Comprehensive Financial Reports: A Detailed Insight
A thorough examination of a healthcare institution’s financial status is presented through consolidated financial reports, comprising a quartet of vital documents:
1. Net Income Statement (NIS): Also denoted as the revenue and expense statement or the profit and loss statement, the NIS delineates patient income and general overhead medical expenditures within a defined timeframe. While smaller healthcare entities and medical practices might employ cash-based accounting, CPAs typically opt for the accrual method to ensure precise recording of expenses and income.
2. Balance Sheet (BS): This report details fixed assets like furniture, instruments, durable medical equipment (DME), and property. Current assets encompass those swiftly convertible into cash, such as accounts receivable (AR) and money funds. Intangible assets like goodwill are factored in, alongside less liquid long-term assets. Short-term debts are represented by accounts payable (AP) and current liabilities, contrasting with long-term liabilities payable over extended periods. Equity signifies ownership and emerges as the variance between total assets and liabilities.
– Net working capital, computed as the disparity between current assets and liabilities, reflects the economic efficiency in care provision.
– Essential metrics include:
– Days Sales Outstanding (DSO): Determined by AR divided by net sales divided by 365, DSO gauges the duration to collect receivables. A reduction in DSO denotes enhanced cash flow, while an upsurge suggests deterioration. The hospital industry typically averages about 35 days.
– Days Payable Outstanding (DPO): Calculated via AP divided by total expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) divided by 365, DPO tracks the duration to settle supplier dues. A surge in DPO indicates improvement, while a decline does not. The hospital industry standard is around 24 days.
– Days Inventory Outstanding (DIO): Derived from inventory divided by net sales divided by 365, DIO showcases the time taken to vend inventory. A dip in DIO indicates progress, whereas a rise may signal sales decline. The hospital industry norm is approximately 6 days.
3. Statement of Cash Flows (SCFs): Summarizes cash impact across three domains:
– Operating activities encompass cash inflows (receipts, interest, dividends) and outflows (inventory, supplies, loans).
– Investing activities entail disposal or acquisition of noncurrent assets like equipment, loans, or marketable securities.
– Financial activities typically encompass cash inflows or outflows from transactions involving capital stock or notes with creditors and physician proprietors.
The SCF is centered on liquidity, unlike profitability, and may be supplemented with schedules elucidating the primary document’s aggregated figures.
4. Statement of Shareholder Equity: Also termed the statement of changes in unrestricted net assets for the fiscal year (in the case of public healthcare entities).
Healthcare establishments may generate these financial statements for various stakeholders including employees, physicians, and regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), banks, venture capitalists, and governmental entities. Nonetheless, the analysis of cash flow and revenue primarily remains an internal endeavor.