NOV 8, 2012 5:53pm ET

I.T. Helping Sharp Healthcare Get More Patients Insured

Sharp Healthcare is implementing software to assess insurance eligibility of self-pay patients, following a two-year pilot program in four emergency departments.

The San Diego-based delivery system is using subscription-based software from PointCare, San Mateo, Calif., that captures patient information through a five-question, 90-second assessment to determine if the patient is eligible for a public or private health coverage program.

In the pilot program, nearly 81 percent of patients eligible for public coverage were not currently enrolled, 2.8 percent were eligible for a high-risk pool program, and 6.6 percent were eligible for private coverage, according to Sharp.

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