Ask Caryl: How to Track Denials
Q: Our ASC seems to get a fair amount of reimbursement denials. Do you have a process for tracking denials?
Caryl Serbin: Over the years, we have worked with numerous surgery centers on improving their cash flow. One thing we have noticed is the disconnect between receiving a denial and following up on its root cause. We developed a denial log that assisted us in determining which areas of the revenue cycle required improvement. Starting with the worst offender (category reflecting highest number of denials), we could audit and correct the process(es) being used that were resulting in a high number of denials.
If your software does not track denials and categorize them, the following is an example of the format and categories we typically used:
If you would like to receive a version of this spreadsheet that includes simple formulas to calculate the percentage of cases for each category (as compared to previous year's total denials), email caryl@serbinmedicalbilling.com, subject: "Denial log spreadsheet."
Have an ASC revenue cycle question? Ask Caryl by emailing caryl@serbinmedicalbilling.com or fill out the form on this page.
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