Days in accounts receivable (A/R) measures how long, on average, it takes to get paid after a service. A rising number is an early warning that revenue is getting stuck somewhere in the cycle. Here is how to bring it down and keep it there.
Verify eligibility every time
The fastest way to slow your A/R is to file claims that were never going to be paid. Real-time eligibility checks at scheduling and check-in stop those claims before they start.
Submit claims daily, not weekly
Batching claims for the end of the week quietly adds days to every encounter. Daily submission shortens the clock on everything.
Work denials within 48 hours
A denied claim that sits for two weeks is two weeks of aging you can't get back. Fast, root-cause denial work is the single biggest lever on A/R.
Follow up by aging bucket
Prioritize accounts as they cross 30, 60, and 90 days. The older a balance gets, the less likely it is to ever be collected, so old buckets deserve the most attention.
Make patient balances easy to pay
Clear statements, online payment, and upfront copay collection keep the patient-responsibility portion from becoming your slowest-paying bucket.
None of these are dramatic on their own. Done consistently, together they're what separates a practice paid in under 30 days from one waiting 50+.