Short answerRecover aged AR by sorting unpaid claims by balance and days left before timely filing or appeal deadlines, contacting payers to find the specific blocker on each claim, then resolving it through corrected claims, records submissions, appeals or escalation, starting with the highest-value claims closest to expiring.
Claims over 60 days old are where revenue quietly disappears. They are also where a focused team recovers the most.
Why claims age
- a denial that was never worked
- missing information requested by the payer
- coordination of benefits questions
- credentialing or enrollment problems
- claims stuck in "pending" with no response
A four-step approach
- Sort: by balance and days remaining before the payer's deadline.
- Diagnose: portal check or call to find the exact reason each claim is unpaid.
- Resolve: corrected claim, records, appeal or COB update.
- Escalate: provider relations for claims stuck past normal processing times.
Metrics to track weekly
| Metric | Why |
|---|---|
| AR over 90 days, % of total | Shows whether aging is under control |
| Dollars collected from aged AR | The point of the work |
| Claims at risk this month | Prevents write-offs |
| Denials worked vs received | Shows backlog |
Related: timely filing and appeal deadlines, AI AR prioritization and our 60+ day AR recovery service.
This article is general billing information, not legal or coding-compliance advice. Payer rules, CPT descriptors and federal guidance change; check the current versions for your claims.