Challenge
In today’s complex and quickly evolving value-based reimbursement environment, a medical practice’s billing can no longer be a small “mom and pop” operation. The stakes for survival are just too high.
That’s the conclusion the growing Bluegrass Kidney Consultants, a 10-site practice based in Louisville, KY, reached a decade ago as its accounts receivable — particularly aging AR — continued to rise, approaching an unsustainable $1 million.
“We had a good relationship with our former billing provider, but it was increasingly apparent that they were just too inefficient and inconsistent to handle our needs both now and in the future,” said Shannon Mattingly Herl, RN, BKC’s vice president of Operations & Development. “We discovered that bills would be submitted, and if they were rejected for any reason, nobody knew. We had no idea of the true state of our AR and what was being left on the table as our practice continued to grow. We knew we had to make a change.
“Of course, we’ve always been focused on delivering high-quality care,” she continued. “But we’re quickly entering an era where we’ll be paid under contracts that will require extremely specific information on what costs and outcomes we’ve provided. We needed a partner that had the ability and reports to help us really drill down to see which physicians have been more productive and what the costs are across providers for similar procedures.”
Solution
So a decade ago, BKC found its answer in Advantum Health, which offers comprehensive technologyenabled revenue cycle services designed to speed and maximize appropriate reimbursements while freeing the practice’s staff to focus on delivering high-quality health services and optimal outcomes to its growing patient population.
Proven benefits for success:
- Rapid AR reduction of approximately 30%
- Days in AR down 20 days
- Denials dramatically reduced
- Seamless integration with office staff for daily support
- Trusted coding experts increase provider proficiency
Results
Data and reports that drive informed decision-making
“We quickly learned to trust the data and the easyto-use reports Advantum provides. They’ve really helped us make the right decisions, such as when we consider new types of delivery organizations to join as part of the transformation of healthcare payment models,” Mattingly Herl noted.
“We’ve really learned the meaning of partnership from Advantum Health,” she stated. “They don’t wait for us to point out an issue or concern; they’re proactive. And from the receptionist at our front desk to the billing team, they’re constantly communicating with the Advantum Health team. We never had that level of engagement before Advantum, and it’s made a huge difference.”
Reports that show what’s real
“We’ve become accustomed — and thankful — to regularly receive reports that are comprehensive and easy to read,” she continued. “Every month during our financial review with Advantum, I can see that our AR numbers keep going down. It’s exciting. We continue to whittle away at AR; aging A/R over 180 days decreased nearly 30% right away, and we’ve experienced about the same percentage of reduction for short-term AR…from 75 to 55 days. It’s a very satisfying feeling.”
Engaged in our success
“Thanks to its dedication and knowledge, Advantum is well-engaged with us as a partner and as a vital part of our operations,” Jai Bhimani, MD, stated. “It’s a good relationship that has served us very well in the last decade, and one that makes us feel good about our future.”
