Designing a platform that empowers users with tools and information to build healthier habits, tackle accrued bad debt, and earn rewards for actively working toward a better lifestyle.
Background
Healthcare’s biggest problem is bad debt at the time (2017):
$36 billion problem in 2017.
$200 billion problem predicted by 2020.
95% of Americans will be unable to afford their medical bills by 2020.
Patient’s angle:
There are over 20 million members in the United States with over $45 billion of medical debt in collections. This averages to about $2,200 of debt per member, which is not a small fee for low-income households. Their inability to pay back debt results in additional accrual of debt in penalty fees and interest. Additionally, the burden to pay off the existing medical bills requires many patients to obtain multiple jobs, which may have a negative impact on their health overall.
How might we develop a way to alleviate some of the burden caused by medical bills and improve the overall debt build up in the healthcare system?
Initial set of research findings and analysis:
Approach
To define the scope of the project, our team conducted field research with the Patient Financial Services departments at local hospitals. These teams play a crucial role in contacting patients, explaining their bills, and arranging payment plans.
Using the insights gathered, we brainstormed potential solutions and successfully translated our ideas from initial sketches into wireframes. These wireframes became the foundation for further testing and iteration, allowing us to refine the design based on user feedback.
Here is the interactive prototype built on Figma:
