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Case Studies / Revenue Cycle

Multi-Specialty Group.
RCM Turnaround.

$4.2M recovered. Days in A/R reduced from 58 to 34.

Industry
Physician Group
Specialties
12
Providers
85
Duration
12 Months
TNG Role
RCM Services

The Challenge.

An 85-provider multi-specialty physician group was experiencing revenue cycle deterioration. Days in A/R had increased to 58. Denial rates exceeded 18%. The previous billing vendor had been terminated. The organization needed immediate stabilization and long-term process improvement.

Situation.

The physician group had outsourced revenue cycle management to a national billing company. Performance declined gradually over three years. When the relationship ended, the group inherited a backlog of 4,200 unpaid claims, incomplete credentialing files, and no documented processes.

Cash flow was strained. The group was deferring equipment purchases and delaying new hires. Several payers had escalated the organization to high-denial status, triggering additional claim scrutiny. The financial situation was affecting clinical operations.

Internal staff had limited revenue cycle experience. The practice manager had clinical background but no billing expertise. Building an in-house team from scratch would take months the organization did not have.

Approach.

TNG deployed an RCM team that assumed full revenue cycle operations within 30 days. The engagement combined immediate stabilization with systematic process improvement.

Intervention Phases.

  • Stabilization (Days 1-30): Assumed billing operations. Triaged claim backlog by age and value. Prioritized high-dollar aged claims. Established daily cash posting.
  • Recovery (Days 31-90): Worked aged A/R systematically. Corrected credentialing gaps. Renegotiated payer relationships. Appealed denied claims with documentation.
  • Optimization (Days 91-180): Implemented charge capture improvements. Established pre-authorization workflows. Created denial prevention protocols. Automated eligibility verification.
  • Sustainment (Days 181-365): Trained internal staff on processes. Transitioned routine operations. Maintained oversight of complex functions. Documented all procedures.

The initial backlog required aggressive recovery efforts. TNG coders reviewed each claim for coding accuracy before resubmission. Appeals included clinical documentation demonstrating medical necessity. Payer relationships were rebuilt through direct outreach.

Results.

$4.2M
Recovered Revenue
34
Days in A/R (from 58)
8%
Denial Rate (from 18%)
96%
Clean Claim Rate

The $4.2M recovery came from three sources: aged claim resolution ($2.1M), denial overturn ($1.4M), and underpayment identification ($0.7M). Cash flow stabilized within 90 days. The organization resumed deferred capital investments.

Days in A/R decreased from 58 to 34—below the industry benchmark of 40. Denial rates dropped from 18% to 8% through front-end improvements that prevented denials rather than appealing them after the fact. Clean claim rate reached 96%.

Transition.

The engagement was structured with transition in mind. TNG documented all processes, trained internal staff, and transferred operations systematically. By month 12, the group operated revenue cycle functions internally with TNG providing oversight and complex claim support.

The organization now employs a revenue cycle manager and three billing specialists. TNG continues to provide coding services and denial management for complex cases. The hybrid model maintains expertise while controlling costs.

"We were in a crisis when TNG came in. Within 90 days, we had cash flow again. Within a year, we had a functioning revenue cycle operation. The recovery paid for the engagement several times over."

Practice Administrator

Multi-Specialty Physician Group

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Executive Discussion.

Review revenue recovery priorities and control opportunities with NICEHR leadership.