What does the term "revenue cycle management" refer to?

The term "revenue cycle management" refers to the process of managing financial transactions associated with patient care. This involves a comprehensive approach to overseeing the entire lifecycle of revenue from patient services, beginning from patient registration and moving through appointment scheduling, billing, coding, and collections. Effective revenue cycle management ensures that healthcare organizations can accurately capture and collect revenue for services rendered, ultimately improving financial performance and sustainability.

It encompasses various critical functions, including verifying insurance eligibility, ensuring accurate coding for services provided, billing accurately for those services, and following up on claims to ensure timely payment. By focusing on the financial aspects associated with patient care delivery, revenue cycle management plays a vital role in supporting healthcare organizations’ overall operational efficiency and financial health.