Unifying Payments Environments for a Better Customer Experience
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Dilemma
1. Operational inefficiencies due to fragmented payments infrastructure
2. Customer experience challenges with patients and providers having to re-enter payment information
3. Compliance and security risks due to outdated payment technology
4. Provider resistance coming from the current payment partner
Objectives
1. Implement single tokenization across all locations
2. Centralize billing profiles with intelligent transaction routing
3. Offer seamless FSA/HSA acceptance with proactive gateway transition planning
4. Implement PCI-compliant tokenization, reducing compliance risk
Strategy
1. Leverage existing partnerships and expertise with Wind River to develop a plan to reach the desired outcome
2. Introduce secure tokenization for unified payments
3. Design centralized billing profiles for complex structures
4. Implement a phased migration and proactive payment guidance
Results
1. Reduced overhead costs for Belmar
2. Time savings for staff
3. Improved reconciliation processes
Background
Founded in 1985, Belmar Pharma Solutions has become a leader in customized wellness, specializing in compounded hormone therapies for both men and women. Working closely with healthcare providers across the country, their 503A compounding pharmacies and 503B outsourcing facilities deliver tailored treatments to patients in all 50 states.
According to Kevin Burrus, chief information officer for Belmar, the company has grown rapidly in the last five years through a series of strategic acquisitions. While the acquisitions added value to the Belmar portfolio, Burrus says they also introduced new challenges. “Each acquisition came with its own payments processors and pharmacy management systems.” That left Belmar supporting six different pharmacies — some with multiple locations — and two manufacturing facilities operating across four distinct environments.
This fragmented infrastructure created operational inefficiencies and made it difficult to deliver a consistent customer experience. Burrus knew he wanted to create a single environment to support patients and providers across the entire organization — and the first step was to streamline payments processes.
Dilemma
Multiple Systems Lead to Reduced Efficiency and Increased Compliance Risk
Problem #1: Operational Inefficiencies
Belmar’s fragmented payments infrastructure, with multiple outdated and disconnected systems, created significant inefficiencies. Patients and providers had to manually re-enter payment details for every transaction, increasing time and effort. Managing these separate systems also led to added administrative burden and complicated reconciliation processes.
Problem #2: Customer Experience Challenges
“Customers should have a seamless experience from location to location,” says Burrus. Instead, a single Belmar customer — whether patient or provider — might have to enter their credit card information three or four times. “That’s frustrating for our customers, and it makes reconciliation complicated.”
Problem #3: Compliance and Security Risks
Some pharmacies relied on outdated payment systems, increasing compliance risk and exposing the organization to potential security vulnerabilities.
Problem #4: Provider Resistance
Belmar’s existing payments provider was unwilling to help design or support a solution that would improve efficiency and deliver a unified customer experience, leaving Belmar to seek alternatives.
Objectives
- Implement single tokenization across all locations
- Centralize billing profiles with intelligent transaction routing
- Offer seamless FSA/HSA acceptance with proactive gateway transition planning
- Implement PCI-compliant tokenization, reducing compliance risk
Solution
Step 1: Leveraging Existing Partnerships and Expertise
The answer came from one of the pharmacies Belmar had recently acquired, which had been working with Wind River Payments. “We sat down with the Wind River Payments team to talk through all our challenges and everything we hoped to achieve,” Burrus says.
Step 2: Introducing Secure Tokenization for Unified Payments
Wind River then demonstrated how its technology and gateway integration could store card information as tokens under a unique customer ID tied to a location, while still allowing those cards to be used at peer locations. “Knowing that just simplified everything,” says Burrus. “[Wind River’s] industry expertise was essential. The way they mapped everything out for us allowed me to clearly communicate what processes we needed to put in place with our pharmacy management system provider.”
Step 3: Designing Centralized Billing Profiles for Complex Structures
Wind River set up central billing profiles that could intelligently route transactions through multiple bank accounts. This solution supported Belmar’s complex corporate structure and allowed for clear communication of required workflows with their pharmacy management system provider.
Step 4: Implementing a Phased Migration and Proactive Payment Guidance
Wind River managed the rollout using a phased migration strategy, tokenizing cards and consolidating systems in small groups to minimize disruption. They also provided expert guidance on managing HSA/FSA cards,
addressing issues like gateway changes and regulatory syncing, which improved communication with patients and prevented payment problems during the transition.
Results
“With Wind River Payments’ help, I’ve been able to achieve what I set out to — tokenizing cards and routing transactions where they need to go. This was a critical step toward implementing a single platform and delivering a consistent customer experience for patients and providers alike.”
Key outcomes included:
- Single tokenization across all locations
- Centralized billing profiles with intelligent transaction routing
- Seamless FSA/HSA acceptance with proactive gateway transition planning
- PCI-compliant tokenization, reducing compliance risk
For Belmar, this solution also led to:
- Reduced overhead costs for Belmar
- Time savings for staff
- Improved reconciliation processes