Cleaning up your A/R for the New Year

Why This Topic Matters

Aged receivables can tie up revenue and make it harder for practices to track collections accurately. The article is relevant to teams looking for a structured way to organize follow-up work and improve overall A/R health.

Article Sections

1. A five-step plan for clearing aged A/R

   Introduces a structured approach for reviewing long-outstanding accounts and organizing follow-up work across the billing team. The section frames the overall workflow for identifying problem claims and setting priorities.

2. Fact-finding and payer follow-up

   Covers review of aging reports, payer outreach, and discussion of common reasons claims remain unpaid. It emphasizes team coordination and analysis of patterns across carriers.

3. Action plan for resubmission and special handling

   Describes broad resubmission and claim-handling approaches for accounts that remain unresolved after review. It includes ways to route claims for additional payer attention and manage large groups of outstanding items.

4. Phone-a-thon for patient balances and old claims

   Discusses a team-based collection effort for overdue patient balances and older claim follow-up. The section also mentions using staff time for research and call-center style outreach.

5. Results, staff recognition, and A/R cleanup benefits

   Summarizes the value of reporting progress and recognizing staff contributions as balances are recovered. It connects cleaner receivables with improved workflow and easier month-end reporting.