Holliday & Associates: Comprehensive Charge Management Software

How do you help healthcare organizations more effectively manage charge data?

Holliday & Associates (H&A) has provided charge management assistance to hospitals since 1990, and the ChargeAssist^® product is the founding partners’ second HFMA Peer Reviewed^® solution. Our company continually enhances and develops new functionalities as market needs evolve and customers share operational functions that could be streamlined with our software solutions. Coming from careers in healthcare operations, health information systems (HIS) and consulting, our managing partners know that revenue integrity functions require organizationwide engagement, involving individuals across diverse operational areas. H&A’s workflow-process tools, integrated coding-regulatory-payment-system information and pricing data provide support to chargemaster management leaders, as well as help engage department managers.

What advice would you offer to healthcare leaders when choosing among charge management software vendors?

Work as a team to carefully evaluate market options. Talk to a vendor’s customers and ask pointed questions in product demos to differentiate between potential partners. What may look similar at face value may have significant differences in content, management and functionality.

Our customers tell us that ChargeAssist is preferable to other chargemaster solutions because of the following factors:

• Timely and accurate data updates for monitoring coding, payment system edits and regulatory changes, as well as supplemental strategic articles that address charge management challenges
• Reliable 24/7 web-based access with limited downtime for maintenance
• Continued product enhancements and innovation
• The feeling of being a valued business partner
• Reasonable pricing and contract terms

In addition to these benefits, we hear and act on needs in a rapid-development environment based on our hands-on work with hospitals. Our clients successfully audit, monitor and manage complex and diverse HIS data using our software solutions. This leads to assurance of revenue integrity, compliance and more engaged staff.

What is some advice you can give providers for a successful implementation of a new charge management product?

First, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current charge management processes and evaluate critical tasks and the appropriate owners. Next, ensure the team is on board with the new chargemaster management software and its timelines and priorities. With appropriate security in place and module-specific training, staff can easily access and begin utilizing the software functions. Build on the use of the tool by performing staff education on various aspects of coding, claims edits, payment systems and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations for further staff engagement. Integrate principles of revenue integrity, strategic pricing and compliance initiatives to ensure that everyone embraces the hospital or health system’s strategic vision. Continue to monitor how staff use the tool, and periodically reassess their level of engagement in charge management functions. ChargeAssist’s various assessments, evaluations and educational content can be helpful for keeping staff engaged and processes flowing successfully.

Quick Facts

Number of years on the Short List: Seven

100% of Holliday & Associates clients and prospects agree or strongly agree that

• Its services satisfy a need in the healthcare industry
• The product is easy to use
• They would recommend the software to colleagues

About Holliday & Associates

Holliday & Associates (H&A) has specialized solely in Hospital Chargemaster Management since 1990. Its revenue cycle and compliance solutions include Chargemaster software tools, consulting, and education. H&A’s mission is to provide the industry with robust, easy-to-use Chargemaster tools for proactive, compliant, and profitable Charge Management. The company’s HFMA Peer Reviewed^® software tool, ChargeAssist^®, supports all HIS platforms, hospital and health system sizes, and diverse operational structures. Using ChargeAssist^®, its clients successfully manage charge processes, maintain multiple system masterfiles, comply with ever-changing coding and regulatory requirements, eliminate charge-related compliance risks, and ensure accurate and appropriate reimbursement.