Revenue Cycle Optimization resources
How to measure, audit, and improve the revenue cycle -- from KPIs to full billing audits -- so you catch leaks before they compound.
Start with what you are trying to do
This category holds two different kinds of asset. The measurement and improvement work is below; the specialty and CPT code references sit in the A-Z library further down the page.
- Decide what to measure, and how The twelve KPIs a billing dashboard should carry, each with its formula, plus the monthly layout that puts them in one view instead of thirty metrics with no priority. KPI dashboard template
- Audit the process yourself, against a fixed list Forty-seven items across coding accuracy, documentation, denial trends, KPIs and compliance — so a review follows the same list every time rather than whatever looked wrong that week. Billing audit checklist
- Have someone else establish the baseline Two separate things, not one: a free no-fee screening of your remittance and A/R data, and a scoped paid audit with a stated sample, a named input list and a written findings report. Which one you need depends on what the screening turns up. Billing audit service
- See the reporting before committing to anything Days in A/R, clean claim rate, net collection rate and denials reported per provider and per payer, against the targets we operate to — rather than a monthly PDF of charges and payments. Analytics and reporting
- Hand off the cycle rather than instrument it Eligibility through final payment under a single scope, priced as a percentage of collections with no per-claim charge. The published rate card is on the pricing page. RCM service
Every Revenue Cycle Optimization guide, A to Z
90834 vs 90837: Psychotherapy Billing, Time Rules & 2026 Rates
90834 bills 45-minute psychotherapy (38-52 min); 90837 bills 60 minutes (53+ min). See the 38-minute threshold, 2026 CMS rates, and how to defend 90837.
Read the GuideABA Billing Codes 97153 & 97155: Units, Rules & Denials (2026)
ABA CPT 97153 (technician treatment) and 97155 (QHP protocol modification): 15-minute units, concurrent-billing rules, auth tracking, and denial fixes.
Read the GuideChronic Care Management Billing (CPT 99490): The Complete Rules
CPT 99490 Chronic Care Management requirements: two chronic conditions, 20 minutes monthly, the consent rule, the care plan, and related codes 99439, 99487,.
Read the GuideColonoscopy CPT Codes 45378-45385: Screening vs Diagnostic Billing (2026)
45378 diagnostic, 45380 biopsy, 45384/45385 polyp removal, G0105/G0121 screening. Modifier 33 vs PT, the screening-turned-diagnostic cost trap, and denials.
Read the GuideEFT vs Paper Check Payer Payments: Why Every Practice Should Convert
How payer EFT actually works, what the HIPAA-adopted CCD+ and TRN standards do and do not require of your bank, the CORE reassociation clocks, and how to run an EFT/ERA status register.
Read the GuideElectronic Claim Submission vs Paper: The Real Comparison
Why electronic claim submission via X12 837 beats paper CMS-1500: HIPAA standards, the ASCA rule, processing time differences, and when paper still applies.
Read the GuideERA vs EOB: The Real Difference Explained
ERA (X12 835 electronic remittance) vs EOB (patient explanation of benefits) — what each contains, who receives them, and why providers should rely on ERA.
Read the GuideG0438 vs G0439: Annual Wellness Visit Billing Guide (2026)
G0438 is the initial Medicare AWV (once per lifetime); G0439 is every subsequent AWV (annual). The difference, 2026 rates, vs IPPE G0402, and denial fixes.
Read the GuideG2211 Add-On Code Explained: When and How to Bill It
G2211 (visit complexity inherent to E/M) — what CMS covers, when it applies, the documentation that supports it, and the 2024 activation for primary care.
Read the GuideHome Health CPT & HCPCS Codes: The 2026 Billing Reference
Home health billing runs on HCPCS G-codes, not CPT — G0299/G0300, G0151-G0153, the PDGM 30-day claim, plus home E/M 99341-99350 and CPO. Full code table inside.
Read the GuideKnee Arthroscopy Billing (29881, 29880, 27447): Codes, Modifiers & Denials (2026)
29881 (1-compartment meniscectomy) vs 29880 (2-compartment) vs 27447 (TKA). Modifier 50/RT/LT/59 rules, 90-day globals, CMS PFS rates & top denials.
Read the GuideMedical Billing KPI Dashboard Template (2026)
The 12 KPIs every billing dashboard should track, their formulas, which targets are actually published, and the layout that surfaces problems early.
Read the GuideMedicare Physician Fee Schedule Conversion Factor: History, 2026 Rates, and Impact by Specialty
The Medicare PFS conversion factor CY2020-CY2027, both 2026 rates ($33.57 / $33.40), the CY2027 proposed $33.17 / $32.84, and what it does to individual codes.
Read the GuideOB Global Package Billing: 59400, 59510, 59610 & When to Unbundle (2026)
OB global codes 59400 (vaginal), 59510 (cesarean), 59610 (VBAC) bundle antepartum, delivery & postpartum. Learn what's included, when to unbundle & code rates.
Read the GuideOncology Billing CPT Codes: Chemo Administration, Drugs & Modifiers
How oncology billing works: the chemo admin hierarchy (96413/96415/96417), Part B drugs at ASP+6%, and the JW/JZ modifiers that deny claims.
Read the GuidePALTC Revenue Cycle Management: A 2026 Operating Guide (SNF, ALF, LTC)
PALTC RCM explained: SNF triple-check, PDPM/MDS, consolidated billing, Part A vs B, Medicaid room-and-board vs ancillary, plus 2026 KPI benchmark bands.
Read the GuidePayment Posting in Medical Billing: ERA, Reconciliation & KPIs (2026)
Payment posting records every payment, adjustment and denial against a claim: ERA (835) vs manual EOB posting, reconciliation, and the accuracy KPI band.
Read the GuidePhysical Therapy CPT Codes: Cheat Sheet & Reimbursement Reference
Physical therapy CPT codes reference. Eval 97161-97164, treatment 97110/97112/97140/97530, modalities, 8-Minute Rule math, and KX modifier triggers.
Read the GuidePodiatry CPT Codes Cheat Sheet: Routine Foot Care, Q Modifiers & Surgery (2026)
Podiatry CPT cheat sheet: routine foot care (11055-11057, 11719-11721, G0127), Q7/Q8/Q9 class-finding modifiers, at-risk dx coverage, and 28xxx surgical codes.
Read the GuideRevenue Cycle Management Best Practices for 2026: The Complete Operational Playbook
10 revenue cycle management best practices for medical practices and hospitals — eligibility, charge-entry lag, denial triage, A/R aging — plus a 90-day rollout plan.
Read the GuideSpecimen Handling 99000 & 99001 Billing: When It's Payable (2026)
CPT 99000 and 99001 bill specimen handling. Medicare bundles both (status B). See when commercial payers reimburse 99000, plus the 99000 vs 36415 table.
Read the GuideThe Medical Billing Process Step-by-Step (2026 Complete Guide)
The medical billing process from scheduling to final payment: 12 steps, who owns each one, the failure mode at every stage, and which timings are actually published.
Read the GuideTransitional Care Management Billing (CPT 99495 and 99496)
CPT 99495 and 99496 explained — the 2/7/14-day TCM contact rules, 2026 reimbursement rates, documentation traps, and why TCM claims get denied. Full guide.
Read the GuideUB-04 Revenue Codes Explained: FL 42, HCPCS Pairing & Common Codes (2026)
UB-04 revenue codes (FL 42) classify each charge by department. Common-codes table, how to pair HCPCS in FL 44, bill types in FL 4, and UB-04 vs CMS-1500.
Read the GuideUrgent Care Billing Codes S9083 & S9088: Requirements, Rates & Denials (2026)
S9083 is a flat global case rate; S9088 is an add-on billed WITH an E/M. Learn which payers mandate each, POS 20 rules, and how to fix common denials.
Read the GuideWhat Is RCM in Medical Billing? Complete 2026 Guide to Revenue Cycle Management
Revenue cycle management (RCM) explained: 12 stages from scheduling to collections, the 6 KPIs that matter, which targets are published and which are not.
Read the GuideWhy Mental Health Practices Lose Revenue in Billing
Mental health practices lose revenue to credentialing gaps, auth errors and time-code mistakes. The five patterns, and the operational fix for each.
Read the GuideFree Billing Audit · No obligation
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