How do you get Days in A/R under 30?

Yes—Days in A/R below 30 is achievable when you eliminate charge lag, post payments daily, verify eligibility at the front desk, and work denials promptly. Most practices run between 35 and 50 days, but tightening these four workflows typically cuts meaningful time without adding staff. MB Claims designs denial-management and posting routines that push cash through faster.

What causes Days in A/R to stay above 30?

Charge lag—the gap between service date and claim submission—is the most common culprit, along with payment posting backlogs and slow denial follow-up. When encounters sit in the charge queue for days, the clock starts late. Denials worked monthly instead of weekly compound the delay. Front-end eligibility errors force you into appeals instead of clean first-pass payment, adding weeks to the cycle.

Charge lag—the gap between service date and claim submission—is the most common culprit, along with payment posting backlogs and slow denial follow-up. When encounters sit in the charge queue for days, the clock starts late. Denials worked monthly instead of weekly compound the delay. Front-end eligibility errors force you into appeals instead of clean first-pass payment, adding weeks to the cycle.

Payment posting backlogs add another layer of drag. If your team posts electronic remittances once or twice a week rather than daily, your A/R aging report overstates open balances and slows your view of true cash flow.

Which workflows should you change first to lower Days in A/R?

Start with same-day or next-day charge capture and daily payment posting, because these two steps immediately shorten the numerator in your Days in A/R calculation. Enter charges as soon as the encounter closes, and post electronic remittances every morning. Next, assign one person to work denials promptly and log root causes so you can prevent repeats. Finally, run real-time eligibility checks at check-in to catch coverage lapses before the claim goes out.

Start with same-day or next-day charge capture and daily payment posting, because these two steps immediately shorten the numerator in your Days in A/R calculation. Enter charges as soon as the encounter closes, and post electronic remittances every morning. Next, assign one person to work denials promptly and log root causes so you can prevent repeats. Finally, run real-time eligibility checks at check-in to catch coverage lapses before the claim goes out.

These changes do not require new software in most cases—only process discipline and a clear assignment of responsibility.

How does front-end verification reduce Days in A/R?

Real-time eligibility checks catch inactive coverage, expired authorizations, and incorrect payer IDs before you bill, so claims submit clean the first time. When front-desk staff verify active coverage and obtain any required referral numbers, you avoid the delays that come with corrected claims and resubmissions. Verification also lets you collect patient responsibility up front, which means fewer statements and faster cash.

Real-time eligibility checks catch inactive coverage, expired authorizations, and incorrect payer IDs before you bill, so claims submit clean the first time. When front-desk staff verify active coverage and obtain any required referral numbers, you avoid the delays that come with corrected claims and resubmissions. Verification also lets you collect patient responsibility up front, which means fewer statements and faster cash.

Clean claims typically pay faster than those that require correction, so upstream verification has a multiplier effect on your overall cycle time.

Should you batch or work denials daily?

Work denials daily or every other day to preserve timely filing limits and capture revenue before it ages significantly. Batching denials into monthly sessions consumes much of the correction window payers allow. A dedicated denial-follow-up queue, sorted by dollars and filing deadline, ensures high-value claims get corrected first. Logging denial reasons in a shared spreadsheet helps you spot patterns—modifier errors, authorization gaps, credentialing issues—and fix upstream processes.

Work denials daily or every other day to preserve timely filing limits and capture revenue before it ages significantly. Batching denials into monthly sessions consumes much of the correction window payers allow. A dedicated denial-follow-up queue, sorted by dollars and filing deadline, ensures high-value claims get corrected first. Logging denial reasons in a shared spreadsheet helps you spot patterns—modifier errors, authorization gaps, credentialing issues—and fix upstream processes.

Daily or near-daily follow-up also keeps your team alert to new payer policy changes, so you can adjust coding and documentation habits in real time rather than discovering problems weeks later.

How MB Claims handles this

MB Claims builds charge-entry and posting routines that keep claims moving through the cycle without manual bottlenecks. The team posts charges and payments daily, runs automated scrubbing before clearinghouse submission, and works denials in priority order by dollar value and timely filing deadline. Real-time eligibility integration flags coverage issues before encounters leave the EHR. This disciplined workflow prevents the lag that pushes Days in A/R above typical benchmarks, and clients see tighter cash cycles without adding internal headcount or changing practice-management software.

MB Claims builds charge-entry and posting routines that keep claims moving through the cycle without manual bottlenecks. The team posts charges and payments daily, runs automated scrubbing before clearinghouse submission, and works denials in priority order by dollar value and timely filing deadline. Real-time eligibility integration flags coverage issues before encounters leave the EHR. This disciplined workflow prevents the lag that pushes Days in A/R above typical benchmarks, and clients see tighter cash cycles without adding internal headcount or changing practice-management software.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good Days in A/R benchmark for a medical practice?

Below 30 is excellent; between 30 and 40 is good; above 50 signals workflow delays or payer mix challenges. Specialty and payer mix influence the number, but tighter workflows usually bring any practice under 40.

Does outsourcing billing lower Days in A/R automatically?

Not automatically—speed depends on the vendor's posting cadence, denial-follow-up service level, and charge-entry workflow. Ask prospective partners to show their average Days in A/R for current clients and confirm daily posting routines before signing.

How often should we measure Days in A/R?

Monthly at minimum, weekly if you are actively working on process improvements. Track the trend line rather than one month's snapshot, because holidays and payer processing schedules cause normal fluctuation from month to month.

Can we reduce Days in A/R without adding staff?

Yes—automating electronic remittance posting, batching charge entry into a daily block, and using a simple denial-tracking spreadsheet all tighten the cycle without new hires. Process discipline beats headcount in most cases, especially when you focus on the highest-dollar accounts first.

What role does clean claim rate play in Days in A/R?

A higher clean claim rate shortens Days in A/R because fewer claims require rework and resubmission. If your clean claim rate sits below 90 percent, fixing coding and eligibility errors upstream will yield faster cash than post-submission follow-up alone.

MB Claims · www.mbclaims.com · (888) 603-5358

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