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RCM Advisor

Quarter 3 2026 - Volume 31, ISSUE 3

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Operational Courage and the Second‑Generation RCM Company: Evolving on Purpose, Not by Accident

President's Message

By Landon Tooke, JD, MLS, CHC, CPCO, CHBME

There is a quiet myth that has permeated throughout our industry for decades, one that many of us have repeated to ourselves: “We’re keeping up.” We add a new tool here, revise a workflow there, attend a conference, and update a policy or two. Yet, if we are honest, many RCM leaders still end most weeks feeling behind...

SOUND OFF!

HBMA Members SOUND OFF! on industry topics

By RCM Advisor Editors

TOPIC: Tell us how you invoice your clients (invoices, ACH, etc.).

Spotlight On... Publications Committee

Around the HBMA

By Cindy Groux, CHBME, Chairperson

Advancing Knowledge and Elevating Standards

SNAPSHOTS!

A look back at HBMA's 2026 Executive Retreat in photos

By RCM Advisor Editors

Enjoy memorable moments from HBMA's 2026 Executive Retreat at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA from June 9-11. Industry professionals gathered at this exclusive location for high-powered sessions, workshops, and discussion.

Denials, Payor Audits, & Appeals: A Pragmatic Playbook for Revenue Integrity Leaders

Feature Story

By Joseph Rivet, Esq., CCS‑P, CPC, CEMC, CPMA, CICA, CHRC, CHEP, CHPC, CHC, CAC, CACO

Denials, audits, and payor-driven downcoding are no longer episodic challenges but persistent operational realities that shape revenue cycle outcomes. Organizations cannot approach them as isolated events or assign responsibility to a single department.

How to Negotiate Better Contract Rates

Strategies for RCM Companies

By Nathanial Arana

Physician practices today face unprecedented financial pressure. Rising operational costs, staffing shortages, and evolving payor policies have made RCM more complex than ever.

Closing the Gap with Performance Management

Feature Story

By Michael Kairios, MHRM, SHRM-CP

In many organizations, performance evaluations are viewed as a necessary evil. While recognized as necessary, the process is often dreaded and viewed as an arduous and tedious administrative exercise. This is because traditional performance evaluations often fail to forge real professional development...

Reports Don’t Move the Needle: People Do

How Building a Reporting Culture Helped Us Develop Our Team and Scale Our RCM Company

By Myrna Fletchall

In revenue cycle management, most companies believe the job is complete once the reports are delivered... But here is the reality – most of those reports get uploaded to a folder and never reviewed.

Where Billing Talent Is Shifting Next

Feature Story

By Cory Pinegar

Over the past several years, I have worked closely with thousands of U.S. healthcare practices and billing teams. One thing is clear: RCM hiring is no longer a local challenge, it has become a global, system-driven workforce strategy.

What We Can Learn About CMS’s Fraud Prevention Plans from the CRUSH Fraud Initiative

Government Affairs

By Matt Reiter

The CMS is making waste, fraud and abuse one of its top priorities... It is organizing its efforts under a new CRUSH Fraud Initiative (Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare).

​​​​​​​Compliance in the Cloud

Compliance Issues

By Nicole Statley, CPCO, CPMA, CPC

Cloud-based RCM platforms, billing software, and AI tools have become the backbone of medical billing company operations. That shift has turned from what formally was an IT issue into a complete organizational compliance risk.

How to Stop Shadow AI from Leaking Your Data

The Tech Guy

By Burton Kelso

As we move through 2026, we are finding that most individuals and small businesses are not being targeted by hackers; they are being leaked from the inside. One of those ways is through Shadow AI.

Be Prepared for Restructured Maternity Care Coding In 2027

Coding Corner

By Mary Suhr, MBA, CPC, RCC, RCC-IR and Tammie Myers, MBA

The AMA’s 2027 CPT® restructuring for maternity care represents a fundamental shift in how OBGYN services are coded, moving away from bundled global obstetric packages to a fully unbundled, encounter-based model.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Medical Billing Company Using an Offshore Partner

From the Road

By Dave Jakielo

RCM companies continue to face rising costs, shrinking margins, and increasingly complex payor rules. Many billing companies have turned to offshore labor as a strategy to stay competitive.

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Quarter 3 2026 - Volume 31, ISSUE 3
Quarter 2 2026 - Volume 31, ISSUE 2
Quarter 1 2026 - Volume 31, ISSUE 1