Revenue Cycle & Payments
Reading Your A/R Report Like a Pro: What Each Aging Bucket Is Telling You
Your A/R aging report is a diagnostic tool, not just a number. Learn which buckets signal which problems and what to do about each.
The buckets and what they mean
Heavy 0–30 day balances with slow posting point to a charge-entry lag. A bulging 31–60 bucket usually means follow-up staffing is thin. balances stacked in 61–90 and beyond signal unresolved denials, unpaid patient balances, or claims stuck without status.
Healthy practices keep most A/R under 30 days and over-90 balances below roughly 15–20% of total.
Ask three questions of any report
Is the total A/R larger than about two to two-and-a-half months of charges? That ratio flags a slow cycle.
Which payers dominate the over-90 bucket? Payer-specific patterns reveal contract or escalation problems.
How much of the over-90 bucket is patient responsibility? That portion needs a different playbook — statements, plans, and phone work.
How Precision helps
We review your A/R by payer, age, and balance for free, then show you which claims are salvageable and what recovery is realistic before you commit to anything.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Rules change often — confirm current requirements with CMS, your payers, or counsel.