Each year, KarenZupko & Associates, Inc., (KZA) sends a precourse survey to those who have registered for the KZA/AAOS coding and reimbursement workshops. The results provide insights on a variety of coding, documentation, and revenue-cycle processes and trends. In 2019, KZA received 178 completed surveys.
This article summarizes three revenue cycle data points from the 2019 survey results and provides commentary and guidance from two revenue-cycle experts.
- Collect at the time of service for office visits and surgery. Most practices could boost their revenue by $25,000 to $75,000 per surgeon by doing this.
- Adequately document failed conservative treatment in the office note to support that advanced imaging or surgery is indicated. The amount of administrative time spent piecing together information that may or may not exist in the patient’s records is astronomical. A concise summary of the failed conservative treatments, with dates and specifics, significantly reduces the amount of time it takes for preauthorization to be approved.
- Be proactive with denials. Most denials we see in practices are preventable. Review denial patterns and develop a plan to address them proactively.
—Cheyenne Brinson, CPA (inactive), MBA, of KarenZupko & Associates, Inc. (KZA)
- Fully preregister patients at the time of scheduling, which includes capturing their full insurance information and verifying eligibility. This essential step lays the groundwork for tips 2 and 3.
- Collect from patients at the time of service.
- Collect presurgical deposits.
Tips 2 and 3 are the two most impactful things a practice can do to increase patient collections and decrease patient accounts receivable.
—Amy Anderson, MBA, of KZA
