Images · Revenue cycle

Hospital revenue cycle images

The revenue cycle is everything that happens between authorizing care and money in the hospital's bank account. In these guides you'll see each step, who owns it and where revenue is lost, from front-desk registration to reconciling the payer's payment.

Hospital revenue cycle
What are the steps of the hospital revenue cycle?
Steps 1 to 4 happen before and during care; steps 5 to 8, after discharge. At step 7, each denial opens an appeal and re-review loop before the reversed amount is paid. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Hospital revenue cycle: the 8 steps, where money is lost and how to measure it
Revenue cycle in clinics and diagnostic centers vs. hospitals
Revenue cycle in clinics vs. hospitals: in authorization, shorter deadlines and more volume
Source: ANS — Normative Resolution (RN) 566/2022, art. 3 · Produced by Accrua. Maximum care deadlines for health plan members, in business days.
See in the guide: Revenue cycle in clinics and diagnostic centers vs. hospitals: what changes in billing
Revenue cycle vs. hospital billing
Where billing ends and the rest of the cycle begins
Sources: ANS — TISS Organizational Component 202609 and Technical Note 25/2020/GASNT; Anahp — Observatório Anahp 2025 and Balanço Observatório Anahp, March 2026. The eight stages of the revenue cycle in Brazilian hospitals, the band that belongs to billing, and what each payment-time clock sees. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Revenue cycle vs. hospital billing: what's the difference
Denials committee
Denials committee: the monthly cycle, from reason to root cause
The denials committee's monthly cycle: each prioritized reason returns to the agenda until the metric drops. Operating model recommended by Accrua (management practice, not a regulatory requirement). Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Denials committee: how to set up and run the meeting that fixes the source
Front end, middle and back end
Front end, middle and back end: each revenue cycle phase has owners, deliverables and a deadline
The three phases of the revenue cycle, the responsible areas and the account handoffs. Source: stages from the Hospital revenue cycle guide; phase split as in HFMA material (2024). Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Revenue cycle stages: who does what in the front end, middle and back end
Discharge-to-bill time
Discharge-to-bill time: an account goes through four milestones and three segments
Hospital account timeline: the hospital controls the time from discharge to submission; the health plan, from submission to payment. Sources: HFMA MAP Keys; ANS, Technical Note 25/2020; ANS, TUSS table 38; Law 9,656/1998, art. 17-A. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Hospital claim closing: how to reduce discharge-to-bill time
Where hospitals lose money
Revenue leaks at five points in the cycle
Source: Anahp (Brazilian National Association of Private Hospitals) — Observatório Anahp 2025 (2024 data) and Balanço Observatório Anahp, March 2026 (2025 data). The five revenue leaks by revenue cycle stage; only denial appears on the health plan's claim review statement. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Hospital revenue leakage: a map of where hospitals lose money
Integrating medical records and billing
Medical records and billing: where information gets lost between care and the claim
An item goes through five handoffs between clinical care and the claim; reconciliation before submission sends each discrepancy back to the originating team. Source: Accrua, based on CFM Resolutions 1,638/2002 and 1,821/2007 and Cofen Resolution 754/2024 (Brazil). Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Integrating medical records and billing: how clinical care protects revenue
Revenue Cycle Management (RCM)
How RCM adapts to a Brazilian hospital
Sources: HFMA — MAP Keys (29 KPIs in 5 groups); ANS — RN 501/2022, TISS standard 202609, RN 503/2022 and RN 623/2024. The five US revenue cycle KPI groups and their equivalent in a Brazilian hospital. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Revenue Cycle Management (RCM): what it is and how it works in Brazilian hospitals
Hospital billing department
Hospital billing department: organize by step, by payer or by claim type?
Hospital billing department workflow and owner of each step. Source: Accrua, based on Law 12,842/2013, Law 7,498/1986, Cofen Resolution 720/2023 and Law 9,656/1998, art. 17-A. Produced by Accrua.
See in the guide: Hospital billing department: structure, roles and staffing

Hospital revenue cycle images

What are the steps of the hospital revenue cycle?

Revenue cycle in clinics vs. hospitals: in authorization, shorter deadlines and more volume

Where billing ends and the rest of the cycle begins

Denials committee: the monthly cycle, from reason to root cause

Front end, middle and back end: each revenue cycle phase has owners, deliverables and a deadline

Discharge-to-bill time: an account goes through four milestones and three segments

Revenue leaks at five points in the cycle

Medical records and billing: where information gets lost between care and the claim

How RCM adapts to a Brazilian hospital

Hospital billing department: organize by step, by payer or by claim type?