October 2023 Newsletter

Presidents Message

Hospitals rarely hear good news in this day and age. Most healthcare headlines, when it comes to financial news, lean heavily toward the Doom and Gloom gripping the razor-slim-margin industry. It is easy for those working in healthcare to be pessimistic in 2023.

This is why a recent article caught my eye for those in healthcare in the Volunteer state. A Becker’s article recently reported a report by public accounting, consulting and technology firm, Crowe. In seeking to find out which states had the lowest and highest initial claim denial rates, Crow employed Revenue Cycle Analytics software to monitor patient financial transactions from more than 1,800 hospitals as well as 200,000 physicians. Needless to say, that is a very healthy sample size.

The report found that the weighted average initial claims denial fare for the top five (5) states was 6.7 percent through the first six months of 2023. This single-digit figure is compared to a 16 percent denial rate for the bottom five dwellers for claim denials.

The good news is that Tennessee had the second-lowest denial rate in the country, at just 6.1 percent, trailing only Iowa’s 5.6 percent. Rounding out the Top 5 were Pennsylvania (7), Alabama (7.2) and Wisconsin (7.2). The bottom five were Oklahoma (18.5), Arizona (16.1), Washington (16), California (15.9) and North Carolina (15.8).

Of course, the cynical side will always whisper that statistics can lie. Yes, this is true in terms of dollars and cents with the denial rates. The study did not break down denial rates by dollar amounts. For example, if a hospital has 16 percent of its six-figure claims denied with just two percent of its far more numerous under $5,000 claims denied, a misleading percentage may not accurately capture the real picture.

However, this is a message of positivity in that Tennessee does find itself in a good place when it comes to the hospitals and physicians largely being paid when a claim is timely and properly billed. Of course, there is still room for improvement. While perfection of zero percent denial may be unobtainable, at least Tennessee is a lot closer to reaching that goal.

So now is the time for you to share with me and our chapter some good healthcare news. Tell me something good. Send me your story or anecdote to cacquisto@sacfirm.com so that I may gather positivity to share with our chapter.

Have a healthy and productive Rocktober!

~Chuck

Save the Date!

The 2023 AAHAM ANI will be held at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California, October 10-12, 2023.

The AAHAM ANI is the only industry event dedicated to patient financial service professionals. The AAHAM ANI enables you to learn from diverse perspectives, exchange ideas, and foster connections and collaborations. Get the targeted strategies and practical takeaways to achieve your goals.

Think of all the great things you will accomplish by attending the AAHAM ANI; learning from other Revenue Cycle professionals about their expertise and resources, learning about hot new topics, major networking with your peers, learning problem-solving ideas, and earning 20 AAHAM CEUs.

AAHAM offers networking opportunities you can’t miss. You will be able to interact with leaders in the field, learn from each other’s challenges and successes, and create lasting connections. More information can be found here. We hope to see you there!

Miss our recent Webinar?

Miss our September webinar “Empowering Patients: Navigating Healthcare Financing Challenges with Confidence” with CarePayment? You can watch the replay here.

Board Member Spotlight: Dr. Crystal Bowler

Dr. Bowler serves as Director of Hospital Patient Financial Services. She does what she does because she loves learning new things in the healthcare field and being able to educate others within the community about health insurance and how it truly works. She loves working with the staff every day and coming up with new workflows/ideas, rolling them out, and seeing the results.

People who “REALLY” know her, know that she is not as quiet as she seems. Dr. Bowler is very observant, a little sarcastic, very kind, creative, and loves helping people. She loves God and learning new things. One of her biggest recent accomplishments is that Dr. Bowler is down 130lbs. over the last 2 years (whoop whoop).

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, baking, event planning, and reading. Dr. Bowler’s favorite quote is, “Don’t Be in such a hurry to condemn a person because He/She doesn’t do or think as you think…There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.” ~Malcolm X

AAHAM Legislative Currents

Interested in learning about the Legislative Currents? A full list can be downloaded here.

AAHAM Legislative Currents

Interested in learning about the Legislative Currents? A full list can be downloaded here.

Certification

Thinking about getting your AAHAM certification? Do you know any colleagues or staff that are ready to become certified?

If you need assistance with the CRCE, CRCP, or CRIP examinations, please contact Matthew Hundley at 703.281.4043 x 3.

If you need assistance with the CRCS or CCT examinations, your study guide order, or recertification, please contact Kristen Reamy at 703.281.4043 x 7.

Call for Committee Chairs

Our chapter is still looking for those interested in chairing committees. Chairs and co-chair spots for our committees are now open. Please reach out to Chuck at (843) 325-2447 or cacquito@sacfirm.com if interested. He will be more than happy to discuss the possibilities with you. If looking to make a mark and improve your resume, AAHAM leadership positions are a fast track to achieving those goals.

AAHAM Job Board

Looking for your next role? Visit the AAHAM Career Center.

Volunteer Opportunities

Learn more about our chapter’s leadership positions and volunteer opportunities by reaching out to Chuck at cacquisto@sacfirm.com. After all, Tennessee is the Volunteer State.

Our Mission

To be the premier professional organization in healthcare administrative services. Through a national organization and local chapters, we provide quality member services and leadership in the areas of education, communication, representation, professional standards and certification.