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RCA the Better Eligibility Company

For over 25 years, the stability of being privately owned has afforded us the ability to go above and beyond for our client partners to achieve superior results. Our proven track record outperforms competitors and can be customized to fit the needs of hospitals of all sizes types and ownership structures from the rural 25 bed facilities to Level 1 Trauma facilities in major metropolitan areas.

With a consistent conversion rate of over 91%, RCA is dedicated to providing exceptional, professional service based upon our competitive attributes of communication, technology and adaptability that are unmatched in the industry.

RCA – A “Better Eligibility Company”

In being a “better eligibility company,” we believe there is not just one thing that we do well that makes the difference in our performance results. Our results are produced by doing everything better than our competitors. There are, however, several definitive attributes we believe add value and set RCA far apart from our competitors.

High Conversion Rates

With client hospitals in 23 states, RCA currently manages over $50 billion dollars in hospital Accounts Receivables. We have assisted over one million patients receive assistance and as a company, we average an overall 93% net conversion rate.

Management Tenure

RCA adopts the theory of studies showing that to master a complex skill, it takes anywhere from 10,000 – 50,000 hours of deliberate practice. With average management tenure of more than 19 years, RCA has over 200,000 combined hours of experience that your hospital would inherit to assist with revenue cycle solutions.

Communication

Part of RCA’s dedication to building relationships stems from constant communication. In addition to scheduled management meetings to discuss performance, our clients are always impressed with the frequency of interaction with our management team and the speed in which their requests are completed. In addition, RCA representatives will also attend daily/weekly case management/high dollar or self pay meetings to report up-to-date information and to assist in discharge planning.

Private Ownership

Remaining a closely held, Texas-based, privately owned and operated company with no venture capital investors allows us to adapt and transform based on the individual client partner needs. We have never participated in any merger or acquisition and intend to remain on this path of organic growth that has proven successful for more than two decades.

You may have these services but are you really happy with these services? If you ask that question, it may be time to see what more is out there! We would love to show you!

Your Vendors Represent You

Patients naturally assume everyone they come in contact with at a facility is a hospital employee.  Onsite vendors are often seen as an extension of the facility and should represent the hospital’s values beginning with their first impression.  This is why a trusted partner should work hard to integrate themselves into your facility.

Once performance and competencies are vetted, a facility should also consider how a vendor’s presence could affect the organization.  Do not let time or financial constraints impede a very important component in choosing the right vendor.

Consider these questions in evaluating your vendors overall professionalism:

Does your vendor staff…

  • Dress in professional attire, which meets the acceptable code of the hospital?
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the facility’s values and corporate culture?
  • Represent the organization with appropriate business etiquette?
  • Exhibit compassion and courtesy while meeting with your patients?
  • Practice punctuality and professionalism in their role as your vendor?

RCA is known for its superior eligibility services and high conversion rates, but we also receive a number of compliments about our staff’s professionalism.  Our employees are trained to establish themselves as a resource to our client hospitals. We have been so successful in the process that RCA team members have been awarded multiple times with hospital accolades.

 “I just wanted to let you know that Carlos won the “Extra Mile Award” for the month of August for [our facility], which is the first time a contract employee has earned the award.  The way it works, our leadership team takes nominations, then the management team votes.  I was told by HR that Carlos had about 90% of the votes.  It is definitely the highest employee award given at the hospital.  He continues to do a great job to ensure that RCA is well represented.”

-Director of Patient Access

During the onboarding process, RCA recruits the most talented candidates for employment using our own top performing staff as the baseline for results in both skill and aptitude.   As we continue to elevate the bar for a higher caliber organization, our clients can remain assured that the top performing and respectable workforce is in front of their patients.

RCA and SSI Focus

Resource Corporation of America understands that a valued partner should have extensive knowledge with processing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cases. We take these claims seriously and work tirelessly to ensure that your patients are not only guided through the entire process, but have someone who will keep them informed of their status, assist with the completion of necessary paperwork, file timely appeals when necessary, and properly update their claim with medical records and any documentation requested from the Social Security Administration. We also maintain constant communication with our partner facilities throughout this process so that case management has the most up to date information about case status and eventual determinations.    

Close Relationship with case management

wealth management concept, business man and team analyzing financial statement for planning financial customer case in office.

During the course of an SSI/SSDI case, it can be difficult for case management to get updates on pending cases. Our patient support representatives are trained to take a proactive approach in gathering updates and are held to a standard of obtaining those updates every seven days or less. We also align our database with your facility’s database in order to have a seamless transfer of information. This allows us to provide instant updates to your system as we update our own. We work these cases proactively so that your case management team is provided with updates before they ever have to ask for them.

Timely Appeals

Being proactive with our updates also means that we are diligent with filing timely appeals should a claim be denied by the Social Security Administration. Failure to provide a timely appeal can result in the denial of a claim for your patient. As a result, our representatives stay focused on appealing the Social Security claim weeks prior to the deadline, which is typically sixty days from the date of denial. When we are notified of a denial for an SSI or SSDI claim we immediately begin work to file the appeal and obtain any new medical documentation that may be of assistance to the patient’s claim.  

Accredited Disability Representation

Businesswoman and Male lawyer or judge consult and conference having team meeting with client at law firm in office, Law and Legal services concept

All of our disability representatives are accredited by the Social Security Administration to provide disability representation to our claimants. This means that each of our representatives have passed an exam certifying that they are proficient in the representation of disability claims. As a result of their accreditation they are permitted to represent a patient through the hearing process and file an appeal with the Appeals Council in the event of an unfavorable hearing decision. Further, because our representatives are non-attorney representatives, they will never charge for medical records or for phone calls to provide updates to case management or to the claimants themselves. 

Follow-up Through Entire Case Regardless of Representation

We provide follow up throughout the life of a Social Security case, regardless of whether a patient chooses to use our accredited representatives or another form of representation. We understand that in some cases a patient may seek out an attorney to handle their claim, but our rigorous follow-up processes remain the same in that situation as well. Our responsibility is to the patient and to the hospital to exhaust every option in order to have any and all outstanding medical bills paid. In order to accomplish this, we must continue to not only update the claim but stay in contact with the patient’s chosen representative. This allows our office to keep our system updated and provide those updates to case management.  

Agency Connections and Relationships

Our patient support representatives go above and beyond for our patients. Not only do they provide constant updates, but they also go out of their way to complete forms and assist in all aspects of the Social Security case.  This often means that they develop strong relationships with the patients themselves and the claims representatives in the local field offices and the office of Disability Determination Services (DDS). Our patient support representatives will also meet with local offices for continued education and to stay updated on any changes that are issued by the Social Security Administration. A strong relationship with a claims representative at the field office means that we are not waiting in a line of automated options, but are able to speak directly to the local field office representative and the DDS examiner when we call for updates. Our close relationships allow our team to avoid costly delays in processing claims, but also ensure that our patients are aware that they are working with someone who genuinely cares about their claim and well-being.   

Our goal is to provide the best service to patients and to the hospital providers that we partner with.  We are able to do this because we genuinely care about each and every one of these claims and treat them as if they were our own family members.  When choosing a vendor to partner with, it is imperative that they not only protect your bottom line, but also the livelihood of those individuals seeking approval for their disability claims.  With RCA, your patients are never just a number.

RCA and Case Management

With over 25 years of experience, RCA has become the go to Self-Pay Eligibility partner for many hospital organizations. Our expertise is unmatched and our commitment to provide the best service in the industry remains true today just as it did the day we were founded.

Over the years, we have developed processes and relationships that have helped our client partners reduce their A/R days. One of the ways we do this is by collaborating with the system’s case management department to develop solutions in order to get their patients out the door while still providing them with the best care and attention possible. When it is deemed necessary for a patient to require outside placement or receive additional care once they leave the hospital, case management reaches out to RCA and requests that we assist these patients by reviewing all Medicaid and SSI/SSDI solutions.

We are truly compassionate and want the very best for our client partners and their patients. Below are a few things that we do to maintain strong trusting relationships with case management and their patients that set us apart from our competitors.

Relationships

We maintain strong relationships with Medicaid and Social Security offices and meet on a routine basis to address any questions, concerns, or changes to programs. These relationships allow us to communicate directly to individual personnel rather than going through a call center, resulting in quicker application processing times and better communication.

Education

Business Meeting in Office

RCA stays up to date on all state and federal programs to ensure we are at the forefront of changes in the industry. We routinely meet with case management to discuss our processes, provide education and share updates, allowing us to best fit the needs of our patients and client partners.

 

Daily Follow Up

RCA monitor’s all Inpatient accounts daily, allowing us to monitor their condition, obtain documents, meet with patients and their families and acquire any new updates that may affect their ability to be discharged.  We provide updates to case management with any updates regarding their application statuses that may be useful during the discharge planning process.

Prompt Communication

Female employee talk on video call with colleagues

Once we receive a referral from hospital case management, we immediately attempt to screen a patient (or their family members) to determine their eligibility for a program of assistance. Once a determination is made, we update the hospital EHR and case management. In addition to our initial screening outcomes, we communicate with case management about documents that we need assistance in obtaining from a patient or their family in order for their application to be processed.

Discharge Planning

The moment an agency determination is obtained, it is communicated to case management so that they can work on getting that patient discharged.  These daily updates on a patient’s case allows case management to make changes to a plan of action for quicker discharge.

These are just a few ways that RCA’s collaboration with Case Management and state/federal agencies allows for quicker application processing times, ensuring more timely patient discharges and ultimately reducing A/R days. At RCA, we strive to stay in front of changes and forging long-lasting relationships with our partners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Value Added Services

RCA 1994 logo -All Red

RCA is a Leader in the Third Party Eligibility and Third Party Liens Industry, but we did not get there by chance.  It starts by going above and beyond and thinking outside of the box when it comes to the traditional eligibility process. Below are just a few things we offer that allows us to deliver next level service.

Skip Tracing

For patients RCA has been unable to make contact with due to unreachable telephone numbers and/or returned or unanswered mail, staff will send the patient’s information through a skip tracing system that searches for new information. Utilizing one of the largest data linking technologies, RCA’s skip traces produce the most reliable and accurate right party contact information for patients.

Field Visits

Psychological therapy

RCA regularly conducts home, institutional and other field visits to ensure the eligibility and follow-up process is completely successful. Patient accounts that are non-responsive, high dollar or need extra attention will be scheduled for a field visit to ensure every effort is made on the account.

Transportation Services

Lack of transportation is seen as one of the largest obstacles in patient compliance. For patients who need assistance in attending agency appointments, consultative exams or disability hearings, RCA will provide local transportation, via taxi or rideshare services, at no cost to the patient or hospital.

Document procurement

Another challenge we see in patient compliance is the lack of proper documentation to allow for applications to be processed. For patients missing crucial documents such as birth certificates, identification cards or Social Security cards, RCA will assist the patient in obtaining these documents, at no cost to the patient or hospital.

RCA Patient Portal (Mobile App)

RCA developed a HIPAA compliant patient portal as an additional tool for patients to quickly and securely submit their personal documents, receive notifications and stay updated on their application status. Increasing compliance and reducing the time to receive needed documentation allows for faster approvals which in turn leads to quicker reimbursements to our hospital clients.

PatientSelfScreenPatient Self-Screening Portal

Remaining relevant in today’s technology driven world, RCA created a Patient Quick Screen link on our website where patients can securely enter information pertaining to their potential eligibility for assistance programs. Once completed, this self-screening is directly uploaded into the patient’s account in RCA’s SECURE database for staff to review and determine next steps.

 

– Rod Thigpen, Regional Vice President

RCA’s Onsite Methodology

Healthcare is still relationship driven and patient experience has become an important factor in the care of people.  The definition of patient experience as defined by Wikipedia describes an individual’s experience of illness/injury and how healthcare treats them.  Increasing focus on patient experience is part of a move toward today’s patient-centered care.  This includes the range of interactions that patients have with the health care system.  Much of what we do today is technology based, and while there is still room for technology in healthcare, ultimately  we are working with people.

Psychological therapy

People who are not feeling well, who are getting bad news about their health, and who have family that are worried about their well-being.  Technology has a place in healthcare, but when you are working with people—they still want the personal touch.  They still need a positive patient experience.  Each partner that works within hospitals should have the same goal for your patient.

How can you keep the personal touch in healthcare?  The word is embedded in the title of our profession: CARE.  This is one of the biggest reasons why RCA has taken a different approach to eligibility.  A personal approach that demonstrates to the patient that we care.  While onsite, RCA takes the time to visit with the patient face to face.  Our employees are trained on communicating caring in a patient room.

Smiling Pretty Woman Holding Document in CafeWhile in house, we visit with the patient daily.  Some patients do not get visitors, so we ensure that each of our patients see a friendly face on a daily basis.  We are not there to talk business each day.  Some days we are there to see how they are doing and if we can do anything for them.  It is the relationship building while the patient is in house, that helps us stay connected when they are discharged.

When you are looking for a partner for third party eligibility, make sure you are looking for a partner who cares for your community and your patient.  That is going to be the best decision you can make.

 

-Bethany Bailey, Regional Vice President

 

RCA Relationships

Over the course of our 25-year history, RCA has built and maintained incredible relationships with our client partners, their staff and patients.  These relationships have become deep-rooted because we value our partners, their vision and mission, and the causes that they are passionate about.  Accordingly, we have made it a top priority to work closely with our partners’ staff offering insight and education on topics where our expertise is unmatched in the industry.  This helps to increase patient compliance and to ensure our management is continuously visible.

Hands.In

At RCA, we know that sometimes our services will be replacing another vendor, but we also understand that you may have your own in-house service team working on accounts.  In these situations, it is our goal to work alongside your employees assisting them to increase your bottom line in the most efficient way possible.  The goal is to enhance your system, not derail the work.  We establish our processes within your revenue cycle, working in tandem with your staff to find more eligible accounts, leading to an increase in reimbursements.

In order to maintain strong client partner relationships, we understand that staying at the forefront of technology developments as well as changes to regulations affecting eligibility is of the utmost importance.  This is accomplished by utilizing our long-standing relationships with local, state and federal agencies to be alerted to any upcoming changes.  This information is then passed along to our partners and their staff through educational webinars, lunch-n-learns and/or training presentations.  As we grow in knowledge you should too, and that should be a priority in the relationship with your vendor.

We realize that the relationship with our business partners includes their patient population as well.  Our goal is to maintain relationships with patients in an effort to increase patient compliance, potentially shortening A/R days.  In order to accomplish this, we have developed HIPAA compliant solutions like our online patient portal, a mobile app that allows patients to safely and securely upload documentation that may be necessary to complete their applications.  In addition, we have also created an online self-screening tool for patients to complete initial screening questions to help assist us in determining their eligibility for assistance.

PatientSelfScreen

Lastly, to continue to show the value of our relationship, RCA prioritizes monthly meetings with our clients.  We see this as a great opportunity for open communication between the facility and RCA management to address performance and identify issues immediately to ensure further problems are not encountered.  Our clients are always impressed by our ability to respond to all requests in less than 24 hours.  Finally, we also can participate in any routine high dollar / high volume case review meetings to provide needed updates on profiled cases.  Our in-house staff is available to hospital personnel at all times should they have any questions or need any additional information as well.

RCA’s success over the last 25 years could not be achieved without a commitment to these relationships benefiting both parties.  RCA continually seeks to provide that level of relationship with each and every one of our client partners.

Are retro Medicaid authorizations bogging down your A/R?

While healthcare providers would prefer that they not be required to obtain retro authorizations, there will inevitably be circumstances that require the dreaded busy work.  However, state Medicaid programs may be slowing down the rate at which services rendered are approved and reimbursed by the program. We have seen an increasing number of retro authorization denials annually across the country, which in many cases result in increased workloads for case management. The work has become so cumbersome that appeal deadlines are often missed, resulting in revenue being left on the table.

In many facilities across the country, case management departments have been charged with ownership of this part of the Medicaid process, which has proven difficult to oversee. An even bigger risk is involved when this work is passed off to the Business Office staff who don’t typically possess the clinical expertise required to be successful in obtaining retro authorizations.

Since RCA provides services as an extension of the hospital’s Patient Financial Services department, we have been asked on several occasions to assist with obtaining retro authorizations after we have successfully secured Medicaid coverage for our patients.  The overall process from facility to vendor doesn’t change and the retro authorization and appeal process fits seamlessly into the daily work queues in which we already oversee.  Immediately following receipt of the retro Medicaid approval, our expert staff begins the authorization process, shaving off precious A/R days by eliminating any unnecessary hand-offs in the process.  In the case of an unfortunate denial, RCA’s clinical staff will make every appeal attempt, and once an authorization number has been approved, it will be submitted to the facility so the account can be billed. Afterwards, RCA will perform routine follow-up to ensure the facility receives payment.

retroauth flow

Don’t let retro authorizations and the appeal process put your self-pay reimbursements or A/R days in jeopardy.  This piece of the Medicaid process can be easily handled through your facility’s existing eligibility process.

bethany

 

Bethany Bailey
Vice President of Operations and Eligibility Expert
Resource Corporation of America

 

Coordinating your methods of COB

coordination-clipart-writing-to-win-coordination-in-successful-teamwork-boss-blog-284x284_f142d7

Professionals in the Healthcare and Hospital Revenue Cycle industry have seen an increase in denials due to Coordination of Benefits, especially
when it comes to patient coverage (i.e. insurance coverage, federally funded programs and other benefits.) To begin combating the complexity of it all, your facility has probably already tried to implement a process for COB’s. COB is relatively self-explanatory in its definition; however, effectively performing the function has proven to be quite a bit more involved when the patient doesn’t comply with what is needed from them.

When payment is denied by the payor, because there is belief of existing or additional coverage, that account can quickly become a self-pay account if the appropriate forms are not successfully completed. As a self-pay eligibility vendor, RCA has a vested interest in helping our clients recover those dollars. RCA already performs rigorous account follow-up and has existing resources that are complimentary to an effective COB solution.

Worked much like a self-pay referral, the COB account will require completion of a necessary form (which can be found online), additional information to process the claim
and then actively pursued until resolution. COB services include identifying an accurate payer, initiating billing and securing payment. Additionally, our representatives will coordinate phone calls between the patient and insurance company and will conduct home visits to ensure that the information that is needed to pay the claim is collected and sent to the insurance company. After the information has been submitted, we continue follow up with the insurance company until payment, to ensure that the insurance company does not need any additional information from the patient.

Coordination of Benefits has become increasingly popular with insurance and software companies and their methods are only moderately effective; however, if an account is non-compliant for more than 30 days, you may want to consider “Coordinating another COB Vendor”, who will be more rigorous in the account followup.

bethany

Bethany Bailey
Vice President and Eligibility Expert

Has your facility discovered Pre-Admit Screening services yet?

health-care-money-costsQualifying self-pay patients before they become self-pay patients 

When RCA rolled out our Pre-admit screening services (years ago) we knew we were headed in a direction that no other third-party eligibility vendor had gone before.  Our clients were very excited about this new service and the overall response from the industry was positive.  Pre-admit screenings helped drive insured patients to the hospital who would have otherwise been self-pay.  Surprisingly, this service is still just as cutting edge as it was 10 years ago and we often find ourselves introducing the service during meetings with hospital management.

The process is simple and easily integrated into existing or new eligibility operations.  Our representatives receive referrals from clinics, hospital staff, financial counselors and other community sources prior to a patient’s scheduled service/appointment at the hospital.  RCA then conducts the eligibility screening, gathers the necessary documents and assists with the application process to help enroll the patient with Medicaid.  Procedures that are related to surgery, pregnancy, cancer or any other condition that would eventually lead them to your facility can be leveraged to begin qualifying the patient for financial assistance before it impacts hospital resources and A/R.

If you find yourself like many other facilities, and are seeing an increase in self pay volumes, it may help to consider the lasting benefits the Pre-Admit service can offer the hospital, the physicians and the patients. A successful Pre-admit program will result in quicker certifications & reimbursements, more billable visits and increased coverage on previous medical bills. Feedback from doctors and patients have been favorable toward the pre-admit screening, praising the improved communications and helping to build relationships and loyalty to the hospital.