Provider organizations can achieve the answers they need by leveraging data they already have.
Kim Labow, vice president of marketing for ZirMed in Louisville, Ky.: Your own data holds the answers to several key questions you're asking. For example, you might wonder, what is really driving uncompensated care among my payers — where am I not getting paid for care that I am already providing? You have to analyze your own data to know this. Let's take Medicare as an example — all reimbursement is based on diagnosis-related group and paid at case rate. CMS will never tell you that a different, more appropriate DRG would get you paid the amount you're truly owed. That's why you have to be able to mine the full richness of the data you have — it's your best tool to be your own best advocate.