Heather Turnbaugh
2026-01-14 18:24:00
Patients check lab results on their phones. They connect with doctors through video visits. They manage prescriptions with a tap inside their pharmacy’s app. Nearly every healthcare interaction now fits neatly into a mobile moment—except medical billing. Too often, it still lives on desktop-only portals or, worse, on paper.
Healthcare has gone mobile-first, and medical billing needs to catch up. Forcing patients to open a laptop or pull out a checkbook adds friction at the exact moment you want simplicity, and that friction delays payment. SMS reminders and secure mobile payment options meet patients where they already live—on their phones—making it faster and easier for them to pay, and for you to collect.
Below, we discuss how a mobile-first approach can improve the medical billing process and what this means for both healthcare organizations and patients.
The Smartphone Is the Primary Patient Touchpoint in 2026
It may not be a good thing, but it is the reality: we use smartphones so much, they’re practically attached to us. Most people have their smartphones at arm’s length at any given time, ready to read text messages the moment they hear that familiar buzz.
The same can’t be said for email, and certainly not for clunky patient portals that can only be properly used on a traditional computer. This is why text messages have much higher open rates than email—and why we recommend healthcare providers send billing notifications via SMS messages.
Timing is of the essence for medical billing; the sooner after a visit a patient sees their statement, the more likely they will understand and act on it. We recommend a hybrid approach to billing that pairs a print statement, which feels more “official” to many patients, with a prompt SMS follow-up that cuts through the clutter of crowded email inboxes and piles of snail mail.
Why SMS Statements Outperform Traditional Billing Channels
While a printed paper statement helps establish the legitimacy of a balance owed (which in turn sets up your SMS messages for success), they are not convenient for patients. They are easy to overlook and to set aside for later—and then forget about.
With inboxes overwhelmed with marketing and spam, emails are often missed these days as well. And patient portals are rarely used, often leading to forgotten passwords and frustration.
Mobile-first medical billing addresses many of these challenges:
- Text messages are delivered instantly
- Because people tend to have their smartphones on their person almost all of the time, text messages are harder to ignore
- They’re also more likely to prompt immediate action
- Making a secure payment does not require searching for a forgotten login or misplaced statement
As we discuss in our article on text-to-pay, there is some misunderstanding about the concept—payment information is not sent or received via SMS. Instead, HIPAA-compliant reminders are sent to patients, and they can click through on a secure link to view specific balance information and make a payment. The result is faster payments and fewer follow-ups from your billing staff.
Mobile Medical Billing Reduces Patient Confusion
Billing confusion is a common reason for late payments, and a driver of dissatisfaction and call center inquiries. Common patient questions include:
- How much do I actually owe?
- Is this the balance due after insurance?
- Which provider is this for?
- How do I pay?
Medical billing that is not mobile-friendly exacerbates this confusion, making it hard for patients to find answers on portals that aren’t optimized for mobile or websites that don’t scale properly.
Mobile-first billing portals simplify the payment experience for your patients. With layouts designed for mobile (rather than being designed for desktop and then retrofitted), easy-to-read text, and navigation that puts everything patients need a tap away, patients are more likely to be able to find the information they’re seeking without a phone call.
Reducing Friction With Simple and Secure Mobile Payments
A mobile-first billing strategy prioritizes simple, secure payment options designed specifically for smartphones. It shouldn’t be any harder for patients to pay their medical bills than it is for them to order an Uber or groceries on their phone.
To reduce friction, mobile billing platforms should allow patients to:
- View their balance
- Choose their preferred payment method
- Pay in full or set up a payment plan
- Receive payment confirmation
The key phrase here is “reduce friction”—some mobile payment options are marketed as time-savers, yet they introduce obstacles into the process. If patients must create an account, switch to their computer, or call a number for verification, drop-off is likely.
These obstacles are cleared with a HITRUST-certified billing partner that uses modern mobile payment portals with encryption, tokenization, and PCI-compliant processing. This gives you and your patients peace of mind knowing their sensitive data is protected and their mobile payments are safe.
MailMyStatements offers cutting-edge SMS and billing solutions to streamline patient communications and payments. Contact us today to see how we can help your practice thrive.
