Piedmont Urgent Care Replaces Billing Voicemail With AI Agent

Piedmont Urgent Care, Georgia's largest urgent care network with 88 locations, has replaced its centralized billing voicemail with an AI agent developed by Hello Patient. The system now handles over 20,000 patient billing calls monthly without hold times, resolving approximately 48% of them without staff involvement. This initiative frees up an estimated 1,000 staff hours per month.

The previous system faced challenges with high call volumes, leading to patient wait times and delayed responses, particularly outside business hours. This backlog impacted payment collection and patient satisfaction.

The AI agent, identified as "Pete" to patients, verifies callers, retrieves billing information, explains charges and insurance coverage, and provides payment plan options. It also sends a secure payment link directly during the call. For complex issues, the agent creates a ticket for the billing team, ensuring no query goes unanswered.

The AI solution has resulted in zero hold times and a 48% containment rate within three months. According to Hello Patient CEO Alex Cohen, the agent is designed to explain complex billing details empathetically and understandably. The company also reports a 40% on-the-spot payment rate when patients receive a payment link.

WellStreet plans to expand the AI agent's capabilities to include outbound bill payment campaigns and inbound calls for other markets. The company is also considering using the agent for direct clinic inquiries.