Problem
The hospital revenue cycle begins from the time the patient first makes the appointment until the services rendered are paid in full. When providing consulting services to a medical group, I was asked to identify areas where they were inefficient. A leader noted that they had gross revenues of 30% but the net income was closer to 12%. I asked him how he felt about the net percentage, and he responded that it should be higher. From your perspective, how can a healthcare organization improve its net revenue? Is the answer to increase billable charges?