A sponsored analysis from Healthcare Dive argues that health systems are underestimating the true cost of payment operations because the expense is scattered across four different budgets. These include not just the obvious merchant fees and technology costs, but also labor and other back-office functions that are rarely tracked together. When the pieces are added up, the total is significantly higher than most organizations realize.
The piece highlights that this fragmentation makes it hard for leaders to see the full picture or to manage it effectively. Without a consolidated view, payment inefficiencies go unnoticed and savings opportunities are missed. The author suggests that bringing these four budgets together into a single view is a necessary first step for any health system trying to control costs.
Because this is a single sponsored source, there is no independent data or contrasting viewpoint to weigh against its claims. The analysis is internally consistent, but it should be read as a vendor-adjacent argument rather than a neutral industry study. Still, the underlying point—that hidden costs tend to hide in plain sight when budgets are siloed—is a reasonable takeaway for finance leaders in healthcare.