Case study overview: This anonymized account describes a recovery outcome reported by Bill For You for a behavioral health group. To protect client confidentiality, the practice is not identified. No additional claim counts, payer names, recovery period, or percentage improvements are asserted.
The challenge: outstanding claims beyond 120 days
For a behavioral health organization, insurance claims that remain unpaid for more than four months can create cash-flow pressure and uncertainty. Older balances deserve deliberate attention because their status, payer requirements, and filing or appeal deadlines may differ from those of newer claims.
In this engagement, the group had claims in the 120+ day accounts receivable (A/R) aging category. The central objective was to turn outstanding balances into collected revenue where payment was still recoverable.
The outcome: more than $100,000 recovered
Bill For You recovered over $100,000 in outstanding payments associated with claims aged more than 120 days for the behavioral health group. This result demonstrates why older A/R should be reviewed rather than automatically treated as uncollectible.
The confirmed outcome is the amount recovered and the aging category of the claims. This case study does not claim a specific recovery timeline, total starting A/R balance, number of claims worked, or particular payer intervention.
What an effective aged A/R recovery effort should examine
Every practice's unpaid-claims inventory is different. The following is a practical framework for evaluating aged behavioral health receivables—not a claim that each individual step was performed in this particular engagement.
- Segment aged claims: Separate 120+ day balances by payer, claim status, amount, and reason for nonpayment.
- Validate claim history: Review prior submissions, remittance advice, correspondence, and available documentation before deciding the next action.
- Identify recoverable balances: Distinguish claims needing follow-up, corrected claims, appeals, or other resolution from balances that are no longer collectible.
- Prioritize payer communication: Work from documented claim status and applicable payer rules rather than relying on repeated, unstructured calls.
- Track resolution: Reconcile recovered payments and document remaining balances so progress can be assessed accurately.
Why this matters for behavioral health practices
Behavioral health billing can involve recurring visits, varying payer requirements, authorization considerations, and complex claim follow-up. When unresolved claims accumulate, a practice may lose visibility into money it is owed.
A structured review of aging A/R can help leadership understand what is still actionable, what documentation is needed, and which balances require attention first. Not every aged claim is recoverable, and outcomes vary by payer, documentation, contract terms, and filing deadlines.
The takeaway
For this behavioral health group, claims older than 120 days were not simply written off: the engagement resulted in more than $100,000 recovered. The lesson for other practices is to assess aging receivables carefully and base recovery efforts on verified claim information.
Have unpaid claims sitting in your 120+ day A/R?
Bill For You supports behavioral health practices with medical billing, accounts receivable follow-up, and revenue cycle management. We can help you review outstanding balances and understand the next steps for your practice.
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