Background
Our client is an audiology group that provides services and products across the country. With more than 600 locations nationwide, this leader in hearing health solutions needed a partner that offered a scalable credentialing solution. This group had recently completed a painful implementation with one of Acorn’s competitors, and they quickly realized they needed a swift change from their current state.
Problem Summary
The audiology group was using a system that was not only hastily implemented, but it also lacked the necessary functionality to improve the credentialing process of an organization of this size. The group’s executive leaders expressed frustration with the amount of time it took to get providers through the credentialing process. Delays related to primary source verifications, payer enrollment applications, and duplicate data entry were leading to considerable losses in revenue.
These lengthy and tedious credentialing processes were delayed to the extent that they were taking away attention from the group’s primary focus. The group found that their inability to process providers quickly was detracting from their core business of providing audiology services and products to their patients. The issue was so significant that the group labeled credentialing improvement as a key strategic initiative for the company.
The Acorn Difference
Our client implemented Acorn’s solution for Providers and Practice Groups without any delays or significant issues. To further help combat the increasingly time-consuming credentialing process, the group also opted to employ the use of Acorn’s Credentialing as a Service offering. Using Acorn’s service providers helped save our client from having to hire additional FTEs to resolve issues that stemmed from the previous system’s flawed implementation.
Acorn’s easy to use interface and the ability for practitioners to log in and update their own records, either manually or via a CAQH import, has directly led to a reduction in data entry errors. This improvement has helped lead to an increase of 29% in submitted applications and a 32% decrease in Unsubmitted applications.
During a recent review of the credentialing improvement key initiative, our client found performance indicators had improved significantly since moving to Acorn. Daily applications surged to an all-time high number, and the number of credentialed providers was up an impressive 144%. The audiology group credits Acorn’s features such as the native e-signature feature and the various auto-verifications for helping boost efficiency. Similarly, Acorn’s easy to use interface and the ability for practitioners to log in and update their own records, either manually or via a CAQH import, has directly led to a reduction in data entry errors. This improvement has helped lead to an increase of 29% in submitted applications and a 32% decrease in Unsubmitted applications.
Summary
This audiology group leveraged Acorn’s software and services to improve credentialing processes and save time and money. While they have already seen the benefit in terms of numbers, our client continues to set and reach higher goals for itself. Most importantly, the group found that it was able to spend more attention and resources on what they do best – providing hearing products and services to people across the nation.
