Medical Billing Case Study: 38% Reduction in A/R

How Lister Reduced Accounts Receivable by 38% Through End-to-End Billing Optimization

Background

A multi-provider healthcare center was struggling with growing Accounts Receivable (AR), delayed claim submissions, unresolved denials, and inconsistent follow-up on unpaid claims. The existing billing workflow lacked timely coordination between the
providers and billing team, resulting in slower cash flow and increasing outstanding balances. Lister assumed responsibility for the complete end-to-end Revenue Cycle Management process beginning with Date of Service (DOS) March 16, 2025, while also helping the client resolve outstanding claims from prior periods.

Challenges

The practice faced several operational and revenue cycle challenges:

Claims were submitted with a standard 3-day lag after the Date of Service, delaying reimbursements.
Provider signatures and coding clarifications were pending, preventing timely claim submission.
Denials were not consistently worked or appealed within appropriate timelines.
Unpaid and no-response insurance accounts received minimal follow-up.
Historical AR accumulated due to unresolved claims dating back to June 2023.
Limited payer portal access slowed claim status verification and denial resolution.
High Closing AR, Insurance AR, and 90+ day AR negatively impacted cash flow.

Lister's Solution

After conducting a comprehensive assessment of the billing workflow, Lister implemented several process improvements.

Workflow Optimization

Reviewed the entire billing process and identified operational bottlenecks.
Collaborated closely with the client to obtain daily clarification logs for pending coding and provider signature cases.
Established a streamlined communication process between the billing team and the practice, enabling charges to be processed without unnecessary delays.
Assisted the center in completing pending documentation and coding clarifications on a daily basis.

Comprehensive AR Management

Took ownership of the complete end-to-end billing process beginning early 2025. • Successfully worked historical accounts from 2023 through 2025.
Reopened unresolved patient responsibility accounts that had previously been managed only for patient collections.
Performed proactive follow-up on unpaid and no-response claims until resolution.
Ensured denials were identified, worked, and appealed promptly.

Payer & Process Improvements

Coordinated directly with payers to resolve claim processing issues.
Optimized claim submission workflows by routing claims to the appropriate IPA instead of directly to health plans where applicable, reducing reimbursement delays.
Created access to major payer portals including UHC and Kaiser, significantly improving claim research, follow-up efficiency, and resolution times.
Established a disciplined AR follow-up process that reduced both historical and current outstanding balances.

Results

Within approximately 10 months of implementation, the practice achieved significant improvements across multiple revenue cycle metrics.

Performance Metric

Improvement

Performance Metric	Improvement
AR Days	19% reduction
Closing AR	38% reduction
Insurance AR	43% reduction
90+ Day Insurance AR	58% reduction
Revenue per Patient (Increased from $118.00 to $149.80)	27% increase

Business Impact

By combining disciplined billing operations with proactive AR management, Lister delivered measurable financial improvements for the client:
Reduced overall AR and accelerated cash flow.
Cleared a significant backlog of historical outstanding claims.
Improved denial management and reimbursement timelines.
Strengthened communication between providers and the billing team.
Increased revenue generated per patient.
Established sustainable billing processes that continue to support long-term financial performance.

Key Takeaway

Revenue cycle performance is influenced not only by claim submission but by every step that follows. Through structured workflows, consistent communication, timely denial management, and relentless AR follow up, Lister transformed a delayed and aging receivables process into a healthier, more efficient revenue cycle that generated faster collections and stronger financial outcomes.

A healthy revenue cycle isn’t built through isolated improvements, it’s achieved through disciplined processes, proactive follow-up, and close collaboration between your providers and billing team. Lister helps healthcare organizations streamline
every stage of medical billing, reduce aging receivables, improve collections, and create sustainable workflows that support long-term financial performance. If outstanding A/R is limiting your cash flow, we'd love to show you where meaningful improvements can be made.

Why Healthcare Providers Choose Lister?

20+ years as Trusted RCM Partner.
5 M+ claims in Urgent Care, Primary Care & Family Practice.
98% First Pass Acceptance Rate.
<5% Initial Claim Denial Rate.
<10% Over 90 Days AR.
Working with one of the largest Urgent Care Brands in the US.
HIPAA Compliant & Secure processes.

Let's Find the Revenue You're Missing

Whether you’re looking to reduce aged A/R, improve reimbursement, recover unpaid claims, or strengthen your entire revenue cycle, our specialists are ready to help.

Complete the form below to schedule your complimentary Revenue Leakage Assessment (Worth $750) and discover practical opportunities to improve your financial performance.