One of the indirect health costs of the COVID-19 pandemic is that fear of infection has caused many patients to delay non-COVID-19 related healthcare visits. Stay-at-home orders in many States and, in the case of millions of newly unemployed Americans, the loss of healthcare coverage, have resulted in the postponement (or, in some cases, avoidance) of treatment.

We live in chaotic times. At the beginning of this year if you wanted to book a visit to the doctor you might use a phone to dial the office number and schedule an appointment. You might have been given a list of available slots by the receptionist and selected one time among them.

In a new survey by Inbox Health, medical billers revealed that the lower revenues from the elimination of elective procedures and routine care has been amplified beyond the doctor’s office to pose a serious threat to industries that support them. 

Anyone following the news knows that the medical community is hurting. Elective procedures were mostly eliminated, ‘non-urgent’ visits were postponed and Independent practices are closing their doors. While we can’t be sure what the ‘new normal’ will look like after we’re through the other side of this pandemic, there are some clear trends growing. Medical billing will survive this pandemic, and those who adopt the best strategies to help patients adjust to this new reality will survive and even thrive in the years to come.