{"id":6649,"date":"2026-06-25T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medibillmd.com\/blog\/?p=6649"},"modified":"2026-06-24T15:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:00:37","slug":"ar-days-in-medical-billing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medibillmd.com\/blog\/ar-days-in-medical-billing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reduce AR Days in Medical Billing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The time duration or gap between providing services to a patient and receiving payment for those services is a critical period for every practice. However, the financial health of a practice determines how well or how poorly that gap can be managed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When accounts receivable (AR) days in medical billing exceed industry benchmarks, healthcare services face various challenges, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cash flow disruptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Higher administrative costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decreased likelihood of claim recovery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But does this mean practices have no way to control days in accounts receivable? That is not true.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, we will discuss what AR days are, how to calculate them, what factors result in higher AR days, and best practices for receiving payment on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-table-of-contents uagb-toc__align-left uagb-toc__columns-1 uagb-toc__collapse uagb-block-a09035ff      \"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-scroll= \"1\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-offset= \"30\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable Of Contents\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox= \"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M192 384c-8.188 0-16.38-3.125-22.62-9.375l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0L192 306.8l137.4-137.4c12.5-12.5 32.75-12.5 45.25 0s12.5 32.75 0 45.25l-160 160C208.4 380.9 200.2 384 192 384z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__list-wrap \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#what-are-ar-days-in-medical-billing\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">What are AR Days in Medical Billing?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#how-to-calculate-ar-days-in-medical-billing\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">How to Calculate AR Days in Medical Billing?<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#common-reasons-for-delays-in-accounts-receivable\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Common Reasons for Delays in Accounts Receivable<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#claim-denials\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Claim Denials<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#prior-authorization-delays\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Prior Authorization Delays<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#billing-and-coding-errors\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Billing and Coding Errors<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#insurance-eligibility-errors\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Insurance Eligibility Errors<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#poor-aging-claim-follow-up\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Poor Aging Claim Follow-Up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#best-practices-to-reduce-days-in-ar\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Best Practices to Reduce Days in AR<\/a><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#verify-insurance-eligibility\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Verify Insurance Eligibility\u00a0<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#submit-clean-claims-first-time\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Submit Clean Claims First Time<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#complete-and-close-encounters-within-72-hours\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Complete and Close Encounters within 72 Hours<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#address-denials-right-away\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Address Denials Right Away<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#monitor-ar-aging-regularly\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Monitor AR Aging Regularly<\/a><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#set-clear-financial-policies\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Set Clear Financial Policies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#reduce-days-in-ar-with-medibillmd\" class=\"uagb-toc-link__trigger\">Reduce Days in AR with MediBillMD<\/a><\/ul><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are <\/strong><strong>AR Days in Medical Billing<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AR days, or days in AR, refer to the average number of days it takes for a practice to collect payment after billing a service. The quickest way to understand it is to consider it as a representation of a practice&#8217;s efficiency in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Billing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Claims submission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Collections workflow<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfma.org\/revenue-cycle\/kpis\/7-kpis-providers-should-be-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)<\/a> article on key performance indicators (KPIs) for healthcare practices, many practices aim to maintain days in AR between 30 and 40 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, AR beyond 90 days should be 10% of total receivables outstanding. On the other hand, AR over 90 days for self-pay (patient payments) should stay under 30% of the total.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AR days are generally divided into aging groups, depending on their status in the payment cycle. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mgma.com\/mgma-stats\/not-so-graceful-aging-half-of-practices-saw-days-in-a-r-increase-in-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)<\/a>, the following aging buckets can be applied to AR days:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>0 to 30 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>31 to 60 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>61 to 90 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>91 to 120 days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over 120 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, the MGMA DataDive Cost and Revenue data further claim that the AR total for cases over 120 days is as high as 13.54%. It is important to note that this applies to practices with multiple specialties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping claims from aging beyond 120 days is essential because practices with claims aging beyond 120 days face a higher risk of write-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Calculate <\/strong><strong>AR Days in Medical Billing<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning how to calculate AR days in medical billing is a must. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hfma.org\/accounting-and-financial-reporting\/52117\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">HFMA&#8217;s published formula,<\/a> AR days can be calculated using the following formula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>AR Days&nbsp; =&nbsp; Total Net Receivables&nbsp; \u00f7&nbsp; Average Daily Charge Amount<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Average Daily Charge Amount = Gross charges for the prior 12 months \u00f7 365<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s consider an example where:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A practice has $600,000 in net AR and an average daily charge amount of $20,000; its AR days would equal 30. This is within the 30 to 40-day range recommended by the HFMA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to MGMA\u2019s advice, practices should maintain monthly reports. It should focus on the date of service, rather than the billing date, to accurately determine billing timeline issues.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Reasons for Delays in Accounts Receivable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding the reasons behind accounts receivable delays is crucial for optimizing your existing days in AR. However, most practices miss these reasons, which contribute to a restricted cash flow. The following are the most common reasons for delays:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Claim Denials<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Claim denials are one of the biggest challenges to delays in accounts receivable. Every denial results in more AR days. In addition, industry guidance commonly recommends resolving the majority of denials within 30 days to lower the AR days and maintain a smooth revenue cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, if denials occur because of the same reasons, it may point towards an underlying issue within the billing workflow. There can be errors with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adherence to payer-specific billing requirements\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coding\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Documentation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medical billing professionals should focus on the immediate rectification of errors to keep the days in AR to a minimum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s more, a <a href=\"https:\/\/kodiaksolutions.cdn.prismic.io\/kodiaksolutions\/Z08ko5bqstJ97_ps_KPImonthlyscorecard_December2024_V2.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2024 benchmarking analysis<\/a> showed a 17% increase in request-for-information denial rates, as well as a 7% increase in initial-denial rate applicable for commercial claims for inpatient services. So, since denial rates are increasing industry-wide, higher AR days are also on the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prior Authorization Delays<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior authorization is another leading cause of delayed reimbursement, resulting in increased AR days. According to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/prior-authorization\/fixing-prior-auth-these-critical-changes-must-be-made\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">AMA survey conducted in late 2024<\/a>, one out of four physicians reported that slow authorization processes ultimately lead to poor patient care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of cash flow and revenue, not every service receives prior authorization before the date of service, which puts the claim at risk, adding days to AR.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The situation is dire, and revenue cycles are worsening with time. In an MGMA poll, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mgma.com\/mgma-stats\/prior-authorization-burdens-for-healthcare-providers-still-growing-during-covid-19-pandemic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">81% of medical practices<\/a> agreed that prior authorization requirements have increased since 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Billing and Coding Errors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Billing and coding errors may occur due to various reasons. These mistakes include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unsupported diagnosis codes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Missing modifiers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mismatched procedure-diagnosis combinations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Incorrect CPT codes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These blunders can result in claim rejections, and MGMA guidance emphasizes that accurate coding is an essential part of accurate billing. Moreover, it also suggests closing encounters ideally the same day, or within 72 hours after the patient visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Insurance Eligibility Errors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine submitting a reimbursement claim for a patient with an expired insurance policy. The likely result is claim rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A practice dealing with a patient whose policy benefits do not adequately cover the costs or are not registered properly will likely face delays in payment, and hence, higher days in AR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, it is highly avoidable with stringent insurance verification that confirms whether a patient\u2019s insurance policy is active and whether the allowable amount is sufficient to cover service expenses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Poor Aging Claim Follow-Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Resolving outstanding claims requires planning and effort to avoid cash flow disruptions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your practice does not have a structured system for dealing with increased days in accounts receivable, your balances will accumulate beyond 120-day buckets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a practice misses filing deadlines, the claim might not be recovered, even if it is clinically valid. The longer a balance remains unpaid, the more difficult it becomes to collect. So, it is essential to follow up on claims and address delays or denials early on for smoother reimbursements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following table summarizes the above-mentioned information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Delay Cause<\/strong><\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Impact on Days in AR<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>Billing &amp; Coding Errors<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Instant denial or rejection in most cases, which increases AR days.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>Eligibility Errors<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Shift payment responsibility to patients, resulting in higher AR days.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>No Follow-Up on Aging Claims<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Reduced collection probability, requires 90-120+ days.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>Prior Authorization Challenges<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Major delay in claim reimbursement, leading to an increase in AR days.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><em>Claim Denials<\/em><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Unworked denials age directly into AR.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best Practices to Reduce <\/strong><strong>Days in AR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reducing days in AR is the most important target for any practice wishing to minimize cash flow disruptions. Therefore, the following best practices can help you achieve this goal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verify Insurance Eligibility&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to avoid unwanted billing surprises is to verify the patient\u2019s insurance eligibility upon their arrival or during registration. Ideally, the verification should be complete before the service is performed, not at the time of claim submission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, factors such as employment changes, life events, and open enrollment can all contribute to billing bottlenecks. Every time a claim fails eligibility, it is sent back, restarting the billing cycle and adding weeks of processing to the AR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Submit Clean Claims First Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Submitting an accurate and compliant claim the first time significantly reduces days in AR. Consistent claim denials could mean the staff requires training, and the coding methods need to be reviewed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some cases, a claim scrubbing tool can identify clerical and coding errors before submission. Under ideal conditions, many high-performing practices target a clean claim acceptance rate of 95% or higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Complete and Close Encounters within 72 Hours<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to industry practices and expert advice, the best way to minimize AR days in medical billing is to close a patient encounter on the same day, but no longer than 72 hours after the visit. Each day between the service date and charge capture adds additional time to the AR cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will be the case, even before the billing team creates the claim. Similarly, weekly batching charges typically add 3 to 5 days to their AR baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Address Denials Right Away<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Delaying or ignoring a denied claim due to administrative burden or any other factor is a big mistake. The unworked claim can contribute to cash flow disruptions and excessive workload in the long run.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, a denial that hasn\u2019t been worked on for 30 days is no longer considered a delayed payment. Instead, it is considered a claim in the aging category, where payment recovery is more challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Monitor AR Aging Regularly<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating monthly AR reports is the most effective method to optimize your existing billing system. If your practice has several claims, sort them by service date to address them efficiently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once claim submissions are sorted date-wise, you can identify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Payer-level patterns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unusual denial trends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Claims near filing deadlines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will also give the practice a sufficient period to take action to rectify these claims and avoid financial loss.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Set Clear Financial Policies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Practice policies for patient payment and billing are a key driver for AR performance. The clearer a service provider or facility\u2019s policies are, the easier it is for patients to set expectations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, if the front-desk staff clearly explains the copays and deductible obligations before the service, the patient will likely pay on time, resulting in AR days under 30.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clearly communicated service policies eliminate the chance of patient-side aging. When patients are informed of their financial responsibility and payment plan structures, the revenue cycle becomes more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reduce <\/strong><strong>Days in AR <\/strong><strong>with MediBillMD<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A practice facing consistently high days in AR can face revenue cycle disruptions. The financial impact of prolonged AR days may compound over time. Therefore, medical service providers and their billing teams should try to reduce AR days as much as possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your in-house team struggles with managing AR days, we recommend MediBillMD\u2019s expert <a href=\"https:\/\/medibillmd.com\/services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>medical billing services<\/strong><\/a> to reduce days in accounts receivable and keep them under 30. Their professionals help practices work toward lower AR days and improved reimbursement timelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The time duration or gap between providing services to a patient and receiving payment for those services is a critical 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