There is no question that providers’ bottom line has been hit hard this year, and a new surge in COVID-19 is bound to threaten hospital finances once again. As healthcare providers look to supercharge their payment velocity during these uncertain times, it’s worth taking a step back to examine the revenue cycle management process as
Claims Management
Claims denials put a big dent into the budgets of healthcare providers – something many organizations can’t afford today given the current pandemic. In an environment where everyone must do more with less, reducing claim denials could release vital revenue and staff time to create breathing space for quality improvement. The good news? About 90%
As every healthcare executive knows, a healthy revenue cycle relies on precise paperwork. That’s why all Medicare providers should be paying close attention to the revised medical necessity form, which will be mandatory starting January 1, 2021. Failure to use the new Advance Beneficiary Notice of Non-coverage (ABN) form could lead to denied claims, financial
Halloween is just around the corner, and while the holiday and celebration may look a little different this year (no thanks to COVID-19), the excitement over costumes and dressing up will likely remain the same. When it comes to patient identity, however, costumes and disguises aren’t so exciting. And unfortunately, the challenges and risks associated
Financial recovery after COVID-19 is likely to be a slow burn for most healthcare organizations, according to a recent survey. Nearly 90% of healthcare executives expect revenue to drop below pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020, with one in five anticipating a hit greater than 30%. While the return of elective procedures will be
With COVID-19 leading to postponed and cancelled medical appointments, more consumers are turning to “contactless care”. Recent figures suggest telehealth adoption has shot up from just 11% in 2019 to 46% over the course of the pandemic, and some providers are seeing up to 175 times the number of telehealth patients than pre-COVID. As they
Patients today expect digital capabilities from their provider and will increasingly choose those who offer digital capabilities. Knowing this, many providers have been working to shift more of the patient journey online, through telehealth and virtual care. Not all care needs to be delivered face to face, and technological advances allow patients to access more
At the beginning of the year, the healthcare industry moved away from Medicare identifiers based on Social Security Numbers (SSNs), in favor of more secure Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs). As with any large-scale change program, the shift was unlikely to be completely clear sailing. But with the coronavirus pandemic landing shortly after the 21-month transition
There’s a phenomenon in online product reviews where the customer seems to love their purchase, yet gives it only one or two stars. Why do they do this? Poor customer service: the item was delivered late, questions went unanswered, or payment processing was disorganized. When the consumer experience falls below expectations, the brand suffers –
For many of the 36 million Americans who have registered for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus outbreak, losing their job means losing their health insurance. Options for the newly-unemployed are limited yet complicated: while the federal government has declined to reopen enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, several states are supporting those without coverage by
For many of the 36 million Americans who have registered for unemployment benefits during the coronavirus outbreak, losing their job means losing their health insurance. Options for the newly-unemployed are limited yet complicated: while the federal government has declined to reopen enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, several states are supporting those without coverage by
About 8 percent of the costs involved in U.S. healthcare are spent on administrative costs. Whether it’s paperwork for a simple follow-up or processing billing for a complex surgical procedure, the costs add up immensely for healthcare organizations. It’s a problem that Boys Town National Research Hospital knew well, according to Toni Gross, Director of Patient Financial
Healthcare providers should be able to focus on what’s important: their patients and the care they need. However, providers and their staff must spend much of their time on administrative tasks. A study by AMA Prior Authorization revealed that providers are spending two business days per week just completing prior authorizations. That doesn’t even account for other
Healthcare organizations have been forced to deal with billing challenges for so long that many might consider the struggle to simply be the price of doing business. Denied claims and contractual underpayments are regular occurrences in the payment cycle. And these issues can cause problems in the rest of the healthcare ecosystem when left unchecked.