Listed below are abstracts and links to HFMA resources on receivables management and bad debt.
Reports
Getting Rid of Bad Debt Blues, HFMA Resource Library, April 2008.
Hospitals are seeking alternative methods to collecting bad debt, such as reviewing their point of collection processes.
HFMA Roundtable: Your Communication Strategy for Effective Receivables Management, HFMA Resource Library, December 2007.
A key component of handling bad debt accounts is careful communication with the patient during the collection process. This report is based on a discussion with healthcare finance executives examing their communication strategies for collecting delinquent receivables.
HFMA Roundtable: Establishing Financing Options for Self-Pay Patients, HFMA Resource Library, November 2007.
This roundtable report of senior healthcare finance executives share their perspectives on planning and implementing finance programs for self-pay patients.
HFMA Roundtable: Improving Cash Flow, HFMA Resource Library, January 2007.
This article is based on a roundtable discussion with senior healthcare finance executives on ways to improve cash flow based on enhancements in the billing and revenue cycle process.
Patient Friendly Billing®: Hospitals Share Insights to Improve Financial Policies for Uninsured and Underinsured Patients, HFMA Resource Library, February 2005.
In this report hospitals provide their experience and insight to revising discount and collection policies and practices for the uninsured and underinsured
Key Strategies for Sustained Performance Improvement, HFMA Resource Library, November 2004.
This report discusses three key strategies for revenue cycle performance improvement: creating a culture that encourages and rewards improvement; identifying key opportunitites and performance measures; and using performance measures to understand and improve processess.
Bad Debt Rising: When to Sell Your Accounts Receivable, HFMA Resource Library, August 2004.
The benefits and disadvantages of selling bad debt are covered in this article.
Articles
The Next Generation of Revenue Management, hfm Magazine, July 2007
The revenue cycle environment is changing, requiring managers to be responsible for new financing arrangements.
Finding the Missing Pieces for Payment, hfm Magazine, March 2006.
Automated tools are reducing costs of collection and decreasing bad debt for hospitals.
The Revenue Cycle From the Patient's Perspective, hfm Magazine, September 2003.
Hospitals can improve cash flow by focusing on the patient's view of billing.