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Claim denials are a well-documented challenge for healthcare organizations. Denied claims take much longer to pay out than first-time claims, if they get paid at all. Each one means additional hours of rework and follow-up, pulling in extra resources as staff review payer policies and figure out what went wrong. It's time-consuming and costly. Beyond dollars and paperwork, denials affect patient care as uncertainty about payments leads to delays in treatment or unexpected out-of-pocket costs. But how do healthcare leaders feel about the state of claims management today? How are they tackling the administrative burden? Is there any light at the end of the denials tunnel?   Experian Health surveyed 210 healthcare revenue cycle leaders to find out. The 2024 State of Claims report breaks down the survey findings, including insights into how automated claims technology is being used (or not!) to optimize the claims process and bring in more revenue. What is the current denial rate for healthcare claims? 38% of survey respondents said that at least one in ten claims is denied. Some organizations see claims denied more than 15% of the time. That's a lot of rework and lost revenue that providers were counting on. In 2009, claims processing accounted for around $210 billion in “wasted” healthcare dollars in the US. A decade later, the bill had climbed to $265 billion. Industry reports—including Experian Health's State of Claims series—repeatedly observed a rise in denial rates. Today, 73% of providers agree that claim denials are increasing, while 67% feel it's taking longer to get paid. Providers constantly worry about who will pay – and when. What are the most common reasons for healthcare claim denials? According to the State of Claim survey respondents, the top three reasons for denials are missing or inaccurate data, authorizations, inaccurate or incomplete patient info. In short? The problem is bad data. Given how much information has to be processed and organized to fill out a single claim, this isn't surprising. From patient information to changing payer rules, the sheer volume of data points to be collated creates too many opportunities for errors and omissions. On top of that, the rules are always changing. More than three-quarters of providers say payer policy changes are occurring more frequently than in previous years, making it increasingly difficult to keep up. Other challenges, such as coding errors, staff shortages, missing coverage and late submissions still play a role, but it's clear that solving the data problem could make a meaningful dent in the denials problem. Read the blog: How data and analytics in healthcare can maximize revenue Could automation improve claim denial statistics? To help end the cycle of denials, more healthcare providers are turning to claims management software to resolve or prevent the snags that interfere with claims processing and billing workflows and boost claim success rates. That said, around half of providers still review claims manually. Despite the proven benefits of integrated workflows and automation, the drive to implement new technology during the pandemic seems to have lost momentum: the number of providers currently using some form of automation and/or artificial intelligence (AI) has dropped from 62% in 2022 to 31% in 2024. Could this be down to a lack of comfort with how new technologies work? Only 28% feel confident in their understanding of automation, machine learning and AI, compared to 68% in 2022. For those who are curious but cautious, here are a few ways claims automation can help improve claim denial statistics: Connect the entire claims process end-to-end: Using an automated, scalable claims management system like ClaimSource® helps providers manage the entire claims cycle in a single application. From importing claims files for faster processing to automatically formatting and submitting claims to payers, it simplifies the claims editing and submission process to boost productivity. Submit more accurate claims: 65% of survey respondents say submitting clean claims is more challenging now than before the pandemic. There's a strong case, then, for using an automated claim scrubbing tool to reduce errors. Claim Scrubber reviews pre-billed claims line by line so errors are caught and corrected before being submitted to the payer, resulting in fewer undercharges and denials and better use of staff time. Improve cash flow: Automating claim status monitoring is one way to accelerate claims processing and time to payment. Enhanced Claim Status eliminates manual follow-up so staff can process pended, returned-to-provider, denied, or zero-pay transactions as quickly as possible. Eliminate manual processes: While there are some tasks that genuinely need a human touch, too much staff time is wasted on repetitive, process-driven activities that would be better handled through automation. Denials Workflow Manager automates the denial process to eliminate the need for manual reviews. It helps staff identify denied claims that can be resubmitted and tracks the root causes of denials to identify trends and improve performance. It also integrates with ClaimSource, Enhanced Claim Status and Contract Manager, so staff can view claim and denial information on a single screen. Experian Health was client-rated #1 by Black Book™ '24 in Denial & Claims Management Outsourcing, Health Systems. Learn more Improving claim denial statistics with AI While automation speeds up the denials workflow by taking care of data entry, AI can look at that data and recommend next steps. Current ClaimSource users can now level up their entire claims management system with AI AdvantageTM, which interprets historical claims data and payer behavior to predict and prevent denials. The video below gives a handy walk-through of how AI Advantage's two offerings, Predict Denials and Denial Triage, can help providers respond to the growing challenge of denials: As the survey shows, there's a growing need for easy-to-implement solutions to the denials challenge. While progress has been made, the findings suggest there's still room to use automation and AI more to prevent denials and level the playing field with payers. Download Experian Health's 2024 State of Claims report for an inside look at the latest claim denial statistics and industry attitudes to claims and denials management. 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Health payers created the prior authorization system as a cost and quality control strategy, ensuring patients receive only the most necessary, evidence-based, cost-effective and quality care. Nevertheless, real-life implementation has shown that prior authorizations often backfire on their original intents, increasing overall care costs beyond what is necessary. It also delays patient care, contributes to physician burnout and hinders operational efficiency.  Additionally, dealing with the administrative workload associated with prior authorizations can be overwhelming, time-consuming and exhausting for providers and billing teams. The sheer volume of paperwork required to navigate the traditional prior authorization system can be exhausting, particularly given the current climate of staff shortages and constantly changing payer policies.   Read on to learn why prior authorizations are crucial to reimbursements and how healthcare organizations can streamline the process using electronic prior authorizations.  What are prior authorizations?   Prior authorizations, also known as preauthorizations, is a process that involves healthcare providers obtaining approval from a health plan for a service or prescription to be delivered to a patient. This approval ensures that the plan reimburses the cost of the service or prescription.   Prior authorizations involve a series of steps. First, healthcare providers confirm the patients' qualifications for the proposed treatment. Next, they determine whether prior authorization is required. If an authorization is necessary, providers must submit information detailing the patient's medical history and other administrative information. They also have to submit supporting documents to justify the necessity and appropriateness of the proposed treatment. If the submission meets the prior authorization criteria, the plan approves the request and reimburses the cost of care.  Payers develop prior authorization criteria drawing from medical guidelines, cost considerations, utilization data and other relevant information. However, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) survey, more than one in three providers claim that these rules are rarely or never evidence-based.  Why are prior authorizations required?  Payers created prior authorizations to ensure that the specific service delivered to the patient is medically necessary, appropriate and in line with evidence-based guidelines. It is a cost-and-quality control mechanism. It is set in place so patients only receive the best and most cost-effective care option, optimizing quality while controlling costs.   Prior authorizations have been suggested to help manage the cost of care and reduce healthcare spending. Payers employ prior authorizations to prevent the arbitrary prescription of expensive treatments and medications to patients without appropriate justification. For instance, a healthcare provider might prescribe a costly brand-name medication for which a generic and more cost-effective alternative exists.  The prior authorization requirements regulations also ensure that healthcare providers administer evidence-based care and prescribe FDA-approved medications. In cases of off-label use, the requirements help encourage providers only to prescribe treatments supported by high-quality scientific literature. These medications must also meet indications endorsed by recognized sources such as the American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information (AHFS-DI).  Challenges with traditional prior authorization methods  For many providers, dealing with prior authorization is an endless journey of starting, completing and revising paperwork. This process presents administrative challenges, leading to a significant waste of time and resources. An AMA survey found that 86% of physicians have reported that prior authorization increased healthcare resource usage.   Healthcare providers frequently allocate a large portion of their daily schedules to addressing prior authorizations. This practice takes staff time and effort that could otherwise be dedicated to providing high-quality patient care. According to an AMA prior authorization survey, healthcare providers spend about 12 hours working on 43 prior authorizations weekly. Not to mention that over one in four providers report that these prior authorization requests often or always end up being denied.   These experiences with traditional prior authorization methods have severe consequences for healthcare providers. They lead to increased physician workload, burnout, and lost time and productivity.  For patients, the time required to process manual paperwork can be a frustrating roadblock to accessing timely care. A convoluted prior authorization process also adds extra hurdles to working with different healthcare specialists for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Consequently, processing prior authorizations through traditional methods could lead to delays in care and even treatment abandonment.   The impact on patient outcomes is also quite significant. According to the AMA, more than nine out of 10 doctors report negative effects due to prior authorizations.   Additionally, payer policies are constantly changing, compounding this issue. It's hard for providers to stay up-to-date and ensure submissions are accurate. These new changes are often unannounced, making it more likely for healthcare providers to make prior authorization requests based on outdated rules. As a result, many of these submissions are instantly rejected.   Challenges with traditional prior methods point to one fact: the need for a more efficient prior authorization system is evident and urgent.  Why healthcare providers should use electronic prior authorizations  Electronic prior authorization entails systems or solutions that streamline the process of obtaining approval for proposed medical procedures, services and medications to be delivered. These systems enable healthcare providers to initiate authorization requests electronically, eliminating the need for manual paperwork processing. They are designed to improve operational efficiency, reduce healthcare providers' administrative burden and ensure patients receive care as early as prescribed.   Alicia Pickett, Senior Product Manager at Experian Health, says, "As healthcare providers face increasing administrative demands, automating prior authorizations is no longer just an efficiency measure—it's a necessity. By streamlining this process, we enable providers to focus on what matters most: delivering timely, high-quality care to their patients."  Overall, electronic prior authorizations connect payers' objective of only remunerating high-quality, appropriate and cost-effective care and providers' aspiration to bypass excessive procedural prerequisites for reimbursement. They also help ensure patients enjoy seamless and timely healthcare encounters that culminate in favorable clinical outcomes.  The benefits of electronic prior authorization solutions  The traditional prior authorization workflow can be tedious, time-consuming and error-prone. Enter electronic prior authorizations. Its unique capabilities offer many advantages for hospitals, healthcare providers and patients.  Neeraj Joshi, Product Director at Experian Health, says, "The true value of electronic prior authorizations lies in its ability to remove barriers to care. By reducing approval times and minimizing paperwork, patients receive faster access to the treatments they need, ultimately leading to better outcomes and fewer delays in critical care."   Here are some benefits of using electronic solutions to address prior authorization hurdles.  Reduced administrative burden  Prior authorization can be lengthy and frustrating when healthcare providers have to gather, review and complete hundreds of pieces of paperwork weekly. Electronic prior authorizations accurately and efficiently take care of these burdens in a way that human efforts cannot replicate.   Improved operational efficiency  Electronic solutions for prior authorizations are a partner tool that helps hospital management allocate resources appropriately. They can also help reduce staff workload and workflow, even amidst staff shortages. By freeing healthcare providers and staff from the time-consuming task of handling prior authorization paperwork, they can focus more on enhancing patient experience, care and satisfaction. As a result, hospitals have a more productive, less stressed and efficient workforce.  Reduced claim denials  Errors in the prior authorization process are a leading cause of claim denials, particularly when hospitals use traditional methods. Electronic authorizations help reduce the risk of claim denials by ensuring accuracy and completeness at every step of the submission process.   Improved patient experience and outcomes  Traditional prior authorization methods lead to costly care delays and frustrating patient encounters with the healthcare system. On the other hand, electronic accelerates time to care delivery, reducing the likelihood of patients experiencing adverse effects.  Increased hospital financial resources  By automating the prior authorization stage, healthcare organizations can speed up the entire claims and revenue management process. This accelerated system also helps reduce claim denial rates and boosts reimbursement rates. As a result, cash flow improves, ultimately strengthening their financial standing.  Key features of prior authorization software  Experian Health's prior authorization software, Authorizations, is an integrated online service that automates the inquiry and facilitates the submission processes for prior authorizations. The system automatically fills in payer information, and users are only infrequently prompted to make inputs.  Key features of the prior authorization software include:  Knowledgebase: Authorizations can access real-time and up-to-date prior authorization requirements and criteria in the National Payer Rulesets.   Submissions support: The software guides users to the appropriate website and presents patient data in an efficient format so that users can create clean submissions.  Enhanced workflow: It works with dynamic work queues, which provide an instant view of the prior authorization status and guide users through any pending tasks.  Postback: Users can send information about authorization status to the health information system (HIS) and practice management systems (PMS).  Image storage: Images of payer responses can be received and stored securely in the software's integrated document imaging system.  Reconciliation: The software offers insights into and helps resolve authorization variances, allowing staff to take proactive steps to prevent denials and appeals.   Electronic prior authorization solutions are a valuable time- and resource-saving investment for stakeholders in hospital revenue management. According to the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH), the healthcare industry could save around $494 million annually by using them. In addition, providers can save 11 minutes per prior authorization transaction with electronic solutions.  Additionally, electronic prior authorization software creates a win-win situation for healthcare providers and payers: Payers only release payments when necessary and hospitals get steady, adequate cash flow to meet the operational expenses of delivering quality care.   Find out how Experian Health's electronic prior authorization software, Authorizations, helps healthcare organizations achieve faster reimbursement rates.  Learn more Contact us

Reimbursement issues in the healthcare industry are complex, but reimbursement is essential for healthcare organizations. Proper reimbursement allows providers to run operations efficiently and deliver consistent, high-quality patient care. It also enables organizations to invest in technologies that advance their operations. Read on to learn more about the causes of reimbursement issues and discover the strategies, tools and automated solutions healthcare providers can use to address them. Understanding reimbursement issues in healthcare Healthcare organizations often provide care without upfront payment and hope that healthcare payers will fulfill their obligations and settle their bills. This system impacts all healthcare stakeholders and influences the quality and timeliness of patient care. It also affects staff productivity, satisfaction, hospital operational efficiency, cash flow and bottom line. However, the reimbursement system is also fraught with long-standing challenges that complicate financial growth for healthcare organizations. Claim denials, changing reimbursement landscape and payer rules, prior authorization hurdles and staffing shortages complicate reimbursement issues in healthcare and cost hospitals billions of dollars in administrative complexities. Key challenges of healthcare reimbursement concepts Key challenges that fuel reimbursement issues and impact hospital cash flow include: High patient volumes and submission of inaccurate claims Complex payer policies, compliance issues and poor communication in payer-provider partnerships Increasing claims denials leading to nonpayment Staff shortages and lack of training Slow adoption of data, analytics and automation solutions Causes of reimbursement issues By identifying the causes of reimbursement issues that result in delays and nonpayments, healthcare organizations can develop effective strategies to tackle them. Here is a closer look at why reimbursement issues commonly occur: Rising claim denials Claim denials lead to delayed or lost reimbursements, which amount to millions of dollars in lost revenue for hospitals. The Journal of AHIMA reports that claim denials cost hospitals $5 million, annually. According to Experian Health's State of Claims report, 38% of healthcare providers experience claims being denied 10% of the time, or more. 67% of respondents also agreed that reimbursement times are increasing. A report from the American Hospital Association noted that Medicare Advantage plan payment denials increased by 56% for the average health system between January 2022 and June 2023. These denials led to a 28% decline in cash reserves—even as maintenance expenses rose by 90% and other operational costs increased by up to 35%. With increasing claim denials, rising operational costs and a drop in cash reserves, revenue cycle leaders are under pressure to address costly claim denials. Staffing shortages and lack of appropriate training Challenges with staffing shortages and inadequately trained staff to handle revenue cycle management processes can lead to reimbursement issues for healthcare organizations. New research, published daily, shows that healthcare organizations are grappling with staffing shortages and the associated consequences. Experian Health's recent survey, Short Staffed for the Long-Term, identified staffing shortages as being strongly linked with increasing claims denial and declining reimbursement rates in healthcare. In fact, nearly all survey respondents noted that staff shortages have affected their organization's revenue opportunities. According to 70% of the survey respondents, staff shortages are seriously impeding payer reimbursement, and 83% report that it has become increasingly challenging to follow up on late payments or provide assistance to patients facing financial difficulties. In another Experian Health survey, The State of Patient Access, 2023: The Digital Front Door, 87% of providers report that healthcare staffing shortages are worsening healthcare access. Additionally, inadequate and lack of up-to-date training in handling medical coding, eligibility verification, patient estimates and other necessary administrative processes for preparing and submitting clean claims and receiving reimbursement hamper the efficiency of existing staff. Complex prior authorization process When healthcare organizations fail to obtain prior authorization in cases where it is needed, they can inadvertently face healthcare reimbursement issues. Prior authorization is a cost-control mechanism used by payers to confirm the justification for costly healthcare services. When prior authorization is required, providers must receive approval from payers before their services can be eligible for reimbursement. Prior authorization is a heavy and time-consuming administrative burden. According to the 2023 AMA prior authorization survey, every healthcare physician completes 43 prior authorizations per week on average—a process that takes about 12 hours. Worse, more than a quarter of providers report that prior authorizations are often or always denied. The complex prior authorization process leads to treatment delays, abandonment and reimbursement hassles. Many denials occur after patients have already started receiving care, or or when required care is only partially covered, causing further challenges. Changing reimbursement policies and payer rules Healthcare providers unintentionally fall behind in staying updated on critical reimbursement policies. The reasons vary, but typically include shifts in the reimbursement landscape, inconsistencies in payer rules, unannounced rule changes and poor communication in payer-provider relationships. Complex and ever-evolving payer policies also result in substantial losses for hospitals. Hospital revenue and resources, staff productivity and satisfaction and patient experience all bear the brunt. Hospitals relying on manual processes instead of automated software solutions to manage reimbursement hurdles are often hit even harder. Strategies to resolve healthcare reimbursement issues Organizations working to achieve impactful reimbursements can adopt strategies for success, including: Adopt AI and automation to prevent claim denials In the State of Claims 2024 report, only 31% of providers reported using some form of automation and/or AI technology. Automated solutions provide a time-and-resource-efficient approach for healthcare organizations to streamline claims and revenue cycle management. For example, ClaimSource® is a single software solution used to automate the claims management process and improve reimbursement rates. This solution automates tasks crucial to claims approval and reimbursements, like eligibility verification and coding, making the process faster and error-free. Experian Health's AI Advantage™ is a prime example of an AI-powered solution that works seamlessly with automation solutions to provide organizations with the greatest potential for reimbursement. It offers a two-in-one avenue relevant before claims submission and after claims denial. Organizations can reduce denial rates with Predictive Denials and predict high-value denials that improve reimbursement rates with Denials Triage. Implementing AI and automation can help strengthen financial performance and increase reimbursement rates for healthcare organizations. When integrated with AI-powered solutions that provide prediction and accuracy, automation takes the claims management burden off the shoulders of overworked staff. Staff can then redirect their efforts towards activities that enhance patient experience, care quality and outcomes. Automate prior authorizations Prior authorizations can be time-consuming and expensive, especially with manual, error-prone systems. According to a paper published in the Journal of Perspectives in Health Information Management, 85% of providers consider the burden associated with prior authorization to be “high or extremely high.” Yet, many providers still rely on manual processes, which further complicate prior authorizations and create stumbling blocks to getting reimbursements. Instead, healthcare organizations can embrace automated solutions, like Experian Health's Prior Authorizations solution, to streamline this process. This solution automates the prior authorization inquiry and submission process and helps providers achieve prompt payments, ultimately ensuring predictable revenue cycles. By adopting automation, they save staff time and improve operational efficiency, which also improves care delivery and elevates the patient care experience. Equip staff with technology solutions Healthcare billing teams can also effectively tackle critical aspects that increase the potential of securing reimbursements using technology solutions designed to help boost productivity without increasing headcount. These include: Denial Workflow Manager to eliminate the need for manual review of claims status and remittance advice, resulting in reduced denials Enhanced Claim Status eliminates manual follow-up tasks and lets providers respond early and accurately to pended, returned-to-provider, denied, or zero-pay transactions before the Electronic Remittance Advice and Explanation of Benefits are processed Patient Payment Estimates to provide better price transparency so patients are empowered to make better decisions and healthcare providers get paid faster Overcoming reimbursement issues for better healthcare outcomes Reimbursement issues pose many challenges for today's healthcare organizations. They burden hospitals with excessive administrative work, cause delays in healthcare delivery and put the patient experience in the backseat. They also impact healthcare provider satisfaction and productivity and worsen hospital financial performance. Empowering staff with automated solutions enables them to swiftly and accurately manage the different fragments leading to reimbursement. This can result in improved healthcare outcomes and organizational profitability. Learn more about how Experian Health's Claims Management and Clearinghouse solutions (ranked #1 Best in KLAS 2024) can help organizations secure reimbursements that boost their bottom lines. Get reimbursed faster Contact us