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These two tabs cover the external expertise your agency engages and how you allocate costs for reimbursement reporting.

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Consultants

External consultants with company, contact details, and engagement history. Columns: Name · Company · Email · Phone Agencies commonly engage consultants for survey preparation, cost report compilation, licensing applications, and clinical policy review. Keeping them recorded here means the contact details are available when a deadline is close.
A consultant who can access member records is a business associate and needs an agreement in place before that access begins. Record it under HIPAA compliance.

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Cost Centers

Cost center allocations with total costs and operational status. Columns: Name · Total Cost · Status Cost centres group your expenses for reimbursement reporting. The allocation you set here determines how costs appear on your cost report, which in turn affects your reimbursement rate.
Cost centre allocation drives reimbursement. Misallocated costs produce a cost report that either understates your legitimate expenses or overstates them — the first costs you money, the second invites recoupment. Confirm the allocation with whoever compiles your cost report.

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Engaging a consultant

1

Record the consultant

Name, company, and contact details.
2

Determine whether they need PHI access

Survey preparation and clinical policy work usually do; cost report compilation may not.
3

Put a business associate agreement in place if needed

Before access begins, not after. See HIPAA compliance.
4

Record their engagement cost

Consultant fees are an allocable cost. See Cost reports and tax.

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Reviewing cost centre allocation

1

Confirm each cost centre is active

Inactive centres should not be receiving new allocations.
2

Check total costs against your general ledger

They should reconcile.
3

Review before cost report submission

Allocation errors are much cheaper to fix before submission than after.

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Troubleshooting

Cost reports and tax

Annual reimbursement reporting.

HIPAA compliance

Business associate agreements.