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Optimizing denial prevention strategies can help your practice improve cash flow, according to Elizabeth W. Woodcock, MBA, FACMPE, CPC, an Atlanta-based healthcare author, trainer, and presenter at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2007 Annual Conference in Philadelphia in October. Focusing on charges as the root cause of denials and improving performance in this segment of the revenue cycle is an essential first step to managing denials, Woodcock said. Providers can perform manual charge scrubbing by distributing their paper charge tickets by payer-for example, charges for Medicare to the individual in your office who works on follow-up for Medicare.