5 Revenue Cycle Trends to Watch
With more hospitals renewing their focus on patient experience, Healthcare IT Leaders' Larry Todd says healthcare executives need to think beyond the clinical experience.
The moment a patient checks in for an appointment, they enter into a system of adjudication and payment processing that only ends when all claims and payments have been received either from the patient or their insurance company. This sounds like a simple, linear process, but it’s much more complicated than that. To help organize these financial processes, organizations rely on revenue cycle management software to process this important data.
As the healthcare industry continuously changes, revenue cycle management policies and software are changing with it. Healthcare IT Leaders Revenue Cycle Lead, Larry Todd, CPA, discusses the changes happening in the industry and the trends to watch in 2018 with revenue cycle management.
Mergers driving new implementations
Healthcare systems are getting bigger as more organizations are merging. Many legacy systems are beginning to sunset, and there is a need for organizations to implement a new system to support the growth of the organization. “It’s important for organizations to consider how they will sunset their legacy system and embrace the new system during a revenue cycle implementation,” says Todd. “Organizations need to take a step back before the implementation to consider how to build a holistic system. Without proper integrations, many organizations will be challenged to manage their reimbursement processes.”
Organizations seek to improve denial and reimbursement processes
Claim denials and documentation to support appeals are areas where the revenue cycle marketplace continues to struggle, says Todd. “Organizations are seeking innovative ways to improve these processes and reduce denial rates, through either third-party systems, or, if possible, within the host system.”
CFOs must stay engaged in implementations
“Any implementation will affect the revenue of the organization so it’s very important for CFOs to be involved in the implementation project and to be informed of key parts of the project that could put the organization and its revenue at risk,” says Todd.
As a former CFO and trained accountant, Todd says it's a mistake for CFOs to disengage once an implementation is underway. “These are highly technical projects, so there is a tendency to hand over the reins to IT or the software vendor, but financial executives need to stay engaged throughout the project, including weekly implementation status updates.”
Clients should form a revenue cycle action team that includes the CFO and puts all of the revenue cycle stakeholders at the table, including clinicians, says Todd. Having the CFO involved in this process ensures critical executive oversight regarding decisions that impact AR and Cash.
User training and adoption are critical
As healthcare organizations transition from a legacy system to a new system, they need to consider how they will handle the change management for their staff. “Some employees have been using these systems for more than 10 years. Properly training employees on the new system is a top concern for executives and managers,” says Todd.
Organizations require outside expertise
As health systems integrate their new system and implement changes, a key recipe for success is to hire experts who understand the technical and operational aspects of the the software and organizational processes. “It’s very valuable to work with a consulting firm that employs real consultants – people who have worked in operations for years and truly understand the unique challenges of implementing revenue cycle solutions” says Todd. “At Healthcare IT Leaders, we all have unique perspectives and experiences that we bring to the table thanks to this approach.”
Interested in learning more about our revenue cycle management services? Reach out to one of our experts here.
