Cardiology refers out the most billable diagnostics of any independent specialty.
Stress tests, Holter interpretations, and echo reads frequently leave for the hospital system despite in-house capacity. We quantify the leak and the recapture math.
What we see again and again in cardiology practices
- Stress, Holter, and event monitor reads sent out despite owning the equipment
- RPM for HF and HTN panels barely enrolled despite high Medicare share
- NP/PA utilization low because protocols haven't been written for autonomous workflow
- Hospital employment offers undermining valuation conversations
Cardiology reference data
Every report compares your numbers against published peer data. Sources include MGMA, CMS, and specialty-society reports.
| Metric | Reference value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Referral leakage rate, independent cardiology median | 18–32% of in-scope volume | Industry analysis |
| RPM enrollment among HF patients, median | <8% | CMS published |
| Established visit RVU, cardiology | 1.92 | MGMA 2024 |
Recommended report order for cardiology
You don't need all four. Start with the one we recommend first — most owners stop there because it surfaces enough to act on for the next 90 days.
- 1
Referral leakage
$0Quantifies revenue lost by referring out procedures you could perform in-house.
- 2
Chronic care revenue
$0Sizes your CCM, RPM, AWV, and TCM billing opportunity based on your patient panel.
- 3
Staff utilization
$0Identifies whether your NPs, PAs, and licensed staff are billing at full scope.
- 4
Revenue expansion
$0Ranks your top 8–10 revenue expansion opportunities by specialty, staff, and payer mix.
Common dollar findings in cardiology
Pulled from patterns we see across audits. Your numbers will differ, but the categories are remarkably consistent.
- $160K–$280K/year of in-scope diagnostics referred out
- RPM cardiac panel opportunity sized at $12K–$28K/month
- NP utilization 38–55% vs. 80%+ benchmark for protocol-driven specialty care
FAQ for cardiology owners
Does the referral leak report require us to share patient names?+
No. Aggregate counts by procedure type and external destination are enough. No PHI is required.