AR follow-up services

Unpaid claims pursued. Revenue recovered before filing deadlines close.

We manage structured follow-up on unpaid and underpaid claims — aging analysis, payer outreach, denial pursuit, and patient balance resolution — so receivables move to collected revenue, not write-offs.

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Why AR follow-up matters

Every day a claim sits unworked, the probability of collecting it drops

35 days
benchmark Days in AR for well-managed practices — above 40 signals follow-up gaps
MGMA, 2024
<10%
HFMA benchmark for AR over 90 days as a share of total receivables — many organizations exceed this
HFMA
~50%
collection probability for accounts past 90 days — compared to near-full recovery under 30
Industry benchmark

How blueBriX handles AR follow-up

From aging analysis to collected revenue — every balance worked

Our team works across multiple EHRs, practice management systems, and clearinghouses — no migration, no platform lock-in.

📊

Aging analysis and prioritization

Open balances segmented by age, value, payer, and recovery probability — highest-impact claims worked first.

📞

Payer-specific follow-up

Structured outreach cadence per payer's response patterns and escalation paths — claims pursued through the right channel.

💰

Underpayment recovery

Claims paid below contracted rates identified and pursued — shortfalls escalated before they're accepted as final payment.

🔄

Denial follow-up and appeals

Denied claims worked through payer appeal channels with supporting documentation — recoverable revenue not left in the queue.

👤

Patient balance follow-up

Outstanding patient balances tracked, statements sent, and follow-up managed — with clear communication and payment options.

📈

Collection performance reporting

Days in AR, aging distribution, recovery rates, and payer scorecards — visibility into what's collected, what's pending, and what needs attention.

⏱️

Follow-up cadence aligned to payer timelines and filing limits

Claims escalated before payer filing deadlines close — timely filing denials prevented, not appealed after the fact.

Why practices choose blueBriX for AR follow-up

What makes our approach different

EHR-agnostic
We work within your existing EHR and PM system — no migration, no new tools to learn
Payer-specific workflows
Follow-up structured around each payer's rules, response patterns, and escalation paths
High-dollar prioritization
Resources focused where recovery impact is highest — not worked first-in, first-out
Dedicated AR ownership
Defined accountability for every assigned balance — no claims left unowned in the queue
Escalation management
Claims don't sit indefinitely unresolved — escalation triggers built into every follow-up cadence
Transparent reporting
Clear visibility into worked, recovered, pending, and uncollectible AR — no black box

Tailored to your specialty

AR complexity varies by specialty. Our team specializes in yours.

Billing complexity varies — our approach adapts

Behavioral Health

Session-level and carve-out payer follow-up — managed

  • Session and per-diem claim follow-up
  • Carve-out behavioral health payer outreach
  • Medicaid MCO response tracking
  • Visit-limit denial pursuit
  • Patient responsibility for copays and sliding scale
Physician Practice

High-volume payer follow-up across mixed portfolios

  • Multi-payer aging analysis and prioritization
  • Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid follow-up cadence
  • Patient balance statements and outreach
  • Timely filing tracking per payer
Ambulatory Surgical Center

High-dollar claims prioritized and resolved faster

  • Facility and professional claim follow-up in parallel
  • Implant reimbursement recovery
  • High-dollar variance escalation
  • Device and supply cost aging and collection tracking

See it in action

What changed when the revenue cycle finally worked

120+ → 35
AR days reduced
in 3 weeks
6%
Revenue
increase
20%
Fewer claim
rejections
25%
Faster payment
processing

What we take off your plate

Other areas we manage

Each service can be outsourced on its own or as part of a broader engagement.

Eligibility verification Prior authorization Medical coding Medical billing Payment posting Denial management Credentialing Revenue cycle consulting Reporting & analytics

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is AR follow-up in medical billing?
AR follow-up is the systematic process of tracking and pursuing unpaid claims and patient balances after claims have been submitted and adjudicated. It includes payer outreach, denial appeals, underpayment recovery, and patient balance resolution — with the goal of converting outstanding receivables into collected revenue before they age past recovery.
What is a good Days in AR benchmark?
MGMA's 2024 Cost and Revenue Survey places the benchmark for well-managed practices at 35 days. HFMA's target range is 30 to 40 days. Above 40 days typically signals a structural issue — denial backlog, unworked aging, or front-end errors generating avoidable rejections.
Why does AR over 90 days matter so much?
Collection probability drops sharply after 90 days — to roughly 50%, compared to near-full recovery for claims under 30 days. Beyond 90 days, payer filing deadlines begin to close, documentation becomes harder to reconstruct, and claims increasingly transition from follow-up to write-off. HFMA recommends keeping AR over 90 days below 10% of total receivables.
What is the difference between AR follow-up and denial management?
Denial management focuses specifically on claims that were denied by the payer — identifying root causes, filing appeals, and preventing recurrence. AR follow-up is broader: it covers all unpaid balances including denied claims, underpaid claims, claims pending payer response, and outstanding patient balances. Denial management is one component of AR follow-up, not a separate function.
How does blueBriX handle AR follow-up?
We segment open balances by age, value, payer, and recovery probability, then work them through structured payer-specific follow-up cadences. Denied claims are appealed with supporting documentation. Underpayments are identified and escalated. Patient balances are pursued with clear statements and follow-up. We report on days in AR, aging distribution, recovery rates, and payer performance throughout.
Does blueBriX handle patient balance follow-up?
Yes. We track outstanding patient balances, generate and send statements, and manage follow-up — including communication about payment options. Patient outreach is handled with the same structure as payer follow-up, not as an afterthought.
Does this require switching EHR or practice management systems?
No. We work across multiple EHRs, practice management systems, and clearinghouses — not limited to any specific platform. No migration required.
Which practices benefit most from outsourcing AR follow-up?
Practices where Days in AR is trending above 40, where more than 10% of receivables sit past 90 days, or where the follow-up team can't keep pace with the volume of open balances — behavioral health organizations with carve-out payer complexity, physician groups with high claim volumes across multiple payers, and ASCs where high-dollar claims require priority pursuit.

Revenue earned is only revenue collected when someone follows up

Talk to our team about how structured AR follow-up can reduce aging, recover underpayments, and turn outstanding balances into collected revenue.

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