INCREASING REVENUE

Health centers are often plagued by inaccurate claims submissions, high denial rates, and unbilled patient services that result in needlessly lost revenue and financial insecurity that can threaten the organization’s existence. To date, PCDC has helped 25 health centers retrieve over $6.6 million in lost revenue through their participation in PCDC’s Increasing Revenue program. The Increasing Revenue program enables health centers to collect more payments and improve cash flow by teaching organizations how to integrate all facets of their business—financial, clinical, and operational. PCDC recognizes that it’s not about profit, it’s about providing quality healthcare for the people who need it the most. To do that, health centers must ensure that their business is financially safe and secure.

This program is a six-month process that restructures systems and staff roles to collect revenues efficiently and completely. Staff members become aware of—and take on new responsibility for—revenue collection. Claims are processed more efficiently through streamlined and highly structured collection system.

The Process

Each organization’s five- to seven-member team conducts a baseline performance measurement to assess the situation.  The teams are then brought together for three Learning Sessions, where each team learns to assess the billing, collection, and financial tracking systems relevant to their center. Finally, team members learn to diagnose and fix any problems. Throughout the learning sessions, teams exchange ideas and information with each other.

During two-month Action Periods between the Learning Sessions, teams implement and test what they have learned. The teams:

• Use indicators to facilitate data collection and to monitor center systems
• Identify and diagnose problem areas
• Correct problems
• Share results at subsequent training sessions

PCDC staff and nationally recognized financial management experts make at least one site visit and are available for e-mail or phone consultation.

CLIENT TESTIMONIES

"With a group of seven, out of 900 full-time employees, we were able to make an impact. We saved a quarter of a million dollars annually with a system that ensures accountability.”
Stuart Holster, Risk Manager
Gouverneur Hospital

"The Increasing Revenue collaborative created an amazing work structure and focus that allowed our health center to make tremendous improvements in billing for services, and consequently provided new revenue streams. Thank you!”
Charity Abdi, Corporate Compliance Officer
Addabbo Family Health Center

"This collaborative has been so beneficial to our center and billing department. Our collections have been improved and our systems have been revised. We have learned a great deal from the facilitators. It has been a wonderful experience.”
Orlando Perez, MIS Director
Betances Health Center