A forecast method for physician offices, a 13-week cash table for a pharmacy with invented figures, cash flow steps for a therapy practice and the topics of the articles on this blog.
How Lowndes County, MS physician offices prepare a cash flow forecast
A physician office can forecast cash by week, not by month, because insurer payments and payroll do not always land in the same week. The method fits on one sheet.
- Write down what the practice's account holds on day one.
- Enter expected receipts week by week, using how long each payer has taken to pay recent claims.
- Add patient payments at the front desk as their own line.
- Enter payroll on its pay dates, then rent, supplies and every loan or lease payment on their due dates.
- Carry each week's ending balance forward and circle the week with the smallest balance.
- Replace the oldest week with actual figures each Monday and add a new week at the end.
Offices of physicians in Lowndes County, MS numbered 37 employer establishments in 2023 (CBP, NAICS 6211).
A 13-week cash flow forecast for Columbus, MS pharmacies
Illustration only, invented figures: a pharmacy opens the quarter with $48,000 in the bank. Each week it pays its wholesaler $21,500; payroll of $14,200 falls every other week, and rent of $6,500 in weeks 1, 5, 9 and 13. Cash in is card sales at the counter and insurer reimbursements.
| Week | Cash in | Cash out | Ending balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | $31,200 | $28,000 | $51,200 |
| Week 2 | $33,800 | $35,700 | $49,300 |
| Week 3 | $32,100 | $21,500 | $59,900 |
| Week 4 | $30,400 | $35,700 | $54,600 |
| Week 5 | $26,900 | $28,000 | $53,500 |
| Week 6 | $27,600 | $35,700 | $45,400 |
| Week 7 | $26,800 | $21,500 | $50,700 |
| Week 8 | $29,500 | $35,700 | $44,500 |
| Week 9 | $32,700 | $28,000 | $49,200 |
| Week 10 | $33,400 | $35,700 | $46,900 |
| Week 11 | $31,600 | $21,500 | $57,000 |
| Week 12 | $32,900 | $35,700 | $54,200 |
| Week 13 | $33,300 | $28,000 | $59,500 |
Week 8 is the tight spot here, at $44,500; by week 13 the account is back to $59,500. A forecast like this shows when a cooler purchase or a large wholesaler order would squeeze the account, and whether a line of credit or inventory financing fits the gap better than paying cash. A gas station can lay out its store sales and supplier bills the same way.
How a Lowndes County, MS therapy practice can improve cash flow
For a therapy or chiropractic practice, cash flow improves first at the front desk and in the billing queue.
- Verify each patient's coverage before the first visit, so fewer claims come back.
- Collect copays and cash-pay visits at check-in rather than by statement.
- Send claims soon after each visit and work denials every week.
- Ask equipment vendors what payment terms they offer before paying in full.
- Order supplies in amounts that match the visit schedule, not the largest discount.
- Keep a credit line for the gap between visits and payments, and pay it down when claims clear.
Lowndes County, MS had 43 offices of other health practitioners with paid employees in 2023 (CBP, NAICS 6213), a code that covers chiropractors and physical therapists.
Articles for Columbus, MS plants, stores, clinics and gyms
Manufacturing counted 50 employer establishments in the county in 2023 (CBP, NAICS 31-33), and restaurants 90 across the full-service and limited-service codes (CBP, NAICS 722511 and 722513).
Articles on this blog cover welding cells and forklifts for a plant, credit line draws for stock and payroll, repayment terms for clinics, where a gym finds a loan, secured or unsecured funding, and how to apply for a business loan in Columbus, MS.
By Redpark Lenders · Updated