Monte Sandler is executive vice president of NextGen RCM Services, a business unit of NextGen Healthcare, a provider of healthcare information systems and connectivity solutions.
A healthy revenue cycle is something for which every business strives, but it is especially important for healthcare organizations in the current industry environment, due to declining reimbursements, shrinking margins and evolving payment models.
Although it may be tempting to rely on the status quo when it comes to payer payment, opportunities exist to boost collections by shifting key activities upfront and leveraging revenue-driving tools and processes on both the front and back ends of the revenue cycle.
Healthcare providers are realizing they must create and sustain a more effective revenue cycle to ensure long-term viability. To remain competitive, providers must closely evaluate the current state of their revenue cycle and implement improvement opportunities.