Talk to just about any parent you meet, and you’ll hear a common chorus: “I’d do anything in my power to protect and care for my kids.”
When we caught up with Amy, a current Paytient member, and working mom, her devotion to her family was apparent from the start. Despite undergoing surgery to remove a faulty medical device the year prior, the family’s finances were stretched too thin to afford the follow-up care Amy’s doctors said she needed. “Food comes first; electricity comes first; kids come first,” she told us.
Unfortunately, Amy’s story isn’t uncommon in the United States. One 2023 poll discovered that 38% of Americans reported that they or a family member delayed medical care in the prior 12 months due to cost. This is a 12-point increase over the last year.
All that’s to say: Far too many Americans are forced to make the tough decision between physical and financial health. So when Amy’s employer began offering Paytient as part of its comprehensive benefits package in 2022, she instantly recognized the value it held.
Paytient’s Health Payment Account (HPA) is a unique financial wellness benefit that equips members Visa card to pay out-of-pocket medical, pharmacy, vision, dental, and veterinary costs. After using their HPA card to pay for care, the member can split their balance into a repayment plan of their choosing. Members don’t have to undergo a credit check to get started, and the repayment plans come with no interest or fees.
After getting her Paytient card, it wasn’t long before Amy got the chance to use it. During an All-Star Little League game, her son sustained an ankle injury that landed them in the emergency room. As a bonafide sports family, Amy’s no stranger to unplanned injuries, but ER visits don’t come cheap.
Hear Amy tell the story for herself.
Prior to Paytient, Amy would have dreaded the thought of finding money for the $300 copay. “But if your child is hurt; it’s something that you do without question,” Amy said. “You beg, borrow, or steal that money from somewhere else in your budget.”
Thankfully, Amy didn’t have to resort to predatory financing options like payday loans or high-interest credit cards — because Paytient had her back. “When I didn’t have to worry about coming up with the money for the visit, I was able to focus on making sure my son felt better,” she said.
Paytient has also empowered Amy to take her own health more seriously. As a result, she’s started taking steps to manage her chronic illness. “I’ve been able to be way more proactive with my doctors,” Amy said. “It’s the coolest thing my employer has ever done with our benefits package.”
Since becoming a Paytient member, Amy has used her HPA card 42 times and paid more than $4,000 in care costs for her family. Collectively, Paytient members have used their HPA cards 400,000 times to pay medical bills to health systems across the U.S.
Employers like Amy’s are getting on board. Paytient reports over 700 enterprise partners across a wide range of industries, from R.R. Donnelley to Commerce Bank. Companies see Paytient as a supplement to their health benefits strategy that promotes early, less expensive treatment, improves productivity, and boosts health equity. If you’re a benefits leader and you want to learn more, visit paytient.com to get in touch with our team.
