Blue & Co.

Hospitals, rural clinics, dental practices, universities and family-owned businesses all turn up on the client list of Blue & Co., an independent accounting and advisory firm. According to its site it has more than 560 people working from 12 offices in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan.

An advisory attitude to accounting

The firm says its people entered the profession because they like helping others, not simply because they like numbers and spreadsheets. It describes its mission as learning what keeps a client awake at night and finding ways to give peace of mind, and it frames the job as helping with personal, financial and life goals as well as the profitability of the organization. It calls itself an advocate for its clients and lists responsive, caring and advocate as its watchwords.

Audit, tax and everyday accounting

On the assurance side the firm lists employee benefit plan audits, SOC reporting and work on the new lease accounting standard. Tax consulting sits beside it, and client accounting services cover the routine bookkeeping and reporting that smaller organizations hand over. Business consulting includes employee benefits consulting, planning solutions, transaction advisory services, cybersecurity and data management, and IT support for remote work.

A deep bench in healthcare

Healthcare is the practice area with the longest list. It covers reimbursement work such as Medicare bad debt, disproportionate share and uncompensated care claims, as well as revenue cycle consulting, 340B and pharmacy benefits consulting, outpatient therapy, post-acute care, physician practice management, patient experience and managed care contracting. The firm also advises rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers, and runs a dental practice consulting service. Its insights section covers topics such as Medicare cost reporting and court rulings that affect hospital payments.

Industries and resources

Beyond healthcare, the firm names agribusiness, beverage, closely held businesses, construction, financial institutions, higher education, manufacturing and distribution, not-for-profit organizations and technology start-ups. It has published resources for charities on the not-for-profit financial reporting standard ASU 2016-14, and earlier produced guidance on documentation and reporting during the coronavirus period. Partners and affiliates are listed on a separate page.

Blue & Co. is an accounting and advisory firm with offices across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan. Beyond audits and tax returns, it acts as a business adviser and has a large group devoted to healthcare organisations.

Products and services

• Assurance: including employee benefit plan audits and SOC reporting.
• Tax consulting: planning and compliance work.
• Business consulting: client accounting, planning and transaction advisory.
• Healthcare consulting: Medicare reimbursement, revenue cycle, 340B, managed care contracting and dental practice advice.
• Cybersecurity and IT: data management and remote work technology support.
• Employee benefits consulting: help with plans and their administration.

Clients

Industry teams cover agribusiness, beverage, construction, financial institutions, healthcare, higher education, manufacturing and distribution, nonprofits, technology startups and closely held businesses.

Key facts

• Based in: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan
• Team: more than 560 people in 12 offices
• Healthcare specialists: more than 145 professionals