Managing a Healthcare Practice through the Pandemic: Finance and Operation

Medical practices, dental practices, small and rural hospitals and larger healthcare systems alike are feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Recent regulatory changes, like the $8.3 billion emergency funding measure that expands Medicare reimbursements for telemedicine and the prohibition of all non-essential medical, surgical, and dental procedures during the outbreak, have upended the planned revenue cycle of nearly every U.S. healthcare practice or business.  How can medical practice owners, dental practice owners and other healthcare managers adjust the financial and operational levers of their business to better weather the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic?

Financial steps to take:

1. Put together a 12-week cash flow statement to understand better how you can manage the disruption, assessing what should be coming in and what you must pay and can delay paying, including evaluating the best approach to manage your staff given the circumstances.
2. Billing staff should work remotely in order to continue billing as usual and connect with insurance companies.  Their time should be used to follow-up on past billings and accounts receivables.
3. Reach out to your bank to determine if/when you can setup or increase a line of credit for your business.
4. Contact your accountant for up-to-date financials and clarity regarding whether you will be paying your sales/use and withholdings taxes as normal or taking advantage of your state’s relief, if applicable.
5. Look for state and federal programs you may qualify for, including the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

Operational steps to take:

1. Consider employees carefully. Can non-essential staff work remotely or even be laid off or furloughed to find work elsewhere through a healthcare staffing company, given that many large systems are currently understaffed?  Use web conferencing to hold staff meetings, utilizing services such as Zoom, WebEx, Skype, Google Hangouts and/or FaceTime.
2. Move to telehealth when possible, as CMS changes are allowing increased telehealth reimbursements.  Using video visits for patients with compromised health can help them avoid coronavirus exposure.  Chronic medicine can be delivered to patients’ homes. Of course, when moving to telehealth solutions, notification to patients and training staff members is necessary. 
3. Prepare for patient visits by securing the doors and screening patients before entry.  Provide hand sanitizer, face masks, and gloves and take basic sanitary precautions that can make a difference:
   • Disinfect all surfaces, equipment and door knobs between patient consults.
   • Shared resources should be kept clean.
   • Proper hand hygiene.
   • Waiting-room chairs are placed six feet apart and social distancing respected during interactions as possible; alternatively, you can allow sign-in/call-in at the entrance/via phone and ask patients to stay in their car in the parking lot and call them when you are ready to take them back.
4. Deal with elective procedures by rescheduling to a later date.  Serve patients when you believe it medically irresponsible to delay but disclose the risks, and keep them separate from patients coming in for non-elective procedures.  Please note the difference between necessary elective procedures and not-necessary elective procedures.
5. Update your website and phone greetings to communicate your current processes and availability.

Medical practices, dental practices, and small and rural hospitals are more likely to weather the pandemic storm by taking positive financial and operational steps now to mitigate business losses and emerge from the crisis in an even-stronger market position.  For individual steps your medical or dental practice or hospital should take, schedule a complimentary phone consultation here or join our webinar, “Managing a Healthcare Practice through the Pandemic: Finance and Operations” on Thursday, April 2 at 12:30 p.m. by registering here.