Powerful RCM Solutions

POWERFUL RCM SOLUTIONS

SYNERGEN TECHNOLOGY AND EXPERTISE + ADVANCEDMD PLATFORM

SYNERGEN Health has built a vibrant, growing business by staying focused first and foremost on providing the RCM outcomes clients seek, and then delivering those benefits on the best technology platform available. “At the end of the day, our clients don’t care what systems we use or how we do what we do,” said Duminda Gunawardena, Managing Partner and Board Member for SYNERGEN. “They just care about the outcomes: Are we collecting money efficiently? Do they have simple, detailed visibility into their data to make better business decisions? Can we continue to scale with them as they grow?”

However, SYNERGEN knows that consistently delivering those outcomes and meeting client expectations requires a carefully selected set of robust technologies. For that challenge, the company combined innovative tools and analytics, proprietary technology and simplified direct data access to the AdvancedMD platform to provide clients with RCM solutions that are simple, seamless and highly effective in revenue cycle improvement. Leveraging AdvancedMD custom tabs and cloud-based technology allows SYNERGEN to quickly deploy and begin adding value to clients’ revenue cycles. The company provides three key technology solutions: DOCTRIX®, SYNERGEN SYNERGEN Pay, and a unique collections and denial management system.

DOCTRIX®

FINANCIAL ANALYTICS DASHBOARD

Many SYNERGEN clients discovered that to better manage their businesses and revenue cycles, they needed additional data and analytics that could be easily accessed from a central location. “They were asking for more in-depth data, better analytics and simplified reporting,” said Gunawardena. “Having DOCTRIX® integrated with AdvancedMD on the back end allows the client to have much more visibility than is available through the traditional application.”

For example, a client in the urgent care and occupational therapy specialty was struggling with analyzing multiple reports and multiple levels of data with differing levels of detail. Patching together the various bits of data and separate reports inhibited their ability to effectively improve the revenue cycle and related processes.

“They would have to pull a report to address a question, and then go back and pull several other reports to get more detail,” said Gunawardena. “With DOCTRIX®, they have complete data visibility from the highest enterprise level all the way down to the claim level with just a few clicks. And it is arranged in a way that follows the revenue life cycle of a claim.”

Another powerful integrated DOCTRIX® feature helps analyze revenue cycle impact all the way back to initial patient interactions. Rather than merely running a report to see which patients canceled during a period, DOCTRIX® drills in further to look at scheduled appointments, no-shows and cancellations related to the claims and revenue cycle. This data, combined with the DOCTRIX® analytics engine gives clients much better visibility into patterns and potential scheduling adjustments that can improve revenue and reimbursements.

The integration with AdvancedMD also allows SYNERGEN to provide unique value to specific specialties. For example, in Oncology, DOCTRIX® can provide a drug profitability analysis. The system automatically pulls together the pieces of disparate data needed for the analysis: cost of the drugs, prescription frequency and volumes for different drugs, and reimbursement patterns for those drugs. “With the integrated system we can look at profitability for the drugs Oncologists are purchasing and prescribing to their patients,” said Gunawardena. “ Because it is real time data, they have the visibility to make better decisions.”

SYNERGEN PAY

SINGLE-POINT STATEMENT AND PAYMENT MANAGEMENT

Another common need SYNERGEN noticed across many clients was a single, portal-type solution to manage statement delivery and payment collection.

To address the need, the company created SYNERGEN Pay which combines in a single system the process of delivering statements– whether paper or electronic – and collecting payments online with debit or credit cards.

For example, a client can set up rules regarding how frequently they want to generate a statement, and how they want to delivey the statement. Patients with an email address or phone number can automatically receive an email or SMS message with a link to the statement. Those without electronic access automatically receive a paper statement. The entire process is managed through a single portal.

The system can also be integrated with a patient service center so if a patient calls with a question, the agent can access SYNERGEN Pay and explain charges, outstanding balances, and take credit card payments online in real time – including partial payments and patient financing solutions.

“Most importantly, it is completely integrated into AdvancedMD on the posting side using their APIs,” said Gunawardena. “So any time a payment comes into the system it is automatically posted into the AdvancedMD portal.”

INTEGRATED WORKFLOW

COLLECTIONS AND DENIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

On the denials management side of the RCM equation, SYNERGEN clients needed a common workflow platform that cut across specialties, practices and staffing structures. Billing staff was plagued with trying to manage the process on spreadsheets, files, workflows and case handoffs outside the system that created significant inefficiencies and opportunities for errors.

To address that need, SYNERGEN developed a workflow system that pulls the denial information from the AdvancedMD billing system and creates work queues based on the specialty or specific follow-up work that is required for each claim.These queues can be customized to fit the staffing level and expertise of the billing staff. All relevant information and follow-up results are stored inside the system, and automated follow-up reminders and tasks simplify the process to ensure key due dates are met. This is especially important for staffing shift changes and related information handoffs.

“Having a common workflow system standardizes the process for the whole company and allows all the collections-related data and knowledge to stay within the system,” said Gunawardena.

BOTTOM LINE

IMPROVED RCM, BETTER PATIENT SERVICE

The combined efficiencies and cost savings that can be realized through SYNERGEN systems positively impact clients’ bottom lines, but more importantly, provide opportunities for better patient service and care. “The array of automation solutions integrated with the AdvancedMD system allows our providers and clients to improve their revenue cycles in ways they couldn’t do by themselves,” said Gunawardena. “

A key measure of success is how quickly the system can generate revenue for a client and improve their decision making, not just in terms of collected revenue, but also in reducing denials and providing greater data visibility. Many clients have seen their days outstanding claims improve from 30-40 days prior to working with SYNERGEN to 20 days or less after implementing the solution.

Additionally, the system can offer significant labor and efficiency savings. For example, automatic posting of payments to the AdvancedMD account saves double entry, and full integration eliminates manual reporting and data access. And the denials workflow solution reduces the staffing requirement while reducing the risk of handoff errors and missed deadlines.

“Many of our clients say that we are a valued partner for them, that we are an integral part of their organization,” said Gunawardena. “We hope to continue to build on that trust by working closely with AdvancedMD to provide solutions that improve efficiency and profitability.”

HEALTHCARE BILLING AND PAYMENT IN THE (NEAR) FUTURE

In recent years, SYNERGEN clients found that when they initially send a paper statement, 68% of patients prefer to use the electronic portal to pay rather than mailing a check. To stay ahead of this demand trend, the company is developing a mobile app that will allow users to receive electronic notifications, quickly review the statement and make a payment through electronic online payment systems from their mobile device.