Try these motivators to increase cash collections
Don't forget to celebrate achievements
Every patient access department would love to increase its upfront collections, but opinions vary as to the best ways to accomplish this, ranging from cash to pizza parties to simple thank-yous.
"We have employee incentive awards for staff if cash collection targets are met or exceeded," says Bernadette Lodge-Lemon, director of the revenue cycle at University of California, Los Angeles Hospital System. "Each eligible representative can receive up to a maximum of $900 per quarter."
Incentives are awarded on a quarterly basis, and the full earned award is to be paid quarterly. "This has increased our cash collections and attendance, as we tied the award amount to employee attendance as well," says Lodge-Lemon. "Our collection targets are announced monthly and posted daily when the daily cash report is distributed. This has motivated the staff to increase cash collections."
Goal is exceeded
At Shands Healthcare in Gainesville, FL, the patient access department has some bright financial news to celebrate, as a result of hard work and encouragement.
"This year, in a difficult financial climate, we were given a point-of-service goal of $7.2 million, and we will actually exceed that goal," reports Jamie Biegler, director of patient access. "We just passed last year's goal and have surpassed our best year ever. So we are very, very happy."
Biegler says that this was possible because of the attitude and determination of the department's financial representatives, who are "ever diligent about the collection process."
"We have found, too, that it is important to celebrate our collections. We have done this throughout the year with a number of positive activities," says Biegler. High collectors received $50 Target gift cards, pizza parties, gift baskets made up of donations from the hospital's gift shop, and "heaps of positive feedback," says Biegler.
"We have our point of service broken down into ED, inpatient, and outpatient collections. There is a healthy competition that exists between the areas," says Biegler. "Each week, as we send out the weekly and monthly totals, they all check to see who 'won.'"
The department also has developed some scripting, which helps the financial representatives communicate to patients the importance of paying their copays and deductibles up front.
"For elective surgeries, we are calling patients days and weeks ahead of time and advising them of their financial responsibility," says Biegler. "Through the use of our Bank of America system, we are able to take their payments over the phone and send a receipt to their e-mail address."
This past year, financial representatives have been provided with some new tools, such as an automated system to give real-time access to any errors made during the registration process. "These can now be corrected 'on the spot,'" says Biegler. "This will allow us to isolate recurring errors, staff who may need retraining, accounts that may be missing authorizations, and of course, a positive impact on our first pass yield."
The department is in the process of providing staff with a new estimate system. This will be tied to the various insurance carriers, to give a more accurate tool for providing patients with an estimate of their responsibility.
"This is a product which is being developed by our IS department. It is being designed to meet a number of criteria requested by the admissions department," says Biegler. "We should be live with this program within the next few months."
Biegler says, "As with other facilities, denials continue to plague us. But through a number of process changes, we have seen a marked decrease in the number of cases that we are having to appeal."
This fiscal year, the department is below goal and improving with each passing week. "Of course, our ultimate precertification goal is zero dollars. As long as there are payers involved, that goal may be unattainable. But our 'homegrown' denial database, which once listed fifty or so cases per week, is now showing only three or four," reports Biegler. "Most of these can be resolved quickly and sent for rebill."
Don't skimp on education
The most important ingredient to achieving a successful, motivated patient access department is education, says Joan S. Braveman, director of patient access and financial services at Tallahassee (FL) Memorial HealthCare.
Braveman says to provide staff with a full understanding of the revenue cycle and how their work contributes to reduction of days in A/R, increased cash collection, and decreased denials, while still providing exceptional customer service.
"This gives patient access colleagues a sense of value to the organization and causes them to take pride in their work," says Braveman. "Additionally, participating in the goal setting for the department causes colleagues to have a sense of ownership and encourages them to do their very best."
Braveman's department sets both individual and departmental goals. Individual productivity is measured on a daily basis and feedback is provided to staff routinely.
Department goals include reduction of days in A/R, increased cash collection, and decreased denials. This information is shared with department colleagues on a monthly basis.
"Additionally, we use software to audit our accounts each day and that feedback is provided to individuals," says Braveman.
"Celebrating our successes is a very important motivator," adds Braveman. These "celebrations" range from a simple e-mail from Braveman congratulating someone on his or her successes to ice cream socials, luncheons, and pizza parties.
"However, with limited funds available, we attempt to celebrate with recognition, a pat on the back, or a thank you," says Braveman.
The department also is in the process of starting a monthly communication that will offer colleagues an opportunity to acknowledge a peer's contributions.
"Additionally, our organization does have a profit-sharing program," says Braveman. "If the hospital achieves a prescribed operating margin, and the department ends the year at or under budget and has achieved its goals, the colleagues are then eligible for a bonus. This is a great motivator."
[For more information, contact:
Jamie Biegler, Director of Patient Access, Shands Healthcare, Gainesville, FL. E-mail: [email protected].
Joan S. Braveman, Director, Patient Access and Financial Services, Tallahassee (FL) Memorial HealthCare. Phone: (850) 431-6202. E-mail: [email protected].]
Every patient access department would love to increase its upfront collections, but opinions vary as to the best ways to accomplish this, ranging from cash to pizza parties to simple thank-yous.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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