Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast – Erin Hodson, MSN, VP of Revenue Cycle at Inova Health

Episode Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Alan Condon, Becker’s Healthcare
Guest: Erin Hodson, MSN, Vice President of Revenue Cycle, Inova Health
Episode Focus: Navigating evolving challenges and opportunities in healthcare revenue cycle management, with a close look at artificial intelligence (AI), team transformation, payer-provider dynamics, and future-oriented patient financial strategy at Inova Health.

Main Theme

This episode features a candid discussion with Erin Hodson on the rapidly changing environment of revenue cycle management within health systems. The conversation covers the emergence of AI-driven tools, evolving talent needs, and strategies for patient financial engagement—especially as regulatory and policy shifts impact both providers and patients. Erin provides tactical and strategic insights rooted in current practice at Inova Health and broader industry shifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Erin’s Background and Inova Health Role

[01:16-01:52]

• Erin oversees the entire revenue cycle (front, middle, back) at Inova Health.
• Long-standing executive with about 15 years at Inova, recently transitioned to the current role as of August 2024.
• Expresses excitement at witnessing rapid transformation within her field:
  “I have learned so much... it's been really exciting, fantastic.” — Erin Hodson [01:32]

Top Trends Shaping the Revenue Cycle

1. AI-driven Intelligent Tools for Denial Management

[02:22-04:48]

• New AI and data science tools enable granular prediction and even prevention of claims denials.
• Envisions a near future where denials are both less frequent and resolved more efficiently.
• “I envision that we will be able to, on a more granular level, be able to predict denials better than we ever have before and not only predict them, but also prevent them...” — Erin Hodson [02:31]

2. Emergence of AI Agents to Manage Denials

[02:22-04:48]

• Acknowledges that while denial prevention will progress, ongoing denial management remains inevitable.
• AI agents are being piloted at Inova: “We're at the beginning stages here at Inova, but I am cautiously optimistic regarding what that will do for us in the coming year.” — Erin Hodson [03:43]

3. Shifting Team Dynamics and New Skillsets

[02:22-04:48]

• The talent landscape is shifting; team members take on new roles requiring critical thinking and technical acumen that weren't necessary a year ago.
• Erin applauds her team’s adaptability: “It's exciting to see...a level of critical thinking that we didn't see before, people expanding into new roles that didn't exist a year ago.” — Erin Hodson [04:19]

Deep Dive: AI & Automation in Revenue Cycle

[05:38-08:02]

• Huge growth in the capabilities of technology and new vendors; even industry peers haven't heard of some of the recent players.
• Particular focus on:
  • CARC/Remittance Code Mapping: Unlocking granularity in denial reason analysis across payers.
  • Synching Claim (837) and Denial (835) Data: Enables “insights down to a 10-foot level,” helping pinpoint internal causes vs payer-specific issues.
  • Faster alignment and troubleshooting cuts down on iterative, “guessing game” resubmissions:
    “In the future, I envision a world where we don’t have to go through that guessing game which delays payment at the end of the day.” — Erin Hodson [07:10]

New Technical and Functional Team Structures

[08:18-09:37]

• Emphasis on technical skills and going “under the hood” to solve complex claims issues.
• Structural changes at Inova: For example, denials prevention has moved into revenue integrity, working alongside analytics teams and creating new analyst roles.
• “We have analysts that work directly with our revenue integrity denials prevention team… new roles that didn’t exist a year ago now exist.” — Erin Hodson [09:08]

The Payer-Provider “AI Arms Race”

[09:37-12:39]

• Health plans have had advanced AI for some time; providers are playing catch-up.
• Erin likens this to a basketball defense-offense arms race: as soon as one side adapts, the other evolves.
• She’s optimistic: “My hope is…we eventually will come to a place with payers where we're spinning each other's wheels…How do you get to the point where you can put clauses in our contract that limit denials…” — Erin Hodson [11:18]
• She emphasizes the need for parity: “We have to have the tool sets that the payers have had…just to even have those discussions with them.” — Erin Hodson [12:16]

The Future: AI-Powered Revenue Teams & Process

[13:18-14:42]

• Foresees leaders managing process via AI agents, not just people.
• Team members will “co-pilot” their work with AI, expanding both efficiency and accuracy.
• Hopes for managing “most of our claims in bulk versus on a claim by claim level...hopefully get to the point where we're paid much faster and much more accurately.” — Erin Hodson [14:15]

Patient Financial Experience: Growth & Strategy for 2026

[15:06-16:33]

• Upcoming Medicaid expansion and other coverage changes will impact Inova’s patient base.
• Prepping financially: Rethinking financial counseling, “white glove” patient services, and hand-holding patients through policy and coverage changes.
• Increasing complexity with high-deductible plans, fluctuating premiums, and shifting Medicare Advantage policies:
  “How do you help a patient through Medicare Advantage versus straight Medicare decisions as those policies...are constantly changing?” — Erin Hodson [15:49]

Navigating Policy Changes, ACA/Exchange Uncertainty

[16:33-18:46]

• With ACA subsidies and exchange coverage in flux, Inova is preparing for possible increases in uninsured patients and bad debt.
• Focus on rapid patient education, proactive financial assistance, streamlining Medicaid eligibility, and potential changes to patient financial policies:
  “How do we educate our patients as fast as possible...what can we offer from our own financial assistance policy?...How do we work with patients on a different level, not only connecting regarding their bill, explanation of bills in a different way...” — Erin Hodson [17:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On skillset evolution:
  “The skill sets that we didn’t need a year ago are changing.” — Erin Hodson [03:56]

• On AI’s transformative impact:
  “The future will be leaders managing process right through AI agents...” — Erin Hodson [13:41]
  (Paraphrased from a panelist at a recent Becker’s conference, credited by Erin)

• On payer-provider dynamics:
  “We have to go through this exercise. We have to have the tool sets that the payers have had to your point for quite some time and we've played catch up to even have those discussions with them.” — Erin Hodson [12:16]

• On patient financial strategy:
  “From a patient financial experience perspective, that's where I see the roles changing...how we're going to connect with patients in a different way.” — Erin Hodson [16:17]

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | |-----------|-------------| | 01:16–01:52 | Erin’s background and current role at Inova Health | | 02:22–04:48 | Top 3 revenue cycle trends: AI, AI agents, team evolution | | 05:38–08:02 | Deep dive: AI and data science tools in action | | 08:18–09:37 | Team technical skill shifts and new governance structures | | 09:37–12:39 | Payer-provider AI “arms race” analogy and perspective | | 13:18–14:42 | Vision: Leaders managing process, AI co-pilots, claims in bulk | | 15:06–16:33 | Growth outlook: Patient financial roles, policy changes | | 16:33–18:46 | Navigating ACA uncertainties, preparing for 2026 |

Conclusion

This episode presents a nuanced snapshot of revenue cycle management amid rapid technological and policy change. Erin Hodson delivers actionable insights on AI integration, evolving workforce needs, payer negotiations, and patient-centric financial strategy. Her outlook is both pragmatic and optimistic, emphasizing adaptability, proactive planning, and leveraging innovation to create a more responsive, efficient revenue cycle that ultimately benefits both provider organizations and their patients.