicate clearly, and give patients the information and options they need to take the next step.

Each part of the approach supports the next. It begins with understanding the account and ends with helping the patient find a realistic path to resolution.

Predict: Understand the patient balance first

Before sending a statement or payment reminder, it can be helpful to understand the context of the account.

A recent balance may only need a simple reminder. An older balance may need a different type of outreach. A patient who has engaged with previous messages may respond differently than someone who has not opened or acted on a statement.

Patriot Pay looks at information such as:

• Account history
• Payment behavior
• Balance amount and age
• Previous engagement with billing communications
• Patterns that may help identify the next best step

This information helps healthcare organizations avoid treating every balance the same.

The goal is not to make assumptions about patients. It is to create a more informed starting point before outreach begins.

Engage: Reach patients clearly and conveniently

Patients do not all communicate in the same way.

Some may prefer paper statements. Others may be more likely to respond to a text message, email, or secure payment link. The timing of the message can matter, too.

Patriot Pay helps organizations communicate with patients through:

• Text messages
• Email
• Paper statements
• Payment reminders
• AI-powered billing conversations

The purpose of outreach is not simply to send another message. It is to make sure patients understand what they owe and have a clear way to respond.

Assist: Help patients find the answers they need

Billing questions do not always come up during business hours.

A patient may review a statement after work and wonder why they owe a balance. They may want to know whether insurance applied a deductible, whether a payment plan is available, or how to make a payment without calling the office.

Patriot Pay Assist gives patients access to a 24/7 AI billing assistant that can answer common billing questions, explain balances, share payment options, and direct more complex questions to the appropriate member of your team.

Support is available in more than 100 languages, helping organizations communicate more clearly with the patients they serve.

For billing teams, this can reduce time spent answering routine questions and make it easier to focus on the conversations that need personal attention.

Resolve: Give patients a realistic next step

Resolution does not look the same for every patient.

For one person, it may mean paying a balance in full. For another, it may mean making a partial payment, choosing a payment plan, exploring financing, or learning about available financial-assistance options.

The goal is to give patients clear information and a realistic way to move forward.

When patients understand their balance and know what options are available, they are in a better position to resolve it. That helps healthcare organizations improve patient payments while creating a more supportive billing experience.

A clearer path to resolution

The PEAR™ approach helps healthcare organizations move beyond a standard billing cycle.

By predicting what a patient may need, engaging them through the right channels, assisting them with questions, and offering a clear path to resolution, organizations can make patient billing easier for patients and more manageable for staff.

Patriot Pay helps healthcare organizations give patients clearer answers, easier payment options, and a more direct path to resolution. Book a demo to see how the PEAR™ approach can support your patient billing strategy.