THE CHALLENGE
A not-for-profit health system serving more than one million residents across central North Carolina faced increasing pressure to help patients navigate the financial burden of care. With five hospitals and more than 150 care locations, the organization was committed to eliminating health inequities in its community, but its patient financial assistance processes had not kept pace with growing demand.
Many patients in the system’s service area were uninsured or underinsured, and the organization’s financial counselors were stretched thin trying to manually identify and enroll patients in available assistance programs. The lack of a systematic, technology-driven approach meant eligible patients were being missed, leaving both patients and the health system exposed to unnecessary financial hardship. Leadership sought a partner that could deliver fast, measurable results without requiring a lengthy implementation timeline or significant internal resources.
THE SOLUTION
The health system selected Atlas Health’s solution to accelerate its financial assistance program. Atlas deployed a dedicated team of expert advocates backed by its AI-powered platform to proactively identify, screen, and enroll patients in available financial assistance programs.
The implementation was designed for speed. Atlas integrated with the organization’s existing systems and workflows, enabling a rapid launch that began delivering results almost immediately. The platform’s ability to evaluate patients against thousands of funding sources ensured comprehensive coverage, while Atlas’s advocates managed the entire enrollment process from end to end.
The partnership model required no capital investment or additional headcount from the health system, allowing leadership to focus on clinical priorities while Atlas drove the financial assistance program forward.
THE RESULTS
The results exceeded expectations from the outset. In its first full year, the partnership secured more than $5M in patient financial assistance, demonstrating remarkable time-to-value.
Across just over two years, the program has connected 1,133 patients to $13.8M in total financial assistance. The rapid ramp-up validated the health system’s decision to partner with Atlas and demonstrated that the solution could deliver multi-million-dollar results with minimal lead time.
The partnership has become a cornerstone of the organization’s strategy to reduce financial barriers to care, providing a scalable, efficient model that continues to grow while maintaining strong per-patient value.
