Practical steps to bring down days in AR, a key indicator of revenue cycle health for OB/GYN practices.
Days in accounts receivable — the average time it takes to collect payment after a service is rendered — is one of the clearest health indicators for a practice's [revenue cycle](/blog/revenue-cycle-management-basics-obgyn). When it climbs, it's rarely one problem; it's usually several small ones compounding.
Audit Your Claim Submission Timing
Claims sitting in a batch queue for days before submission add directly to your AR clock before a payer has even seen them. Same-day or next-day submission should be the standard, not the exception.
Work Denials Within 48 Hours
The longer a denial sits untouched, the more likely it ages past a payer's correction window entirely. A dedicated daily denial-working process — not a weekly batch review — keeps claims moving instead of stalling. Our [denial management](/denial-management) approach is built around exactly this cadence.
Track AR by Payer, Not Just in Aggregate
A blended AR number can hide a single problem payer dragging the average up. Breaking AR down by payer usually reveals that 80% of your aged AR sits with 2-3 specific payers — which is far more actionable than a single overall number.
Don't Let Global Maternity Claims Sit Unmonitored
Because global maternity claims can't be submitted until after delivery, it's easy for a practice to lose track of exactly when each pregnancy's claim should go out. A simple tracking system tied to expected delivery date prevents these claims from silently aging.
Key Takeaways
- ›Submission delays and slow denial follow-up are the two biggest AR drivers
- ›Segment AR by payer to find where the real problem sits
- ›Track expected maternity claim submission dates proactively, not reactively
Practices that tighten these habits typically see measurable AR improvement within one to two billing cycles — see real examples on our [results page](/results), or use our [calculator](/calculator) to estimate your own potential recovery.