Unworked AR is the most expensive problem in most practices, and the easiest to miss. Claims do not disappear. They just get older. Every week a denial sits in a queue, the chance of collecting it drops, and some claims quietly pass the payer’s filing or appeal deadline and can no longer be collected at all.
Industry studies estimate that 35 to 60% of denied claims are never resubmitted. That is rarely because the practice lacks software. It is because nobody owns the follow-up.
Signs you need an AR and denial specialist
- A growing share of your AR is older than 90 days
- Denials are only worked when someone has spare time, or only the large ones get attention
- The same denial reasons keep coming back month after month
- Your biller left, and nobody has touched old AR since
- Collections dropped, but nobody can explain why
- You have never had a claim-by-claim view of what is outstanding and why
See what 90-day AR really costs your practice.
What an AR and denial management specialist does
- Sorts the backlog by value and deadline. Claims closest to filing or appeal limits and with the highest balances are worked first.
- Finds out why each claim is unpaid. Payer portal checks and phone calls to confirm whether a claim was received, denied, pended for information, or paid incorrectly.
- Fixes and resubmits claims with correctable errors: eligibility, coding, modifiers, missing information or authorization.
- Writes and files appeals with the right documentation when a denial should be overturned.
- Posts payments and flags underpayments against your contracted rates.
- Fixes the root cause. If the same denial keeps coming back, the specialist traces it to the front desk, documentation or credentialing, so it stops at the source.
That last step is the difference between chasing denials forever and reducing them. As we put it: fix the appointment, not the denial.
Why this work needs a person
Automation is useful for spotting denial patterns and scrubbing claims before they go out. But recovering money after a denial still depends on calling payers, reading the situation and building a case. Read more in why AI can’t chase a denial.
What to expect in the first 60 days
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Access set up, AR report pulled, backlog sorted by deadline and value |
| Weeks 1 to 4 | Oldest and highest-value claims worked first, denials appealed, recurring denial reasons identified |
| Weeks 4 to 8 | Backlog shrinking, root-cause fixes in place with your front desk and providers, new claims kept current |
Because payers take 30 to 60 days to process resubmitted claims and appeals, the full impact usually shows at 60 to 90 days. Results depend on the age and condition of your AR, and some very old claims may be past recovery.
What you see every day
DrBillerz clients do not wait for a monthly report. In the client portal you see claims worked, denials resolved, appeals filed and payments posted, with the full history of each claim. Your dedicated RCM manager reviews progress and flags anything that needs you.
What it costs
DrBillerz specialists start from $7 an hour. A full-time specialist is about $1,120 a month and a part-time specialist at 20 hours a week is about $600 a month. There is no percentage of collections, no setup fee and no long-term contract, and the dedicated RCM manager and client portal are included. Compare that with a billing company taking 4 to 10% of everything collected, including money you would have collected anyway.
DrBillerz is not a software company. Your specialist works inside the EHR, practice management system and clearinghouse you already use.
Start your free 4-week pilot · Send an enquiry · or call (313) 725-9746
Related: what to do when a claim is denied, how to reduce days in AR, and how to hire a medical biller.
Frequently asked questions
What does an AR follow-up specialist do?
They find out why each unpaid claim has not been paid, fix and resubmit claims with correctable errors, file appeals, call payers, post payments and trace recurring denials to their root cause.
How quickly will I see results on old AR?
Work starts in the first week, oldest and highest-value claims first. Because payers take 30 to 60 days to process resubmissions and appeals, the full impact usually shows at 60 to 90 days.
Can you recover claims older than 90 days?
Often, yes, if they are still within the payer’s filing or appeal limits. Some very old claims may be past recovery, which is why deadlines are worked first.
Do you charge a percentage of what you collect?
No. DrBillerz specialists are paid hourly, from $7 an hour, with no percentage of collections, no setup fee and no long-term contract.
Will the specialist work in my system?
Yes. Your specialist works inside your existing EHR, practice management system, clearinghouse and payer portals, under a signed BAA.
How do I know the work is being done?
You see claims worked, denials resolved, appeals filed and payments posted every day in the DrBillerz client portal, and a dedicated RCM manager reviews the results.