Why Must Internal Medicine Leaders Shift from Codes to Cash Flow?
Internal medicine leaders must shift from codes to cash flow because accurate coding alone does not guarantee revenue, but optimized revenue cycle management does. Many practices focus heavily on CPT and ICD-10 accuracy, yet still struggle with delayed payments, rising denials, and inconsistent collections. In today’s reimbursement environment, success depends not only on coding precision but also on strong cash-flow management and strategic revenue-cycle management (RCM) . Coding is operational. Cash flow is strategic. Why Is Focusing Only on Coding No Longer Enough? Accurate coding is essential, but it represents only one stage of the billing process. Even perfectly coded claims can face: Prior authorization issues Eligibility verification errors Delayed payer adjudication Underpayments Appeals backlog Without strong oversight of the full internal medicine revenue cycle , practices leave money uncollected. What Does a Cash Flow–Focused ...