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PMG Insights Blog posts

January 4, 2019
by Simon Hughes

3 Simple CHC Billing Metrics Every Exec Should be Tracking in 2019

As a CHC Executive, what are your most pressing goals for 2019? Would you like to open a new location or add more providers? Perhaps you would like to add a new services line and offer optometry or pharmacy services. No matter what your goals are for 2019, sufficient revenue is needed to make them […]

December 3, 2018
by Simon Hughes

Don’t Let Coding Errors Cost Your CHC Cash – “Decoding” Code Linkage and Medical Necessity

Without a doubt provider coding errors are a top reason for rejected claims at Community Health Centers (CHCs). This shouldn’t be surprising. We all know that CHC providers are insanely busy and creating and presenting quality coding training is next to impossible. Hiring a certified coder is another option but that can be costly and […]

October 3, 2018
by Simon Hughes

E&M Code Level Consolidation On the Table… Again

Contributed by Ray Jorgensen Back in 1996 when I became the first CPC in RI and one of only seventeen in New England, we were all still adjusting to the 1995 Evaluation and Management (E&M) Guidelines. Moans and groans by providers about the burden… with paper records… were common and I think legitimate. In February of […]

June 25, 2018
by Simon Hughes

Tactics to Boost CHC Front Desk Performance (and Your Bottom Line)

Your Community Health Center (CHC) front desk has many roles. It serves as a welcome face for those in need of care and must be a hub of efficiency when waits grow long and the waiting room is filled. An important and often overlooked facet of the front desk is its part in the CHC […]

March 6, 2018
by Lisa Messina

Delegation and the CHC Revenue Cycle – Successful Leaders Set it and Forget it

The devil is in the details, and that is doubly true when it comes to the Community Health Center (CHC) revenue cycle. This complex process is incredibly involved and ever-changing, and to keep cash flow steady, you must constantly ‘stay on top of things.’ But from an executive perspective, what does that really mean? We […]

February 19, 2018
by Simon Hughes

Bigger than Billing… Exploring the Nuances of True Revenue Cycle Management

When we tell people that PMG offers Revenue Cycle Management services to Community Health Centers (CHCs), many people assume that we created a fancy new phrase that just means medical billing. Others tell us that they purchased a top of the line practice management (PM) system and it will solve all billing woes. True, Revenue […]

February 8, 2018
by Simon Hughes

Mission vs. Survival – The Community Health Center Battle

For the past several months, Community Health Centers (CHCs) have been faced with the uncertainty around continued funding by the federal government; funding which could jeopardize the basic fundamental of the Health Center Program. According to the Bureau of Primary Health, CHCs, among other things, were meant to: Deliver high quality, culturally competent, comprehensive primary […]

September 11, 2017
by Simon Hughes

Co-Sourcing Your CHC Billing Department – Have Your Revenue Cake and Keep Your Staff Too

Making the move to an outside vendor for your community health center’s (CHC’s) billing needs can be a difficult decision. CHCs are truly the hearts of the communities which they serve. Not only do they provide quality healthcare to underserved populations, they provide much-needed employment opportunities as well. Many CHCs take great pride in providing […]

July 12, 2017
by Simon Hughes

Secrets for Winning the A/R Battle at Your CHC

At month’s close, Community Health Center (CHC) executives across the country brace themselves as they review the status of their accounts receivable (AR). Dollars owed to the center for services provided, sitting there, just out of reach. Some may meet with billing staff in an effort to get those claims approved; others may just sigh […]

March 13, 2017
by Lisa Messina

How the ACA Could Affect Your CHC

Congressional consternation continues in Washington D.C. Too many options from too many interest groups makes it difficult to find commonality to meet the needs of all Americans. Perhaps that is the Achilles’ Heel; i.e., no one plan will meet the needs of all. In the end, the most at risk populations… the poor, marginalized, and […]