Accelerating Results
Reclaiming Lost Revenue by Reshaping AR Strategy in a Shifting Payer Landscape
Healthcare
A $5B health system partnered to stabilize cash flow, reduce aged AR, and implement proactive payer strategies—reclaiming $10M in projected revenue in one fiscal year.
The challenge
In the wake of COVID-19, this multi-hospital system was facing mounting revenue pressure. With nearly $60M tied up in accounts receivable aged over 360 days (AR>360)—and that number increasing daily—executives were confronting growing reimbursement gaps and cash flow risk. The payer landscape had changed. More insurers were adopting aggressive denial tactics and slow-walking reimbursements.
Despite strong clinical care, the system’s back-end revenue cycle infrastructure lacked the proactive discipline and precision needed to keep up with new payer behaviors. The challenge was twofold: recapture lost revenue from aging accounts and prevent more claims from reaching that threshold.
Our approach
Partnering with the CEO, CFO, and revenue cycle leadership, Empactful Advisors co-led a focused 90-day sprint portfolio targeting the highest-leverage failure points across the AR pipeline. The team prioritized solutions that could simultaneously accelerate collections and fix root causes contributing to AR aging.
Key initiatives included:
Reducing small balance and self-pay AR by refining collection workflows and segmentation strategies
Adopting proactive payer escalation protocols to avoid delays and denials in real time
Enhancing analytics tools to identify patterns in payer behavior and trigger early interventions
This effort was designed not just as a recovery initiative, but as a shift toward a more responsive, insight-driven revenue cycle—one equipped to perform under modern payer pressures.
The results
$10M projected cash collections above plan
52% reduction in self-pay AR>360
35% reduction in small balance AR>360
Why it worked
Rather than relying on traditional playbooks or retrospective audits, the system adopted a forward-leaning stance—combining real-time analysis with daily execution discipline. The work was led by internal teams, equipped and empowered to drive change across functional lines.
By applying a time-bound execution model, the organization created fast focus, built internal momentum, and saw measurable returns in less than a quarter.
Latest
Mining
Rescuing iron ore profits, retaining $450 million in revenue, and boosting throughput, quality, and safety
In three months, we converted a contract-killing quality crisis into a $486 million swing—proving that disciplined, human-centered execution can turn “continuous improvement” into quantum leaps.
Latest
Mining
Rescuing iron ore profits, retaining $450 million in revenue, and boosting throughput, quality, and safety
In three months, we converted a contract-killing quality crisis into a $486 million swing—proving that disciplined, human-centered execution can turn “continuous improvement” into quantum leaps.
Turning aspirational strategy into achievable results
We've spent decades guiding global leaders to drive measurable value that fundamentally changes their organization's growth trajectory.
Are you ready?