This article first appeared in the April BAI Executive Report. Gain more insights into the value of building banking relationships through lending and more in that issue, Executive Report: “Innovations in lending services”.

An article in the most recent edition of ALM's Credit Union Times highlights Epic River growing presence in credit unions and the impact these credit unions can provide a "surprisingly simple solution to disrupt the cycle of inescapable debt."

Epic River, a lending-as-a-service platform provider, has announced the launch of a new digital platform specifically designed for credit unions. This platform aims to facilitate patient financing by connecting credit unions with healthcare providers, thereby expanding credit unions' lending capabilities.

In a recent article for Bank Director, Jeff Grobaski, CEO of Epic River, a lending-as-a-service platform, emphasizes the unique advantage community banks have in fostering local business relationships to drive growth. Key Takeaways: Community Focus: Unlike national banks, community banks have a deeper understanding of their local markets and can build stronger connections with businesses in their communities. Identifying High-Potential Businesses: Grobaski suggests focusing on businesses with top talent, strong community leadership, and those in growth industries, such as healthcare, green energy, and technology. Building Trust: Community banks can leverage personal relationships and referrals to build trust with potential business clients, offering a more personalized experience than larger institutions. Meeting Needs: By understanding the specific needs of local businesses, community banks can tailor financial solutions that cater to their growth and resilience. Grobaski highlights that the pandemic-induced economic stimulus presents a unique opportunity for community banks to capitalize on their local presence and foster relationships with high-performing businesses, ultimately leading to increased deposits, loan demand, and overall growth.

The U.S. is facing a medical debt crisis, with 41% of adults owing money for healthcare. Many feel hopeless about ever paying it off. However, a Colorado-based company, Epic River, has an innovative solution. Epic River partners with credit unions to take on unpaid medical bills from hospitals. Surprisingly, the credit union takes on zero risk, even without checking borrowers' credit scores. If a debt seems unlikely to be repaid, it's returned to the hospital. This model seems too good to be true, but it works. The credit union's default rate is only 7%, meaning 93% of debtors are making payments. This success is partly because many debtors have good credit scores and want to avoid damaging their financial standing. This unique approach to medical debt relief offers hope for both healthcare providers and patients. To learn more, listen to the CU 2.0 podcast episode featuring Epic River's CEO and the Chief Lending Officer of Clarity Credit Union. It's a financial innovation you won't want to miss!

In the ever-changing landscape of healthcare economics, there has been a disproportionate increase in hospitals' bad debt. Over the past three years, hospitals are grappling with over 45% surge1 in bad debt stemming from self-pay patients post adjudication (11% in 2018 to over 57% in 2021).

As technology continues to shape the way we conduct our financial transactions, it's becoming increasingly clear that FinTechs and online lenders are challenging the traditional model of banking. However, community banks are not sitting idle in the face of this disruption. Instead, they are embracing BankTech partnerships to leverage their current suite of services and stay ahead of the curve.

According to a recent RAND study, “high-performing” providers excel in the quality of, cost for, and access to care. But that’s not all. The study also showed that patient satisfaction contributes to a practice’s success, especially when it comes to retaining patients.

Your practice may offer the best services and the best patient experience around, but you could still be losing money. Why? Because you’ve yet to master the 7 steps of revenue cycle management (RCM).