Mary Lee Decoster and 1-800Accountant: When Retirement Means the Next Great Adventure

In 1968, Mary Lee Decoster went to work for a surgeon who was fresh out of medical school and starting his own practice. Mary Lee had to learn the business of managing the books from the ground up – how to bill and collect from patients and insurance companies, along with just about everything else that needed to be done in the office. The practice eventually grew to a group of five surgeons. Fast forward almost 50 years, and Mary Lee was entering retirement from a series of management roles that culminated in a vice president position at a large healthcare system. But retirement would be short-lived for Mary Lee. People kept calling her for help with revenue, cash flow, collections, and other advice. Her consulting business was born, and in December 2016 she formed an LLC. Mary Lee is passionate about enabling others to succeed. “I love to be a part of helping an organization transition from manual, paper-based workflows to automated, electronic workflows,” Mary Lee says. “I like to learn the games the payer plays to deny payment and to figure out how to win the reimbursement.” Over the years, Mary Lee has seen just about every healthcare billing and collection challenge that could possibly arise. From HIPAA to the Affordable Care Act, she’s accumulated a staggering wealth of knowledge. One area where she wasn’t so confident, though, was in managing her consulting revenue and paying her taxes. Thus, she began a relationship with 1-800Accountant that has proved valuable in ways she never dreamed. “My accountant, Chris Tuttle, has been very helpful,” says Mary Lee. “Chris explains things so I can understand what needs to be done. He has given me suggestions to further minimize my taxes. He recommended I become an S-Corp, hire a payroll service and start paying myself. I would never have known to do this on my own. He’s saving me money – and headaches.” With the help of 1-800Accountant, it appears Mary Lee will be helping others with their business decisions for a good long time. That’s the kind of retirement you can bank on.