Coding & Billing
CB
3 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 7
Years ago, when I
was business direc-
tor for a surgical
center in South
Florida, we started
doing some new
procedures and
found there were
several unbilled
items. I had a good
relationship with the nurse manager, so I asked her to walk me
through the case so I could see how every item was being used. It
ended up being about $700 per case in "found" revenue.
Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen in surgical facilities
because the folks from the business office and the clinical team
don't often interact. You, your materials manager and business
director should meet regularly to discuss your procedure mix and
develop a revenue-capture plan. Key points to follow:
1. Identify target areas. Capturing more revenue begins with
establishing the specific procedures and services you want to target.
2. Follow the case from start to finish. Work with a charge
nurse or another clinical leader to look at the items and services
being used in the targeted case, and then review any applicable
payer contracts to determine whether you can capture additional
revenue associated with each item or service. The more complex
the case, the more opportunities you're likely to find.
3. Evaluate your findings. Assemble a procedure summary that
HIDE AND SEEK
Growing Revenue Is a Team Sport
• REVENUE CAPTURE Open communication between the business and clinical
teams can help your surgical center identify opportunities to capture more revenue.
