Preserving hospital margins through
effective contract dispute resolution
management
Law Group, representing the business of healthcare
Case Study:
Large Renown Acute Care System
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Colliding Issues
• Discharged Not Final Billed (DNFB) - building a
“Cash Dam”
Unbilled A/R Increases; 93 Million and Climbing /
Crippled Cash Flow $88 Million over 5 Days
• Significant A/R outsourced – lack of controls and
ownership
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Stop the Belt Please!!
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The Goal
To create an uninterrupted workflow and bill defect-
free accounts to the payers. Payers pay less patient
liability and, if all goes well, the account goes to zero.
Simple… Right???
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DMAIC Model
Deploy the DMAIC model to strike at the root cause
analysis.
Define Measure Analyze Improve Control
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Define Meeting Cash Goal, however the
Inventory is Aging Out
• Lack of inventory control
• No accountability
• Silos
• Throwing the accounts “over the fence”
• Multiple touches but no resolution
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Measure Net to 90
78.4% discharged in the prior three months are
Accounts
measured in the current period’s Net to 90 because
the end of the current period represents the end of
the 90-day window (from the discharge date) by
which receivables should be collected. Our goal is to
have at least 90% or better of overall receivables
collected in the 90-day window. We adjust the
individual payer goals up or down based on the
nature of the payer.
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Analyze Top Root Causes
Clinical Documentation Health Information Coding
Integrity (CDI) Management (HIM)
Lack of
No CDI
Inadequate Separate Leadership & Lack of Department
Leadership
Documentation Management Unenforced Stability Integration &
for Coding for HIM Suspension Physician Alignment
and Coding Process Ineffective Tools
Record & Query • Management,
Focus on CC/ No
Response Delays Reporting, & Work Unqualified & Un-
MCCs Only Reconciliation Lack of Attention
• Multiple Distribution credentialed Coders
• Need to Improve for Deficient to DNFB
Queries/Texts/Calls
Documentation Records
Inventory Aging
Inventory Aging
Unaligned
Considerable A/R Leaders – Lack of
Poor Charge Capture
Ineffective Tools Outsourcing Ownership for
Leads to Delays &
• Hoarded Inventory • No Ownership Rules
Rebills
• Unintuitive Work- or Insight Authorizations
lists • Payer Medical Policy Denials Case Management
• Add Unauthorized Services • Continued Stays
Lack of Training Poor Process • No Auth. = No Service • Level of Care Disputes
• No Use of • Ineffective Appeals
Resources: DMHC & • No Dispute Centralized Scheduling
Escalation Poor Collaboration Between
AB1455 • Ensures Proper
HIM, Coding, & CDI
Documentation
PFS Inventory Management Enterprise Breakdown
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Analyze Results: Enterprise Breakdown
• Need for centralized scheduling to ensure all proper
documentation is obtained and validated
• No authorization
No Authorization = No Service Initiative
• Department leaders did not secure proper orders or
documentation
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Analyze Results: PFS Inventory
Management
Lack of Insight of Overall
No Ownership of Inability to
performance Metric, Accounts
Inventory Liquidate Inventory
Continued to Age
• Ineffective appeals Please Pay
• Inventory not disbursed or hoarded inventory
• Lack of training
• Lack of POS cash focus helton
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Improve Attack Root Causes
• Operate differently – think differently
• Created collaborative team centric process and
outcome
• Removed traditional barriers create a self-directed
team model to drive best practice
• Implemented automated tools to support Success
• Heighten awareness of “OWN IT”
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Control Implemented Embedded
Work Efforts Exhaust Process
• Improve operational efficiency by identifying
underlying causes, resolve them and get the
accounts receivable (A/R) paid.
• Streamline processes to prevent rework and
accelerate cash.
• Manage costs effectively.
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Control Results: Formalize Structured
Back-End Escalation Processes
• Strategic escalation based on age and contract
requirements e.g. appeal requirements, denial types.
• Contract enforcement to drive improved operational
performance.
• Recommend and assist in implementing defined
processes and workflows to continually drive A/R
priorities to liquidation.
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Control Formalize Structured Back-End
Escalation Processes, continued
• Implement ongoing dispute escalation and pre-legal
desk assignment.
• Strategic escalation based on contract
requirements, action-based escalation e.g. appeal
exhausted and denial or underpayment reasons.
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Operational Flows and Consulting
• Based on referred inventory and assessment, Helton
will recommend changes to account flow to
improve contract performance and drive best
practices.
• Drive system changes and status codes to enhance
cash performance.
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Helton’s Team of Attorneys and Revenue
Cycle Experts Can Transform and Drive
Best-In-Class Outcomes
• Evaluate claims to identify systematic and workflow
issues to streamline and improve internal processes.
• Impact future contract negotiation with Accounts
Receivables outcomes and findings.
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A Winning Collaboration
• California-based law firm, California Law, California
solutions and California results.
• Partnership with Helton will accelerate cash,
feedback and develop playbook to streamline
operations.
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Thank You…
7711 Center Ave., Suite 350
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
(562) 901-4499
Law Group, representing the business of healthcare
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