As the healthcare industry holds its collective breath to see how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) will affect revenue cycle performance, one thing is clear: standing still isn’t a viable strategy.
If projections hold true, the months-old legislation, along with other factors related to the ACA marketplace, could dramatically increase the number of uninsured patients in the U.S. and, with them, the volume of uncompensated care.
For hospitals already operating on razor-thin margins, this means the stakes surrounding bad debt management are incredibly high, even if the true impact of the OBBB may not be felt for months or even years down the road.
Now is the time for leaders to assess whether their current bad debt partners and processes can weather what’s ahead. Updating strategies and reinforcing guardrails can help safeguard revenue cycle outcomes, keep cash flowing, and preserve patient relationships amid potential volatility.
The coming months may bring more questions than answers, but preparation is the one thing hospitals can still control.