How to optimise your ASC’s revenue cycle
Updated: Apr 12
Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are an essential part of the healthcare ecosystem, providing patients with high-quality care and allowing physicians to perform surgeries in an outpatient setting. However, like any healthcare facility, ASCs face financial challenges, including maximising revenue. In this blog post, we will explore how ASCs can optimize their revenue cycle to ensure financial sustainability and growth.

Understand the Revenue Cycle
Before we dive into optimisation strategies, it's essential to understand the revenue cycle. The revenue cycle is the process of collecting payments from patients and payers for services rendered. It typically includes the following steps:
Patient registration and insurance verification
Charge capture and coding
Claim submission and follow-up
Payment posting and reconciliation
Patient collections and financial counseling
Each step of the revenue cycle presents opportunities to optimize revenue, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency.
Optimise Billing and Coding Processes
One of the most critical steps in the revenue cycle is charge capture and coding. Accurately capturing charges and coding procedures is essential to ensure accurate billing and timely payments. To optimise this process, ASCs can:
Implement coding guidelines and standards
Regularly audit coding accuracy
Train staff on coding and documentation requirements
Utilise technology to automate coding processes
Negotiate with Payers
Another critical aspect of revenue cycle optimisation is negotiating with payers. Negotiating fair reimbursement rates and contract terms can help ASCs increase revenue and reduce administrative costs. Some negotiation strategies include:
Conducting market research to determine fair reimbursement rates
Creating a negotiation strategy that emphasises quality and patient outcomes
Collaborating with other ASCs to negotiate as a group
Utilizing a third-party negotiation service
Improve Patient Collections
Finally, improving patient collections can help ASCs maximise revenue and reduce bad debt. To improve patient collections, ASCs can:
Implement a financial counseling program
Provide patients with clear, upfront cost estimates
Offer payment plans and financial assistance programs
Utilise technology to automate payment collection processes
By optimising their revenue cycle, ASCs can ensure financial sustainability and growth while providing patients with high-quality care.