Why Patient Credit Balances Deserve More Attention Than Most Practices Give Them
Why Patient Credit Balances Deserve More Attention Than Most Practices Give Them Most AR conversations focus on money that has not been collected. Unpaid claims. Denials. Underpayments. Old patient balances. But there is another type of balance that deserves just as much attention: Money sitting on an account that may no longer belong to the […]
The AR Risk Hidden in Payer Recoupments
The AR Risk Hidden in Payer Recoupments The claim was paid. The payment was posted. The account looked resolved. Then, weeks or even months later, the money is taken back. Payer recoupments can create a unique AR challenge because they reopen accounts that may no longer be receiving the same attention as active denials or […]
The Difference Between a Denial, Rejection, and Underpayment—and Why It Matters
The Difference Between a Denial, Rejection, and Underpayment—and Why It Matters A claim has a problem. But what kind of problem? Was it rejected before it could be properly processed? Was it processed and then denied? Or did the payer issue payment, but for less than the practice expected? To a busy medical billing team, […]
When the EOB and the Patient Account Do Not Match
When the EOB and the Patient Account Do Not Match The payer has processed the claim. An Explanation of Benefits is available. The patient account shows a balance. At first glance, the numbers should tell the same story. But sometimes they do not. The EOB may show one amount as patient responsibility while the account […]
Why Secondary Claims Become an AR Blind Spot
Why Secondary Claims Become an AR Blind Spot A primary claim gets paid. The payment is posted. The account looks better than it did before. But there is still a remaining balance. For many medical practices, this is where secondary claims can quietly become an AR blind spot. The primary payer may have completed its […]
Underpayments: The AR Problem Medical Practices Can Easily Miss
Underpayments: The AR Problem Medical Practices Can Easily Miss A claim gets paid. The payment posts successfully. The account no longer looks like a denial. At first glance, everything appears to be moving in the right direction. But there is another AR problem that can be much easier to overlook: The payer paid the claim, […]
Why Zero-Pay Claims Should Never Be Treated as “Just Another Denial”
Why Zero-Pay Claims Should Never Be Treated as “Just Another Denial” A claim comes back from the payer. The payment is $0. For a busy medical billing team, it can be tempting to place the account into the same workflow as every other unpaid or denied claim: review the reason, make a call, correct something, […]
The Difference Between Correcting an Account and Correcting the Process
08/13/2026 The Difference Between Correcting an Account and Correcting the Process In healthcare accounts receivable, resolving an individual account is important. A claim may be corrected. A payment may be reposted. An adjustment may be applied. A denial may be appealed. A patient balance may be updated. Once the account reflects the correct outcome, the […]
When AR Teams Have Information but Still Cannot Move Forward
08/12/2026 When AR Teams Have Information but Still Cannot Move Forward Healthcare accounts receivable teams often spend significant time trying to find information. They review payer responses. They search account notes. They verify claim history. They look for remittance details. They confirm documentation. They check whether a correction was submitted. They identify which department handled […]
What a Patient-Ready AR Account Should Look Like
08/11/2026 What a Patient-Ready AR Account Should Look Like A patient-facing balance should represent more than the amount currently displayed on an account. It should represent a financial outcome that has been reviewed, supported, and clearly understood. The payer should have completed the appropriate processing. Payments and adjustments should be reflected correctly. Open denials, documentation […]