CommonSpirit Health, a Chicago-based healthcare system with 142 hospitals, is adopting a more assertive stance in its dealings with payers to ensure they share the financial impact of inflation and properly reimburse for services rendered. This strategic shift, highlighted in their recent financial documents, follows CommonSpirit's split with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Colorado, leaving 11 hospitals and over 40,000 patients out of network. CFO Dan Morissette has reported significant challenges, including unjust contract denials and delayed payments, especially within Medicare Advantage programs. CommonSpirit is also enhancing its revenue cycle management to better address issues related to clinical denials, documentation, underpayment review, and patient collections.
