Short answer: A busy schedule does not guarantee a healthy practice. What matters is how much of the care you deliver turns into cash, and how fast. A small set of revenue cycle KPIs, reviewed every month, shows exactly where money is leaking: at the front desk, in coding, in claim submission or in follow-up.
| KPI | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Days in accounts receivable | How long it takes, on average, to collect what you bill |
| Net collection rate | How much of the collectible amount you actually collect after contractual adjustments |
| Clean claim rate | The share of claims accepted on first submission |
| Denial rate | The share of claims denied by payers |
| A/R over 90 days | How much revenue is at real risk of never being collected |
| Patient collections at time of service | How much patient responsibility you capture before the patient leaves |
Review the scorecard monthly, by payer and by location or provider. Set targets based on your own trend and your billing partner's commitments, then hold the team or vendor to them. When one metric slips, trace it back to the stage of the cycle that caused it.
It depends on specialty and payer mix. Track your own trend and compare it to your billing partner's commitments; a rising number is the warning sign.
Outsourcing can work well, but only with clear KPIs and independent reporting so you can see whether the vendor is performing.
Monthly at minimum, with weekly checks on denials and aged A/R if collections are slipping.
Want to see where your practice is leaving money on the table? See how we support healthcare practices or book a call with our CFO team.