Hollis Cobb Associates

What Hollis Cobb Associates does

Hollis Cobb Associates is a privately held healthcare revenue cycle management company founded in 1977 in Greater Atlanta by Hollis L. Cobb as the first healthcare-specialized collection agency in the region. Following the founder's death in 1988, ownership passed to his sons Alan Cobb (now Chairman) and Mike Cobb (Vice Chairman); CEO Greg Hocutt was recruited in 2008 to lead an expansion phase. The firm serves hundreds of US healthcare providers — hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and physician practices — through an end-to-end revenue cycle offering that spans front-end patient access and pre-authorization, presumptive charity screening, active accounts receivable management (denials resolution, insurance follow-up, self-pay early out, underpayment recoupment), and bad debt collections, with named clients including Northside Hospital, Penn Medicine, Wellstar Health System, and Jackson Health System.

The product surface combines four service modules and two proprietary AI-enabled software products. 'passage' is an AI and machine learning-driven pre-authorization platform that integrates with client Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, uses Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to submit authorizations and query payer portals for status updates, and applies ML to determine which procedures require authorization. 'fae' (Financial Assistance Expert) automates financial assistance applications through web portal and IVR channels with workflow management and predictive scoring on application completion. Service modules cover Front End Solutions, Active Accounts Receivable Solutions, Bad Debt Solutions, and Other Solutions (A/R work-down and conversion support). Core collection operations run on the Ontario Systems platform with Guaranteed Contacts automated dialer and Voice Trak call recording. The firm has executed seven disclosed acquisitions between 2012 and 2021 — Bonded Collection Corp. (2012), Diversified Accounts Systems and Bibb Collection Services (2013), MedCore (2014), Healthcare Financial Services (2016), and Gragil Associates and Audit Billing Center (2021) — building regional density across the Southeast, Midwest, and Northeast US.

Hollis Cobb generates revenue primarily through contingency and transaction-fee pricing on RCM collections engagements with quote-based, multi-year enterprise contracts; software products (fae, passage) are positioned for subscription or per-engagement licensing sold through the sales team. Go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales paired with inside sales, supported by heavy participation in healthcare finance industry events (HFMA chapter conferences across Florida, Arizona, Kansas, and Tennessee; NAHAM Access Solution Showcase exhibiting) and content marketing through the company's branded YouTube video library. The company is family-owned with no disclosed institutional investor or private equity backing, has expanded headcount from 12 to 600+ under current leadership, and reportedly grew revenue approximately 10x over the decade following CEO Hocutt's arrival, supported by SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FCRA, and FDCPA compliance posture.

Name

Hollis Cobb Associates

Legal name

Hollis Cobb Associates, LLC.

Website

https://holliscobb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hollis Cobb Associates is a privately held healthcare revenue cycle management firm founded in 1977 serving hundreds of US healthcare providers via end-to-end RCM services and proprietary AI software (fae for financial assistance; passage for pre-authorization).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers (561422)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Claims Management, Scrubbing & Clearinghouse (HLACACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Patient Access, Registration & Intake (Front-End RCM) (HLACACAE)

Keywords

• Healthcare revenue cycle management
• Patient access services
• Medical debt collections
• Accounts receivable management
• Pre-authorization automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Duluth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Collection Services: Revenue cycle management services including front-end solutions, active accounts receivable management, and bad debt collections. Services include customer service, patient access/pre-authorization, pre-service collections, presumptive charity screening, scheduling, staffing, denials resolution, insurance follow-up, self-pay early out, underpayment recoupment, and credit balance resolution. Fees based on collections or fixed service fees.
2. fae Software (Financial Assistance Expert): AI-powered financial assistance application software offered as a product to healthcare providers. May be sold as a standalone product or bundled with services. Contact [email protected] for pricing.
3. passage Software (Pre-Authorization): Pre-authorization AI software that integrates with EMR and automates the prior authorization process. Offered to healthcare providers with pricing available through sales inquiry.
4. M&A Acquisitions: Growth strategy through strategic acquisitions including Bonded Collection Corp. (2012), Diversified Accounts Systems & Bibb Collection Services (2013), MedCore (2014), Healthcare Financial Services (2016), and Gragil Associates & Audit Billing Center (2021).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hollis Cobb Associates delivers end-to-end healthcare revenue cycle management for U.S. hospitals, health systems, and physician practices, spanning front-end patient access, pre-authorization, presumptive charity screening, scheduling, active insurance follow-up, denials resolution, self-pay early out, and bad debt collections. The firm complements these services with two proprietary AI-powered software products — fae (Financial Assistance Expert) for automating financial assistance applications via web portal and IVR, and passage for automating insurance pre-authorization submission and status tracking with EMR and RPA integration. Service delivery is anchored by onshore and offshore operations across Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and other states, supported by Ontario Systems collection software, predictive analytics, and 45+ years of healthcare-specific collections expertise.

Product overview

Hollis Cobb Associates offers a comprehensive revenue cycle management solution consisting of two AI-powered software products (fae and passage) complemented by five service modules covering front-end solutions, active A/R management, bad debt collection, and strategic conversion support. The product portfolio spans the entire revenue cycle from patient pre-authorization through final debt collection. fae is a Financial Assistance Expert that automates financial assistance applications via web portal and IVR, while passage is a pre-authorization AI that integrates with EMR systems to automate insurance authorization. These software products are supported by service offerings including Front End Solutions, Active Accounts Receivable Solutions, Bad Debt Solutions, and Other Solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• fae (Financial Assistance Expert) AI-powered financial assistance application software that enables patients to apply through web portal or IVR, eliminating paperwork, increasing completion rates, and providing workflow management tools and customized dashboards for healthcare provider staff.
• passage (Pre-Authorization Software) AI and machine learning-driven pre-authorization software that integrates with EMR systems to automatically transmit patient information to insurance payers, provides 24/7 status updates, uses RPA for automated submission and follow-up, and reduces denials.
• Front End Solutions Comprehensive front-end revenue cycle services for healthcare providers including customer service, patient access/pre-authorization, pre-service collections, presumptive charity screening, scheduling, and flexible staffing support.
• Active Accounts Receivable Solutions Full-service or collaborative A/R management for healthcare providers covering denials resolution, insurance follow-up, payment monitoring, self-pay early out, underpayment recoupment, and credit balance resolution.
• Bad Debt Solutions Customer-focused debt recovery services for delinquent or charged-off healthcare accounts, including primary and secondary collections, predictive analytics-driven scoring, and legal collection support.
• Other Solutions (Conversion Support) Strategic revenue cycle support including accounts receivable work down projects and system conversion clean-up services during healthcare technology transitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce abandon rate from 19% down to < 5%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ontario SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Selected as provider of collection software in 1989, implementing full computerization. Upgraded Guaranteed Contacts automated dialer with Voice Trak call recording module for quality assurance and compliance. Ongoing technology partnership for collection management systems.
• Connexus Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHollis Cobb provides a 'portal' for medical professionals to contact Connexus Credit Union for medical/dental insurance underwriting. Company acts as a third-party facilitator transmitting application materials between medical professionals and Connexus. This optional service allows medical professionals to offer financing or credit to patients.
• Client EMR SystemscoreTechnology or Integrationpassage software integrates with client EMR systems to streamline pre-authorization process. Data required to submit authorizations is sourced automatically from host EMR. fae product integrates with existing workflows.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• R1 RCM: Leading pure-play healthcare revenue cycle management company serving large hospital systems with end-to-end RCM services and technology, including patient access, denials management, and A/R follow-up — directly comparable to Hollis Cobb's core offerings.
• Waystar: Healthcare revenue cycle technology platform providing patient access, claims management, and denials/pre-authorization software — overlapping directly with Hollis Cobb's fae and passage AI products and front-end services.
• Experian Health: Healthcare-focused division of Experian offering patient access, identity management, claims management, and collections solutions to hospitals and health systems — competing head-to-head with Hollis Cobb's end-to-end RCM suite.
• FinThrive: Healthcare revenue cycle management technology and services platform (formerly nThrive/EPSi) covering patient access, claims, denials, and analytics — comparable to Hollis Cobb's full RCM stack.
• Conifer Health Solutions: Tenet Healthcare subsidiary providing hospital revenue cycle management, patient access, and value-based care services — a direct competitor for Hollis Cobb's hospital-system clients.
• MedAssist (Firstsource Solutions): Provides healthcare RCM, patient access, eligibility, and accounts receivable management services to hospitals and physician groups — closely aligned with Hollis Cobb's service portfolio.
• Availity: Healthcare information network providing payer-provider data exchange, prior authorization, and revenue cycle solutions — competing with Hollis Cobb's passage pre-authorization product and front-end services.
• PMMC: Hospital revenue cycle management vendor focused on patient access, contract management, and underpayment recovery — comparable mid-sized peer for hospital system clients.

Broad incumbents

• Parallon (HCA Healthcare): HCA Healthcare's revenue cycle services arm serving hospitals with patient access, coding, A/R, and back-office services — a large incumbent with broader scale than Hollis Cobb.
• Optum (UnitedHealth Group): Largest healthcare services and RCM operator in the US, providing revenue cycle, analytics, and payer-provider integration at massive scale — the dominant incumbent competing for the same hospital RCM wallet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2Zw0C1dO3RW1yZ6SHj4cag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/153017

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hollis Cobb Associates