Revenue Cycle Management at Skilled Nursing Facilities

 

What is a SNF?A skilled nursing facility (SNF) is an inpatient care facility that provides skilled nursing care to patients. A skilled nursing facility is one of the most important elements of the healthcare industry because it provides quality, affordable healthcare for older adults. It also plays a key role in the overall health and wellness of its residents.What is the SNF Revenue Cycle?The revenue cycle is a set of activities that occurs throughout the course of a day at a skilled nursing facility. The cycle starts with admission of a patient and ends with discharge of a patient. The cycle includes all activities performed by staff and management that relate to the admission and discharge of patients. The activities are divided into three phases:1. The admission phase2. The treatment phase3. The discharge phaseEach phase has several steps. For example, during the admission phase, the first step is the admission process. The second step is the medical history. The third step is the physical assessment. The fourth step is the admission decision. The fifth step is the admission order. The sixth step is the admission order verification. The seventh step is the patient's room assignment. The eighth step is the patient's room inspection. The ninth step is the patient's room setup. The tenth step is the patient's room clean up. The eleventh step is the patient's room exit. The twelfth step is the patient's room closeout.How does the SNF Revenue Cycle Work?The revenue cycle can be described as follows:1. Patients are admitted2. Patients receive treatment3. Patients are dischargedWhat is the Admission Phase?The admission phase is the first phase of the revenue cycle. It includes the following activities:* Admission Process* Medical History* Physical Assessment* Admission Decision* Admission Order* Admission Order Verification* Patient Room Assignment* Patient Room Inspection* Patient Room Setup* Patient Room Clean Up* Patient Room Exit* Patient Room CloseoutWhat is the Treatment Phase?The treatment phase is the second phase of the revenue cycle. This phase includes the following activities:* Treating the patient* Discharge Process* Discharge Decision* Discharge Order* Discharge Order Verification* Patient Discharge Summary* Patient Transfer Summary* Patient Record Transfer Summary* Patient Record Disposition* Patient Record Release* Patient Record Disposition Summary* Patient Record Release SummaryWhat is the Discharge Phase?The discharge phase is the third phase of the revenue cycle. The discharge phase includes the following activities:1.  Learn More Here . Discharge Decision3. Discharge Order4. Discharge Order Verification5. Patient Discharge Summary6. Patient Transfer Summary7. Patient Record Transfer Summary8. Patient Record Disposition9. Patient Record Release10. Patient Record Disposition Summary11. Patient Record Release SummaryWhat is the SNF Revenues?There are two types of revenues that come from the skilled nursing facility:1. Patient Revenues2. Non-Patient RevenuesWhat are the Patient Revenues?The patient revenues include the following:* Inpatient Facility Fees* Inpatient Facility Revenue* Outpatient Facility Fees* Outpatient Facility Revenue* Nursing Home Fees* Nursing Home Revenue* Home Health Agency Fees* Home Health Agency Revenue* Other Hospital Fees* Other Hospital Revenue* Emergency Room Fees* Emergency Room Revenue* Ambulance Fee* Ambulance Fee Revenue* Other Medical Services Fees* Other Medical Services Revenue* Pharmacy Fees* Pharmacy Revenue* Laboratory Fees* Laboratory Revenue* Radiology Fees* Radiology Revenue* DME Fees* DME Revenue* Other Ancillary Fees* Other Ancillary Revenue* Total Patient RevenuesNon-Patient RevenuesThe non-patient revenues include the following:* Patient Care Cost Recovery Fee* Patient Care Cost Recovery Revenue* Facility Operating Cost Recovery Fee* Facility Operating Cost Recovery Revenue* Other Anciliary Revenue* Total Non-Patient RevenueWhat is the Difference Between a SNF and a Hospital?A hospital is a medical institution that provides acute care services to patients who are ill or injured. A skilled nursing facility is a medical institution that provides long term care services to patients who are not ill or injured but need to stay in a medical facility.The difference between a skilled nursing facility and a hospital is that a skilled nursing facility provides services that are needed by people who are not sick or injured but need to stay there for a while. A hospital provides services that are needed by patients who are sick or injured.In addition, a hospital usually has more beds than a skilled nursing facility. A skilled nursing facility usually has fewer beds than a hospital.What are the Differences Between a Skilled Nursing Facility and a Long Term Care Facility?A long term care facility is a type of facility that provides care to patients who need help with daily living activities. A skilled nursing facility is also a type of facility that provides help with daily living activities.The differences between a skilled nursing facility and long term care facility are:* A skilled nursing facility usually has less beds than a long term care facility* A long term care facility usually has more licensed nurses than a skilled nursing facility* A long term facility usually has more licensed therapists than a skilled nursing facility