Despite ongoing concerns about denials and beneficiary access to care, Medicare Advantage (MA) companies remain in the spotlight as their market penetration continues to grow. In April 2022, a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlighted a significant issue in the capitated payment model employed […]
Insufficient implementation of revenue cycle management (RCM) strategies may result in disorderliness. Conversely, optimizing RCM in conjunction with billing and collection procedures can mitigate the difficulties, leading to amplified revenue for the practice. The Role of RCM in the Healthcare Sector RCM encompasses both the clinical and business aspects of healthcare institutions, linking patient care […]
Revenue cycle leaders were asked to rank the most time-consuming tasks at their organization, and the results aren’t surprising. 556 chief financial officers and revenue cycle leaders at hospitals and health systems across the United States were asked to rank the most time-consuming revenue cycle tasks at their organizations in a new survey commissioned by […]
Preventing readmission denials strengthens the Case Mix Index (CMI), improves reimbursement, and enhances quality performance metrics. Healthcare organizations can significantly reduce denial risk by ensuring accurate clinical documentation, appropriate discharge planning, and comprehensive patient follow-up. Evaluating Readmissions for Potential Denials Healthcare organizations frequently review 30-day readmissions to determine whether actions taken—or not taken—during the initial […]
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and Better Medicare Alliance (BMA) both support the agency’s effort to improve Medicare Advantage (MA). In an attempt to reform MA, CMS released a proposed rule that aims to streamline prior authorization, promote health equity, and curb deceptive marketing. The Biden administration has shown a commitment to increasing oversight of […]
Partnering with a vendor that provides EHR and RCM capabilities helped one healthcare organization boost communication and improve revenue cycle efficiency for 150 care centers. Leveraging automation for revenue cycle management (RCM) processes can streamline tasks and improve efficiencies. Specifically, partnering with an EHR vendor helped a healthcare organization to achieve $1 billion in patient […]
Outcomes-based models are spreading, but fee-for-service still dominates payment landscape. Is value-based care having a moment? Health care policy experts and institutions have long agreed that fee-for-service (FFS) medicine is wasteful, outmoded and at least partially responsible for the U.S. spending far more than peer nations on health care, but with outcomes that are no […]
Supply chain issues, medication costs, and labor challenges sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the spiking hospital expenses. Hospital expenses have increased 23 percent since 2016, a spike researchers attributed to continuous COVID-19 challenges, according to a recent analysis. By analyzing American Hospital Association data, investigators noticed hospital expenses increased 47 percent in 2020when […]
Health systems that used automation for revenue cycle operations had an average cost-to-collect of 3.51 percent compared to 3.74 percent for those that did not use automation. Using automation for revenue cycle operations could lower hospital and health systems’ cost-to-collect by 0.25 percent, according to a survey from the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). The […]
Low reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, low patient volumes, and regulatory barriers are some of the root causes of rural hospital closures, the American Hospital Association (AHA) explains in a new report. The report “Rural Hospital Closures Threaten Access: Solutions to Preserve Care in Local Communities” highlights the variety of causes behind rural hospital closures, which […]










