About 20% of America’s population overall is considered to be in rural communities, according to Census data. In many states, the percentage is much higher. For example, in Minnesota, it’s 29%, in the Dakotas about 40%, Wisconsin about 34%, and Iowa about 37%. For perspective, fully 97% of the country’s land mass is considered rural. Healthcare facilities that serve rural communities are usually small, general physician practices or specialty clinics, often with just one doctor and some limited support, or possibly shared services among a few of them. Understanding the metrics of what needs to be captured for each patient in order to get reimbursement is complex. Many of these clinics, because they don’t submit the right data for coding, are losing significant revenue on a continuing basis. It’s become quite clear that revenue management for many of these businesses is a nightmare. It’s a serious threat to a large percentage of America’s people who can ill afford to lose access to healthcare. The right revenue management model is critical for rural clinics and hospitals.

At the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Conference this week in Minneapolis, revenue management and coding were two of several topics that took center stage.

If you’re affiliated with a rural clinic or hospital and would like assistance in helping reduce the number of claims outstanding so more revenue can be brought back into your firm, please reach out to Timmaron Group. We’ve had considerable experience in rural healthcare management. We can help! Start with an email to hi@timmarongroup.com.