Hospital business offices are under more pressure than ever. An industry-wide staffing shortage is forcing leaner teams to do more work. Payers are using AI to deny claims at unprecedented rates. And compliance requirements never stop changing.
In this environment, it’s easy to get stuck in full-blown reactive mode—focused on putting out the day’s fires and not much else. But staying the course (i.e., sitting in neutral) is a significant risk that can impact every corner of your organization, including patient care.
Here are five signs that it might be time for a new approach.
You’re Resigned to Accruing Some Bad Debt
The longer AR is allowed to age, the more difficult it is to collect. If 75% of your claim appeals aren’t being paid within 60 days, not only will you likely have a cash flow problem, but you also have processes that need updating.
Your Staff Is Working Hard Just to Remain in Place
Working long, hard hours just to keep up isn’t rewarding; it’s overwhelming. That leads to burnout, employee turnover, training, and more training.
Denials Are Becoming the Norm
Payers are leveraging AI to scrutinize claims more quickly in search of reasons to deny. If your business office doesn’t have similar technological firepower, denials will keep piling up.
No Time or Mechanism for Improvement
With everything your business office is up against, there’s no time to analyze what’s working and what’s not. It’s hard to make progress if you don’t know where to start.
Keeping Up With Compliance Is Barely on the Radar
With so much on your plate, staying current on policy changes often slips down the to-do list. However, even one missed update can have significant consequences.
If you recognize any of these signs in your organization, outsourcing your business office might be a viable strategy. Done right, it’s not about giving up control. It’s about gaining more capacity to make measurable and sustainable improvements.
Meduit’s Comprehensive Business Office combines AI-driven automation and RCM expertise to drive account resolution, heighten efficiency, and optimize your internal team.