BH Practice Acquisition Due Diligence — 2026 Guide
Why RCM Matters More Than Financials Alone
Buyers often audit financials + patient volume + provider count and miss the biggest hidden risk: broken RCM. A practice with $10M revenue and 10% denial rate is worth $2M less than a practice with the same revenue and 5% denial rate.
The 8-Point RCM Due Diligence Audit
- Denial rate by payer + trend (last 12 months)
- Days in AR by payer (average + range)
- Net collection rate by payer
- Aging AR (60+, 90+, 120+ buckets)
- Bad debt write-offs (last 12 months)
- Prior auth denial rate (missing units)
- MHPAEA parity issue rate (90837 downcodes)
- Contract expiration dates + upcoming rate cuts
Credentialing State Audit
- All providers CAQH profiles current?
- Provider panel status per payer?
- Expiring credentials in next 12 months?
- New provider enrollment turnaround (weeks)?
- Malpractice coverage adequate?
Technology Debt Audit
- EHR vendor + contract terms (transferability?)
- Practice management system integration
- Data extraction feasibility
- Backup + disaster recovery status
- HIPAA compliance state (last audit date)
Compliance Audit
- OIG exclusion check for all providers
- State licensing verified
- DEA license current (prescribers)
- ADA + accessibility compliance
- 42 CFR Part 2 compliance (if SUD)
Valuation Impact of Findings
- Every 1% denial rate above industry benchmark: subtract 5-10% from valuation
- Days in AR over 45: subtract 5-15% from valuation
- Panel closures or non-renewals: material discount (10-30%)
- Technology migration required: subtract $50K-$500K
- Credentialing gaps: subtract $25K-$100K per gap
Revenant Care runs pre-acquisition RCM audits · Pricing
– KD, Revenant Care