Home health and hospice

Workforce challenges, regulatory demands and aging populations are reshaping care delivery. Gain the insights and support needed to adapt, grow and serve your community with confidence.

Reimagine reporting and analytics
Reimagine reporting and analytics

Learn how to unify data, streamline reporting and leverage real-time insights for better performance.

Why Wipfli?

Reach out to our team

Discover how our team can help you balance regulatory demands, operational efficiency and exceptional patient care.

Perspective changes everything.

Receive timely industry developments, regulatory changes and other news impacting your success.

Insights and resources

  • Three mature African American women look at a digital table.

    ARTICLE

    AI in senior living: How organizations can use AI to scale smarter

    AI is changing how businesses and organizations operate across sectors — and healthcare is no different. But while senior living leaders are curious about AI’s potential, many are unsure of how to use its capabilities to drive growth and help their organization scale. However, the biggest roadblock to AI-driven growth isn’t the technology itself, but mindset. Keep reading to learn more about how to solve that, plus how you can get more effective AI adoption within your senior living organization. What are the challenges keeping senior living organizations from embracing AI? Faced with challenges like rising costs and Medicaid cuts that are already taking effect, many senior living organizations could benefit from finding efficiencies through AI. But this has proven easier said than done, in part because embracing AI demands a mindset shift. AI is a change management problem While integrating AI into your senior living organization does require implementing new tools and upskilling your team, it’s also largely an exercise in change management. Your team is used to operating one way, which can make building and sustaining the momentum you need to rebuild your systems or processes to take advantage of AI or automation tools feel a little bit like pushing a boulder up a hill. According to a survey of Wipfli clients, 91% of businesses or organizations report that non-technical obstacles are the biggest blockers to better leveraging new technologies like AI. Meanwhile, only 19% of executives actually feel comfortable leading an AI-transformation effort. In other words, because AI is still such a new and rapidly developing technology, organizations and leaders don’t feel comfortable with it. And that discomfort can make it harder to create results. Haphazard AI use can actually slow adoption and create chaos Is your senior living organization currently using AI? If your first instinct is to answer no, there’s a very good chance you’re wrong, because some of your individual team members are almost certainly using AI tools, regardless of whether they have buy-in from leadership. However, this risks creating a wild west scenario, where AI gets implemented piecemeal or haphazardly and without any overarching AI strategy. In this situation, you won’t have any governance standards, policies or processes to help ensure consistency and can even risk HIPAA violations by exposing PHI to AI tools that don’t meet compliance requirements. Plus, such haphazard efforts will often flounder, blunting momentum for a more organized AI implementation plan. How can AI help senior living organizations scale and grow? AI can accelerate workflows and enable better decision-making through improved data analytics . Examples of how it can help your senior living organization scale and grow include: Reduced administrative burden and improved staff efficiency Many organizations have worker shortages, creating large workloads for the staff they do have. AI solutions for senior living centers can automate repetitive administrative activities such as scheduling, documentation, billing support and referral management, allowing employees to spend more time focused on residents and higher-value work. Generate better insights from organizational data Senior living organizations have large amounts of operational, financial and clinical data. AI can help analyze that information to identify trends, reveal inefficiencies and provide leaders with insights to make more informed decisions about future investments that can spur growth. Enhanced resident experiences AI can help organizations better analyze resident preferences, behaviors and care needs. These insights can result in more personalized services and higher-quality resident experiences. The happier your residents and their families are, the more your reputation will benefit and the easier it will be to differentiate yourself in a competitive market. What are the risks of using AI in senior living? While AI can deliver meaningful benefits, it does come with the following risks: Data privacy and compliance risks Senior living organizations manage sensitive resident information, making data protection a critical concern. If employees use AI tools without proper safeguards, protected health information (PHI) could be compromised, jeopardizing your organization’s HIPAA compliance. Inaccurate or misleading outputs AI systems can produce inaccurate or incomplete information. While AI can be a valuable support tool, organizations should establish processes for human review and oversight, particularly when outputs could influence resident care, operational decisions or regulatory compliance. Inconsistent usage across the organization Without a coordinated strategy, employees will likely use different AI tools for different reasons. This can create inconsistencies in workflows, increase security risks and make it difficult to measure the effectiveness of AI initiatives across the organization. Lack of governance Even promising AI initiatives can struggle if organizations fail to establish clear policies, training programs and accountability measures. Effective governance helps ensure AI is used responsibly, consistently and in ways that support organizational goals. How can senior living organizations implement AI responsibly? For senior living leaders looking to develop an effective, organization-wide approach to AI, the process matters. Specifically, you want to determine where you want to go, how you’re going to get there and what tools you’ll need to succeed. 1. Establish direction by identifying specific problems you want to solve A good AI strategy doesn’t mean buying your team a ChatGPT Pro subscription. Instead, identify specific problems within your organization where AI could make a difference. For example, if your organization is struggling to find skilled healthcare workers to fill key roles, consider whether AI could allow you to deploy your existing team more effectively by automating certain lower-level tasks so your staff can focus on more patient-centric work. Or can AI analyze data from your EHR to identify patient health trends you can use to improve care? Here, it can be good to lean on an advisory firm to help assess your current systems and processes and find gaps that AI could fill. You can also do this entirely in-house, so long as you keep the focus on looking for problems to solve. 2. Design your AI implementation strategy Once you’ve identified how you want to use AI to help grow your organization, you need to build a framework for implementation. This means designing an organization-wide AI strategy to help put new solutions into place. This includes laying out specific steps in the implementation process, identifying leaders or change champions to actually spearhead the rollout and establishing KPIs. It’s also essential to evaluate your existing data sources and prepare them for use by AI tools, a process that can include establishing a centralized data repository or warehouse. During this effort, you’ll need to consistently communicate with your whole team about why change is happening here and how they can help, as well as consider what training or upskilling opportunities you’ll need to provide. 3. Deliver by implementing specific tools that fit your strategy At this point, you can start implementing AI tools to address growth objectives you’ve chosen to target. However, this isn’t just a one-and-done event but an ongoing process that involves both choosing the right tools and embracing the human, change-management side of the equation. Your advisor can help you decide which AI solutions make sense for your needs, as the market has brought forth a dizzying array of options. Within your organization, communication remains essential, as you need to not just establish momentum, but maintain it. How can leaders prepare for AI? An effective AI strategy typically starts at the top, with commitment from leadership. So how should leaders prepare to oversee this effort with an eye towards more effective change management? Here are key leadership pillars to consider: Self-awareness: Before you ask your team to change by implementing AI, are you prepared to do the same? AI literacy: Your leadership team and organization need a shared understanding of what AI actually is and how you’ll be using it. Change leadership: Don’t just throw change at your team, but implement thoughtfully through planning, clear communication and celebrating wins or milestones. Effective use of resources: Throughout your AI implementation process, consider what work is being done, who will perform it, when it should happen and why it matters. Coaching and upskilling: Create training or coaching opportunities for your whole team to adapt to the changes within your organization. How Wipfli can help We advise senior living organizations on how to strengthen performance, deliver a high-quality experience, navigate change and grow. Let’s talk about your goals and explore how innovative solutions like AI can help you reach them. Start a conversation or listen to a podcast interview with the authors of this article to learn more about AI for senior living. Let’s strengthen your organization Read more How independent life plan communities can thrive while maintaining their independence Senior living providers are missing out on valuable revenue opportunities. Here’s how to change that. How financial and demographic shifts are impacting the senior living industry

  • Colleagues working on laptops.

    ARTICLE

    Simplify FFHS grant compliance with a compliance calendar

    For federally funded human services (FFHS) organizations, federal funding helps sustain programs and services that communities rely on. But that money does not come without strings attached. It introduces a significant set of 2 CFR Part 200 compliance and audit responsibilities. Compliance with federal grant requirements is a year-round responsibility. For many FFHS organizations operating with lean administrative teams, balancing program delivery with documentation, monitoring and reporting obligations can be challenging. Without a structured approach, compliance activities often compete with mission-focused work for limited staff time. To manage these obligations more effectively, many organizations are adopting compliance calendars that help transform regulatory requirements into a structured workflow. Keep reading to learn how your organization can use a compliance calendar to organize grant compliance requirements and reduce audit surprises. What are the 2 CFR Part 200 compliance and audit requirements? Federal grant recipients and subrecipients must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, commonly known as the Uniform Guidance. These regulations establish rules for managing federal funds, maintaining accountability, demonstrating compliance throughout the grant life cycle, and meeting federal audit requirements. Core 2 CFR Part 200 compliance obligations Federal grant recipients and subrecipients must establish processes to demonstrate that funds are being spent in accordance with award requirements. Key obligations include: Written policies: Maintain documented policies governing procurement, financial management, travel, cost allowability and other grant-related activities. Internal controls: Establish controls that help safeguard federal funds, detect issues early and support ongoing monitoring. Cost principles: Ensure all expenses charged to a grant are allowable, allocable and reasonable under federal requirements and award terms. Subrecipient monitoring: If applicable, assess subrecipient risk, monitor performance and verify that downstream subrecipients comply with applicable requirements. Record retention: Retain financial records, supporting documentation and other records required by federal award terms for at least three years from the date of submission of the final financial report, unless a longer retention period applies. Uniform Guidance audit obligations Uniform Guidance also establishes the following audit requirements: Single audit threshold: Organizations that expend $1,000,000 or more in federal awards during their fiscal year must undergo a single audit or a qualifying program-specific audit. Program-specific audit: Under certain conditions, organizations may be eligible for a program-specific audit. Auditor independence: Organizations must hire an independent auditor to conduct a single audit. The auditor must be independent and comply with the ethical and independence requirements of the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). Data collection and submission: The reporting package and data collection form must be submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse within 30 calendar days of receiving the auditor’s report, or within nine months after the end of the audit period, whichever is earlier. Resolution and corrective action: Organizations must address audit findings and implement corrective actions when deficiencies are identified. Compliance needs to be continuous, not an annual event Many organizations still think about compliance as an annual event. They will wait to gather documentation and records until an audit is about to begin. Under 2 CFR Part 200, compliance activities occur throughout the grant life cycle, requiring ongoing monitoring, documentation and oversight. Internal controls, spending reviews and program performance requirements need to be ongoing between audits. If your organization focuses only on compliance in preparation for an annual audit, you are more likely to have issues with missing documentation, delayed reports or unresolved control issues. The challenge for many FFHS organizations is not understanding the requirements. It is keeping track of hundreds of tasks, deadlines and reviews across multiple programs. That is where a compliance calendar can help. What is a compliance calendar? A compliance calendar is a centralized tool that tracks grant deadlines, reporting requirements, monitoring activities, documentation reviews and other compliance tasks. In practice, a compliance calendar functions as a project management tool specifically designed for grant compliance. Rather than simply listing reporting due dates, an effective compliance calendar breaks each obligation into its required actions. It identifies who is responsible, establishes milestone deadlines and provides reminders before key deliverables are due. This approach helps transform compliance from a series of deadlines into a repeatable process. A compliance calendar will: Notify staff of upcoming due dates Compliance calendars can assign tasks to specific roles and generate reminders before deadlines arrive. Program staff, finance teams, grant managers and leadership can all receive notifications when action is required. Increased visibility into grant responsibilities helps ensure they do not slip through the cracks and reduces the risk of missed deliverables. Create a single source of truth A significant advantage of a compliance calendar is centralization. Instead of scattered spreadsheets, emails and personal reminders, organizations can maintain a single source of truth for grant requirements and upcoming tasks. This improves visibility across departments and makes it easier to coordinate activities. What should be included in a compliance calendar? An effective compliance calendar translates regulatory requirements into specific scheduled activities. Rather than tracking only final due dates, it breaks compliance obligations into the tasks that need to occur beforehand. For each grant, consider including: Financial and programmatic reporting activities: Key reports and the steps required to prepare them, such as budget-to-actual reviews, reconciliation of grant expenditures, collection of program performance data, management review and final report approval. Monitoring and internal control activities: Periodic reviews designed to identify issues early, including transaction testing, review of supporting documentation, segregation of duties assessments, cash management reviews and follow-up on previously identified concerns. Subrecipient oversight activities (if applicable): Risk assessments, monitoring visits, review of required reports, documentation of follow-up actions and verification that corrective actions have been implemented. Grant administration requirements: Budget modification deadlines, equipment inventories, policy and procedure reviews, staff training requirements and grant closeout activities. Each activity should identify a responsible person, target completion date, required documentation and any review or approval steps needed before the task is considered complete. For example, if a quarterly federal financial report is due October 30, the compliance calendar might schedule expenditure reconciliations by October 10, supporting documentation reviews by October 15, management review by October 20 and final approval before submission. By assigning responsibilities and deadlines to each step, organizations can reduce the risk of incomplete reports, missing documentation or last-minute corrections. How does a compliance calendar reduce audit findings? A compliance calendar helps organizations identify and correct issues before they become audit or monitoring findings. The calendar helps staff establish a regular cadence for performing monitoring activities and documentation reviews throughout the year. If a compliance issue emerges, it can be investigated and corrected before an audit or monitoring visit. For example, your compliance calendar can notify a staff member that it is time to review grant-related transactions. During that review, it is discovered that an invoice, approval form or other required record is missing. Thanks to the early discovery, they can locate the documentation and resolve the problem before an audit or monitoring event occurs. If the same issue is discovered by auditors or monitors and supporting evidence cannot be produced, the expense may be questioned or disallowed, even if the expenditure was legitimate. Every grant needs its own calendar Each federal award has its own timeline for compliance obligations. Track every grant individually while maintaining a centralized view of all grant activity. A compliance calendar should follow each grant from award through closeout, accounting for reporting and budget deadlines, monitoring activities and renewal requirements. How can compliance calendars reduce staff burnout? Compliance calendars help organizations plan compliance activities in advance rather than relying on reactive efforts near reporting deadlines or audit fieldwork. When staff can see upcoming deadlines weeks or months in advance, they can schedule tasks as needed, coordinate across departments and avoid emergency requests. Rather than relying on personal reminders and spreadsheets to remember due dates and monitoring requirements, employees can rely on a structured system to keep tasks organized. This structured approach is especially valuable for FFHS organizations that operate with minimal staff. People choose to work at an FFHS because they want to serve community needs, not perform administrative tasks. A compliance calendar can help organizations manage compliance demands more predictably, reducing disruptions to program operations. Compliance calendars can be used for more than grants While grant compliance may be a top priority, the same approach can support other organizational requirements. Examples include: Cybersecurity regulations and frameworks: Track risk assessments, training activities, policy reviews and security testing schedules. Procurement compliance: Monitor purchasing requirements, bid deadlines, contract renewals and procurement reviews. Internal compliance programs: Manage policy updates, board reporting requirements and other governance activities. How to get started with compliance calendars The first step in implementing a compliance calendar is to assess whether the software you already have meets your needs. Do your current tools allow you to: Clearly assign compliance responsibilities Send automated reminders to staff Consistently track reporting deadlines Provide program and finance teams access to the same information View all active grants For smaller organizations that only need to manage a handful of grants, the calendar tools in Microsoft Outlook may be sufficient. Larger organizations managing more grants will likely need a more robust tool like Microsoft D365 or Sage Intacct , which has grant management capabilities, including task tracking and checklist functionality. Read more As nonprofit funding tightens again, can clearer insights help you make more of what you do have? What potential Form 990 changes could mean to tax-exempt organizations Compensation strategies for nonprofits competing in tight labor markets

  • A middle aged woman working on digital tablet.

    ARTICLE

    Revenue leakage in healthcare: How to find and prevent it

    Healthcare organizations continue to face mounting financial pressure. Labor costs remain elevated, reimbursement uncertainty persists and leaders are expected to invest in technology, workforce, compliance and patient or resident experience — often with limited resources. In response, many organizations focus on growth initiatives. But before looking outside the org for growth, healthcare leaders should prioritize identifying and preventing revenue leakage that is damaging their bottom line. Whether revenue leakage stems from denied claims, underpayments, documentation gaps, billing inefficiencies, reimbursement opportunities, occupancy challenges or operational breakdowns, the result is the same: Financial performance suffers. For organizations operating on narrow margins, small inefficiencies can create significant financial impact over time. What is revenue leakage in healthcare? Revenue leakage occurs when an organization fails to collect all the money it is owed for services provided. These losses can occur at any point in the revenue cycle, from patient registration and eligibility verification to clinical documentation, billing, collections and payer reimbursement. Revenue leakage often results from multiple small breakdowns across departments and processes. A registration error, missed charge, coding issue, delayed claim submission or overlooked payer underpayment may seem minor on its own. Collectively, however, these issues can significantly reduce margins, delay cash flow and limit a healthcare provider’s ability to invest in patient care, technology and workforce needs. Revenue leakage goes beyond claim denials While claims denials are a significant form of revenue leakage, there are other causes of lost revenue, including: Underpayments Inaccurate coding Incomplete charge capture Staffing shortages that prevent services from being delivered Inefficient workflows Where does revenue leakage occur in healthcare? Many leaders assume financial performance challenges stem from a single issue. In reality, revenue leakage often occurs through a series of small breakdowns across clinical, operational and financial functions. Mistakes that can lead to revenue leakage include: Patient registration, eligibility and authorization Errors in patient registration and insurance information can lead to claim denials, delayed payments and lower reimbursement levels, creating avoidable revenue leakage throughout the revenue cycle. Clinical documentation, coding and charge capture Incomplete clinical documentation, coding inaccuracies and missed charges can prevent organizations from collecting all the money they are owed for services performed. Even small documentation and charge capture mistakes can result in underpayments, claim denials or missed reimbursement opportunities. These errors can contribute to significant revenue leakage over time while increasing compliance and audit risks. Claims and denials Claims that are denied or paid below expected reimbursement levels often require significant time and resources to investigate, appeal and resolve, reducing overall revenue and increasing administrative burden. Payer reimbursement and underpayments Organizations may fail to capture all available reimbursement due to overlooked payer requirements, incomplete charge capture, unclaimed supplemental payments or a lack of processes to identify and pursue eligible revenue opportunities. Billing, accounts receivable and collections Inefficient workflows, staffing constraints or process bottlenecks can slow claim submission and collections efforts, extending the revenue cycle and negatively impacting cash flow. Operational inefficiencies Poor workforce planning, underutilized staff or scheduling inefficiencies can increase labor costs while limiting productivity and operational performance. In senior living and post-acute care settings, delays in admissions, prolonged vacancy periods or barriers in the move-in process can reduce occupancy rates and result in lost revenue opportunities. Lack of visibility into operational performance When data is fragmented across departments or systems, leaders may struggle to identify emerging issues, track key performance indicators or understand the root causes of declining financial performance. Individually, these issues may appear manageable. Collectively, they can represent meaningful lost revenue and reduced financial flexibility. How can you identify leakage in healthcare? Revenue leakage occurs across multiple departments, not just financial. Because of that, organizations must conduct a comprehensive assessment of operational, clinical and revenue-cycle performance to identify where revenue is being lost. Healthcare organizations should evaluate: Claim denial trends: Analyze denial rates, denial reasons and appeal outcomes to identify recurring issues and process gaps. Registration and eligibility accuracy: Review patient registration errors, insurance verification processes and authorization compliance to uncover front-end breakdowns that lead to reimbursement challenges. Clinical documentation quality: Assess documentation completeness and accuracy to determine whether services are being fully supported for coding and reimbursement purposes. Coding and charge capture performance: Look for coding inconsistencies and mistakes and missed charges that may be reducing reimbursement. Payer reimbursement patterns: Compare expected and actual reimbursement amounts to identify underpayments or missed payment opportunities. Accounts receivable aging: Monitor aging receivables, collection timelines and outstanding balances that may indicate process inefficiencies. Operational and workforce metrics: Evaluate productivity, staffing utilization, scheduling patterns and workflow bottlenecks that may be contributing to financial inefficiencies. Occupancy and admissions performance: For senior living and post-acute organizations, review occupancy trends, move-in timelines and admission conversion rates to identify lost revenue opportunities. Key performance indicators (KPIs): Track metrics such as clean claim rates, days in accounts receivable, denial rates, net collection rates, case mix index and reimbursement per service line. Data visibility and reporting capabilities: Determine whether leadership has timely access to accurate, actionable information that supports informed decision-making. How can healthcare organizations prevent revenue leakage? The highest-performing healthcare organizations do more than recover lost revenue. They create systems that consistently protect revenue across operations. By focusing on these three high-impact areas, healthcare leaders can often uncover meaningful financial improvements while also strengthening long-term operational performance. 1. Strengthen the front-end processes that influence financial performance Financial outcomes are often determined long before payment is received. For hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), this may include patient access, eligibility verification, documentation and coding processes. For senior living organizations, it may involve occupancy management, admissions workflows and resident billing practices. Regardless of the setting, breakdowns early in the process can create downstream financial challenges that are difficult and costly to correct later. To strengthen front-end processes, organizations should start by mapping key workflows from initial patient or resident contact through reimbursement. This can help identify bottlenecks, handoff issues and areas where errors commonly occur. Leaders should also establish standardized procedures for registration, insurance verification, authorizations, documentation and coding to improve consistency across departments. Regular staff training is equally important. Front-line employees often have a direct impact on revenue capture, yet they may not fully understand how documentation errors, missing information or workflow delays affect reimbursement. Ongoing education can help reduce mistakes and strengthen accountability. Organizations should also monitor performance metrics such as registration accuracy, clean claim rates, coding accuracy, authorization compliance and admission-to-service timelines. Tracking these indicators allows leaders to identify problems early and address issues before they result in denials or delayed payments. Organizations that establish clear processes, accountability and performance monitoring are better positioned to reduce downstream revenue loss. 2. Improve operational visibility and consistency Improved visibility and consistency allow organizations to identify issues earlier and make more informed decisions. However, many organizations struggle to identify where financial performance is being impacted because data is fragmented across departments. Leaders can improve operational visibility by: Breaking down departmental data silos: Finance, clinical, operational and administrative teams should have access to consistent data and clearly defined metrics that align with organizational goals. Developing dashboards: Gain real-time or near-real-time insight into key performance indicators with dashboards. Rather than reviewing financial results after issues occur, leaders can monitor trends such as denial rates, labor costs, occupancy levels, accounts receivable that are beyond the due date and productivity measures as they happen. Maintaining consistency: Establishing routine performance reviews, department scorecards and leadership reporting helps ensure issues are identified and addressed promptly. Cross-functional meetings that bring together operational and financial leaders can also improve collaboration and deepen understanding of how day-to-day decisions affect overall financial performance. Leaders should also focus on understanding how operational decisions influence financial outcomes. Workforce utilization, clinical productivity, documentation quality, reimbursement performance, occupancy trends and patient service utilization all contribute to overall margin performance. 3. Identify and recover missed revenue opportunities The back end of the financial process often reveals opportunities for improvement. Denials, underpayments, aging receivables, reimbursement variances, collection challenges or billing delays frequently point to broader process issues that can be corrected. Organizations should conduct regular reviews of denial trends, payer performance and reimbursement outcomes to identify patterns that may be limiting revenue collection. Rather than addressing individual denials one at a time, leaders should analyze root causes to determine whether recurring issues stem from documentation gaps, coding errors, authorization problems or workflow inefficiencies. In addition, finance and revenue cycle teams should periodically evaluate accounts receivable, payer contracts and collection processes to identify underpayments or reimbursement opportunities that may have been overlooked. For senior living organizations, this may also include reviewing occupancy trends, move-in conversion rates and resident billing processes to identify opportunities to improve financial performance. Technology and analytics tools can also play an important role by helping organizations identify anomalies, monitor trends and prioritize areas requiring attention. However, the greatest value often comes from combining data analysis with cross-departmental collaboration to address issues in underlying processes. Organizations that regularly review financial performance data and investigate root causes of revenue leakage are often able to recover revenue while strengthening future performance. How Wipfli can help Wipfli has a team of professionals dedicated to helping healthcare organizations achieve their financial goals. We can help your organization identify where it is leaking revenue and develop processes to prevent it. Start a conversation . Capitalize on revenue capture opportunities Learn more Webinar: Find hidden revenue without adding services or staff AI in healthcare finance: Practicality over hype, strategy over speculation 2026 healthcare industry outlook: Get ready for seismic disruption