The latest news about apps + features that will unlock your finance superpowers!
Want to see what’s coming? Check out what we’re working on next, here.
2023
November 2023
Improvements to Promotional Offer: When customers take advantage of a promotional offer, they will see a banner in the Customer Portal displaying the terms of their promotion. This new update ensures that the remaining amount needed to fulfill the promotion terms is calculated dynamically, taking into account their current payments and any outstanding fees.
September 2023
Funding Report Available In The Provider Portal: We are excited to announce that the Funding Report is now accessible to all providers who utilize our CashUpFront program. This means providers can easily access detailed reports that directly correspond to the funds received, right at their fingertips.
General Bug Fixes: Throughout the year, we release a variety of new products. Our approach involves continuous learning from our customers and making improvements as we go along.
August 2023
Redesigned Payment Plan Grid In Provider Portal: In our ongoing commitment to enhancing the Provider Portal experience, the main payment plan grid has been redesigned to emphasize what matters most to our providers. Updates include:
- Applicants first and last name have been combined and emboldened
- Status has been emboldened and moved from a pill design to bubbles
- Reordered columns to draw emphasis to the most important items
- …and more
New Cash Up Front Columns In The Payment Plan Management Grid: In our continued pursuit to enhance the accessibility of information for our providers, we have added access to funding information right from the homepage. Providers can now access their funding data directly from the payment plan grid by adding these new columns:
- Invoice Total
- Net Funded
- Advance Rate
- Credit Grade
Updated User Management In The Provider Portal: As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the Provider Portal, we have introduced an enhanced user management experience.
We’ve added the ability to sort by role and updated the viewer role title to staff. Administrators can now view the user’s last login date to better assess their access needs.
July 2023
Resend Link To Apply Via SMS & Email: Sometimes, customers may encounter situations where they haven’t received or accidentally deleted the application link. That’s why we have introduced the feature to resend the application link through the Provider Portal.
This feature is currently only available in some workflows
Updated Eligibility Policies: As the finance landscape continues to evolve, it is important for us to make occasional updates to our eligibility policies. These changes to our eligibility policies will impact who can receive financing through HFD.
Our underwriting engine carefully evaluates a range of criteria to assess eligibility, ultimately allowing us to provide the most compelling offers to your patients.
In order to qualify for approval, the following criteria must be met:
June 2023
Dynamic Bank Descriptors: With the implementation of Dynamic Descriptors, we provide our patients to track the source of a charge when we process their payment. By incorporating the HFD email and the provider’s name into the descriptor, we elevate transparency for our patients.
General Bug Fixes: Throughout the year, we release a variety of new products. Our approach involves continuous learning from our customers and making improvements as we go along.
May 2023
BETA: Additional Payment Frequencies: At HFD, we’re on a mission to make healthcare affordable by giving everyone a better way to pay.
Our new feature empowers patients to choose:
- Monthly payments
- Twice-per-month payments
- Every other week payments
- Weekly payments
While this feature is currently in a BETA phase, we’re working hard to bring this feature to our full network as soon as possible. Stay tuned for updates on its full implementation.
BETA: Post Activation Increases and Addendums: We understand that treatment needs can change even after a payment plan has been activated. That’s why we empower providers to effortlessly adjust payment plans and automatically generate addendums through the Provider Portal.
While this feature is currently in a BETA phase, we’re working hard to bring this feature to our full network as soon as possible. Stay tuned for updates on its full implementation.
Learn more here
April 2023
Credit Mix Report: This report allows providers to see where their patients fall in the credit spectrum, to more accurately analyze performance based on credit grade. This report is available to all providers in the Provider Portal.
Additional attributes on Provider Portal Conversion Report: Made corrections to the conversion rate calculations, and removed unused columns in addition to adding columns for Pitch Rate and Take Rate. For more information on conversion reporting view the detailed article here.
General Bug Fixes: We launch various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers.
March 2023
Provider Portal Clean-up: We’ve cleaned up some unused links and leveled up the look and feel of the Provider Portal. Reporting has also been improved to ensure the information that is displayed is accurate.
General Bug Fixes: We launch various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers.
February 2023
SSN not required on provider-facing Easy Apply: This feature is intended to remove those tough conversations around collecting sensitive information for treatment coordinators by eliminating the need to enter an SSN in the provider-facing Easy Apply. The patient will now validate their identity with their last name and email and enter their SSN before underwriting in the patient-facing workflow. To enable this feature contact Provider Support Team.
Text to Apply: We are always looking for ways to make it easier for patients to access their applications. Patients will now receive a text message along with an email to complete their application when a valid mobile phone number is entered on the provider-facing Easy Apply screen.
Spaces on Email Causing Error in Step 3 of Easy Apply🐞: Spaces were incorrectly placed in the email causing an undefined error that forces the applicant to abandon the application. The bug is squashed.
2022
December 2022
Customer Portal Account Summary Updates: Some enhancements to the account summary UI in the customer portal were made to improve customer comprehension.
User-Friendly Error Messaging in Apply Flow: The errors that were being displayed to patients in our Easy Apply flow were often confusing and left the user unsure of how to resolve them. The most common error messages have now been improved with user-friendly messaging.
Easy Apply Enhancements: We are paying close attention to the UI and how customers interact with it. Our UI/UX team has identified several improvements that can be made to this experience. The first of which is improving the readability and overall look and feel of the login page. Check it out!
October 2022:
Support for Multiple Pricing Models: In our effort to provide the most finance offer flexibility for our providers and partners, we now support utilizing multiple pricing models for practices that offer multiple service types.
General Bug Fixes: We’ve launched various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers.
September 2022:
New Provider Portal User Experience: We’ve improved the UI so providers see what’s important to them first. With the new experience, comes enhanced search capabilities and reporting. Check it out!
July 2022:
Easy Apply Testing: Training your staff has never been easier. Now, applications started on the provider portal can be submitted as test. Allowing users to complete the entire workflow without using real patient data.
General Bug Fixes: We’ve launched various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers.
March 2022:
Easy API: Partnering with HFD is easier than ever. With our “one call, that’s all” approach, you only need to integrate with one API endpoint to send us patient data and allow HFD to offer financing to more patients.
White Labeling: Brand the HFD apply flow for your practice or platform, making patients feel like they never left!
February 2022:
Flexible Finance Offers: HFD is constantly on the hunt for ways to help our patients, our providers, and our strategic partners WIN. We restructured the way we configure and present financial offers to our patients, empowering healthcare providers to have even more flexibility.
WorldPay Support: HFD now has integrations with one of the most accredited payment providers in the space, Worldpay. Partnering with Worldpay allows us to continue our journey to offer best in class servicing for our patients and providers, which leads to our industry leading pricing across all credit grades.
January 2022:
Multiple Debit & Credit Cards: HFD now offers the ability for patients to have more than one debit or credit card on file, ensuring that no action is needed in the case the primary card on file is declined.
General Bug Fixes: We’ve launched various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers.
2021
November 2021:
Simplified Easy Application: We’ve simplified the application experience for the patient by removing unnecessary clutter and allowing the patient to focus on what information they need to enter.
American Express Is Supported In Our Easy Application: Patients now have the ability to enter their American Express cards as a primary or secondary payment method on their account.
Custom Down Payments Available In our Originations API: Our Originations API now supports custom down payment amounts! All providers utilizing our Originations API can now build and support a custom down payment amount in their application experience.
Heads Up! Some features must be enabled by your Provider Success Associate. If your view doesn’t quite align with what you see below, make sure to reach out to them to get the most out of HFD!
October 2021:
Applicant ID Verification: In our continuous efforts towards improving our security, we now include Applicant ID Verification. This step allows us to better validate patient information as well as detect and prevent fraudulent activity during our applications process.
7 Day Grace Period Is Now Standard For All Patients: Did a patient miss their payment? If they make that missed payment within 7 days, they won’t receive any late fees or penalties!
Customer Portal Early Payment Notice: When making an early payment in the Customer Portal, an alert will appear notifying the customer that their payment will not reflect on the next scheduled payment.
September 2021:
Simple Next Steps In The Easy Application: We’ve simplified the ‘Next Steps’ guide after filling out the Easy Application by removing the Activation instructions. Activation workflows will vary and we want to focus on what’s most important, a seamless transition of the application process to the patient.
Custom Service Cost Minimums In The Easy Application: When selecting a service and entering a custom service cost in the Easy Application, you now have the ability to set the service cost below the default as long as it doesn’t go below the minimum set for that service.
Require A Patient ID In The Easy Application: If associating your own internal patient ID is crucial to your workflow, don’t worry, you can now make entering a patient ID during the Easy Application process a requirement.
Expanded Service Details In The Easy Application: Don’t worry about trying to remember the down payment associated with the service you are looking for. We’ve got you covered. You now have the ability to view the minimum down payment before selecting a service when filling out the Easy Application.
August 2021:
Easy Apply Completion Prompt: After successfully submitting the first part of the Easy Application
process, knowing what to do next and guiding your patient has never been easier.
Increased Timeout Period: You’ve got time! We’ve doubled the inactivity timeout function in our provider portal from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. This will give you more time to manage in-office tasks without feeling rushed. Also, you don’t have to worry about any reformatting or page changes after you dismiss a timeout alert anymore. Everything will be just where you left it!
Same Day Service Date: Providing services to your patient the same day they apply? You now have the ability to select the same day as the service date in Easy Apply.
March 2021:
HFD has made significant investments in improving the monetization experience. Monetization, which we qualify as the ability for a provider to easily sell their payment plans to an investor at a discounted price for quick access to cash, has been the most requested offering by providers. Our teams were hard at work improving this experience by strengthening our underwriting and payment method collection features. See below for a bit more detail.
Improved Underwriting Visibility: HFD stores many new data properties from our underwriting partners so that providers can have heightened visibility on which patients are being approved and which are being denied. Our goal is to see better patient conversion rates each month as we work together to analyze the new data provided.
Ability to Require Secondary Payment Method: We now offer the ability to require a secondary payment method during origination of the patient payment plan. It’s a perfect feature for providers aiming to mitigate risk.
Custom Underwriting Per Provider: Our partnership with Enova Decisions empowers providers to get specific with their underwriting requirements. Each practice is different, so why should underwriting be the same? Talk to your Provider Success Associate to get the hook up.
January 2021:
- Multiple Services In Easy App Flow: Multiple Services Are Here! If you need to combine two different services into one payment plan, you can easily do so in the Easy App flow. Schedule a training with your PSA to get the most out of this sought-after feature.
- Doctor Identification In Easy App Flow: If you would like to track the doctor that facilitated treatment on a per payment plan basis, you can do so by entering the doctor’s name on the Easy App.
2020
December 2020
- Improved Verbiage On Easy App Flow: We’ve heard that treatment coordinators may be getting confused during the easy app flow. We’ve updated the text to be in alignment with it’s function in hopes to increase clarity.
- General Bug Fixes: We’ve launched various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers. Consider the 🐞 smushed.
November 2020
- Custom Service Costs For Waterfall Apply: For customers that utilize a waterfall workflow with a primary lender, you can now ad a custom service cost!
- Brand New Datacenter: Most of the time, IT doesn’t get the credit it deserves. For months, our teams have worked tirelessly to migrate all products to a much-improved data center! With this comes massive upgrades to security, reliability, and scalability. PCI and HIPPA are our top priority.
- General Bug Fixes: We’ve launch various new products throughout the year. We tend to clean up as we learn from our customers. Consider the 🐞 smushed.
October 2020
- Custom Down Payments via API: For customers who utilize our API for originating payment plans, you can now override service down payment amounts with a custom down payment amount.
- Custom Down Payments via Easy App: The Easy App just got easier! Empower your treatment coordinators to set custom down payment amounts before handing the application off to the patient.
- Wallet In The Provider Portal: Manage patient payment methods in your provider portal using our new wallet product.
- Improved Search In Provider Portal: It is now much easier to find patient payment plans in the provider portal. Check it out!
- Customer Application ID Visible On Emails: We’ve added the Application ID on any emails sent during origination, making it easier to find when necessary.
August & September 2020
- Edit Patient Payment Plans: This tool allows providers to be able to update patient payment information through the provider portal in just a few clicks!
- New Down Payment Feature: Now providers can collect their patient’s down payment at the point of origination through your portal.
- Automatically Activate When Down Payment Is Processed: Now that we allow a down payment, we can better streamline the origination process by automatically activating the payment plan.
June & July 2020
- Payment History: We’ve revamped the performance and features of our payment history page for our internal customer care portal. Now when patients call into our service teams they will have a quick and seamless experience.
- Reliability and Performance: You asked, and we listened! We’ve improved the performance and reliability of the myHFD patient portal.
- General Bug Fixes: In this release, we had a few general bug fixes that helped improve the overall user experience and system integrity.
- Secret Features and Exciting New Products: We are working tirelessly behind the scenes to add new features and develop exciting new product offerings for our providers in 2021. Stay tuned!
May 2020
- Deferred Payment Adjustment: All patients who have deferred a payment due to COVID-19 financial hardships will have an adjustment in their account explaining that their next payment date has been deferred.
- Performance Horsepower: We’ve improved the speed and performance of our provider portal. 🏇
- Application Refund Notification: The patient event timeline now features refunds in the refund history of the provider portal.
- Patient Application Bug Fix: We quickly squashed a bug that was causing an oops error when providers attempted to submit a patient application. 🐛
- New Service Bug Fix: Bug fix that caused an error when providers attempted to add a new service in the Provider Portal.
April 2020
- Frictionless Patient Experience: We made a few minor bug fixes and user experience improvements.
- HFD Wallet Bug Fix: We squashed a bug that was causing payments to fail for patients trying to make a payment in the customer portal using the new wallet feature. 🐜
- Patient Applications Made Easy: We took a hard look at the EasyApp process and Marie Kondo’d it to simplify provider workflows. We reconfigured and redesigned everything from the application to the confirmation emails. 🧼
- Custom Service Cost: Not all payment plans are created equal. You can now enter in a custom service cost when submitting an application for your patient.
- E-sign Bug Fix: Fixed bug that was causing an error page to occur when patients clicked the E-Sign link from their email.
March 2020
- Payment Convenience is Here: Patients can now save various payment methods to their portal. They can add or update payment methods and choose whatever payment method they want each month.
- COVID-19 Announcement: We don’t like long phone wait times, and we know our patients don’t either. With the presence of COVID-19 we had a higher than usual call volume. In an effort to help our customers skip the long line, we added a note to our portal telling them all of the ways they can service their own account in the portal without the help of a care team member. 💞
- Easier Account Creation for All Customers: This new feature allows Smile Direct Club to send a unique link to customers that will allow them to create an HFD account without having to remember their Application ID.
- Multiple Settlement Account Functionality: Allows the HFD system to assign unique bank settlement accounts on a per provider basis.
- Multiple Credit and Debit Cards: Today’s patients want options. Patients can now save more than one payment method in their portal to store as a backup payment method. 💳
- Peak Portal Performance: Efficiency and ease of use are the name of the game. Our development team put a lot of work in optimizations that will improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the provider platform.