How handing off billing helped a three-radiologist group grow to 60
In a sponsored feature in Radiology Business, Jessica Kania profiles KC Tan MD Medical Corporation, a California radiology group that grew from three physicians to 60 in under two years with Collaborative Imaging, now CIVIE, running its back office.
From three hospitals to 14
In late 2020, the group was three radiologists in Arcadia, California, covering three hospitals. By 2022 it was a 60-radiologist multispecialty practice of radiologists, neuroradiologists and neurointerventionalists covering 14 hospitals, with a second location in La Quinta.
Its previous billing company worked almost entirely by hand, with no online portal, no real-time reporting, no auditing and little transparency. Denials ran in the double digits, often labeled “does not meet medical necessity.”
Fixing billing first
Collaborative Imaging’s AI reviewed medical charts alongside radiology reports to confirm that ordered exams were performed, that coding and compliance details were present, and that payer-specific requirements were met. Problems were flagged in real time.
The article reports that denials fell to well under 1% of submissions, typically around 0.2% or 0.3%. Time from date of service to billing dropped from about 30 days to roughly three, and the article describes payment per work RVU “increasing from 30% to 40%.”
“It’s not easy to know little innuendos between what can or cannot be done, what kind of timely filings have to be made when,” says Kok Chye (K.C.) Tan, MD, the group’s president.
Recruiting, credentialing and security
With billing settled, the group focused on growth. Collaborative Imaging helped recruit radiologists, structure contracts with flat-fee, per-RVU and other pay models, credential new physicians across states and facilities, and add them to payer contracts. It also provided cybersecurity and compliance support, which the article notes matters in California, where hospitals face strict data-sharing requirements.
Tan also leans on the team as an informal advisor on payment structures and even legal questions. “They’re always willing to listen and work with you,” he says.
The takeaway
The group’s growth came from letting radiologists focus on reading while a partner handled the rest. That’s the job of CIVIE revenue cycle management for radiology groups today.
Source: “No more billing and admin tasks helped this group grow to 20 times its size,” Jessica Kania, Radiology Business, September 21, 2022.
