AUGUST 2020 NEWSLETTER
ADAPTING TO 2020 HEALTHCARE FINANCE
This month’s newsletter is focused on new product enhancements that, like almost every CostFlex release, are based on client knowledge shares and development requests that have been collected during the 2020 calendar year – so far!
 
It is our mission to provide the very best in healthcare cost accounting and decision support software for our clients and this task requires a constant effort from the CostFlex Support & Development team.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: GENERAL LEDGER HEAT MAP
The General Ledger Heat Map is a simple yet powerful reporting tool that is exclusive to the CostFlex System and was designed through a client/vendor team effort.

The client organization that assisted the development was continually experiencing reporting delays due to having multiple facilities with multiple cost accounting models. Every month after financial close, the Cost Accounting Team at the organization would load the current data and then do manual audits to ensure that the data loads were correct (for each model and load) before calculating costs and distributing report requests.
 
In a quick summary, this reporting tool uses color to help CostFlex end users quickly identify potential issues in their raw data before producing organizational decision support reporting and cost trending.
 
If you have ever found a data problem downstream after performing your monthly maintenance and cost runs that required a ‘do over’, then you will appreciate this report!
 
For assistance using this reporting tool, please contact the CostFlex Support Team.
NEW BENCHMARKING DASHBOARD: ENTITY DEEP DIVE
The 2020 CostFlex “Cost Based Power Benchmarking” toolset is gaining momentum every month with new organizations joining the group and submitting additional cost data.
 
Currently, the Benchmarking database is storing and reporting on over 6 million data points!
 
Based on client feedback, we have added a new Benchmarking Dashboard called the “Entity Deep Dive”. This newly added feature will provide the ability to dive into your costs by month, quarter, and year as well as show the Top 5 ICD10D, SVC lines and DRG for period selected - without the need for returning to your Total Cost Accounting interfaces to investigate your detailed data flows.
 
Please contact the CostFlex Support Team for assistance viewing this new dashboard or to schedule a Benchmarking Product Demonstration.
PRODUCT ENHANCEMENT: SWITCHBOARD/LAUNCHER
The development team at CostFlex is constantly working to create synergy between our tools and our clients’ work environments.
 
With so many organizations utilizing the full Total Cost Accounting product suite of software modules, we started seeing a need to simplify product log-on and simultaneous product use.
 
This brand new “CostFlex Launcher” is in live development and we are looking for Beta sites before officially releasing to our client family.
 
The new CostFlex Launcher Features include:
  1. One launcher for all CostFlex Applications
  2. The ability to launch modules simultaneously
  3. Shortcuts to CostFlex Support Services
  4. More..
 
Please help us make your DSS software the very best it can be! Contact the CostFlex Support Team to sign up as a Beta Site today. 😊
MICROSOFT
Effective October 1, 2020, CostFlex Systems will release a Software Version Upgrade. At that time, the minimum requirements will be changed to Microsoft Access 2013. This upgrade is due to Microsoft Office End of Support for Microsoft Office 2010.
To learn more about the Microsoft Office End of Support, click one of the links below.

  1. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/office-2010-end-of-support
  2. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/end-of-support-for-office-2010-3a3e45de-51ac-4944-b2ba-c2e415432789
If you are not currently on Access 2013 there are free run-time downloads from Microsoft that will provide the needed capabilities to continue uninterrupted. Please contact us with any questions regarding this change.
PRICING TRANSPARENCY
Thank you to everyone that attended the Price Transparency Webinar on Tuesday, 7/22/2020. We would like your input as to whether or not pursuing a Price Transparency project would be helpful to our clients. Please answer a quick question survey to help us gauge the interests of our clients.
value_price_puzzle.jpg
Would you be interested in CostFlex providing Transparency of Pricing Data Mining Services?
Yes
No

Contact us for more information at (800) 398-5753 or support@costflex.com.
(800) 398-5753