Recovering outstanding balances is a persistent challenge for healthcare providers—especially when accounts age beyond 90, 120, or even 180 days. Many facilities assume these balances are uncollectible and write them off, impacting cash flow and overall financial performance.
Recently, we partnered with a healthcare provider facing exactly this issue. Here’s how we helped them recover $50,000 in aged debt while preserving patient relationships and maintaining full regulatory compliance.
The Challenge: Aging Accounts and Limited Internal Resources
Our client, a mid-sized healthcare provider, had accumulated a significant volume of aged self-pay and patient-responsibility balances. These accounts had stalled internally due to:
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Limited staff capacity to pursue follow-ups
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Inconsistent patient communication
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Unresolved insurance recoupments and coordination-of-benefits issues
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Accounts aging beyond internal collection thresholds
As a result, thousands of dollars sat idle on the accounts receivable ledger, reducing monthly cash flow.
Our Approach: Strategic, Compliant, and Patient-Focused Collections
Once the accounts were assigned to us, we implemented a structured recovery strategy designed specifically for healthcare receivables:
1. Account Review & Segmentation
We analyzed the portfolio to identify:
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True self-pay balances
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Insurance reversals and recoupments
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Accounts requiring patient education vs. firm follow-up
This allowed us to prioritize accounts with the highest recovery potential.
2. Multi-Channel Outreach
Our team utilized compliant communication methods, including:
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Phone calls
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Emails
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Letters
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Text messages (where permitted)
All outreach followed FDCPA, Reg F, and HIPAA-conscious best practices, ensuring professionalism and respect in every interaction.
3. Patient Education & Resolution Options
Many balances stemmed from misunderstandings around insurance responsibility. We focused on:
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Explaining EOBs and patient responsibility clearly
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Offering reasonable settlement options where appropriate
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Setting up structured payment arrangements
This approach helped reduce friction and increase voluntary payments.
4. Consistent Follow-Up & Documentation
We maintained detailed documentation of every contact attempt and response, ensuring continuity and accountability throughout the collection lifecycle.
The Results: $50,000 Recovered from Aged Accounts
Within a relatively short period, the results were clear:
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$50,000 recovered from accounts previously considered unlikely to pay
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Improved monthly cash flow
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Reduced internal administrative burden
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Preserved patient relationships through respectful, compliant communication
Most importantly, the client was able to recover revenue without diverting internal staff or compromising their patient experience.
Why It Worked
This success was driven by:
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Healthcare-specific collection expertise
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Clear communication with patients
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Compliance-first processes
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A focus on resolution—not intimidation
Aged debt does not always mean uncollectible debt. With the right strategy and partner, meaningful recovery is possible.
Looking to Improve Your A/R Performance?
If your organization is carrying aging receivables or struggling to recover patient balances, we can help. Our team specializes in healthcare collections that balance results, compliance, and reputation.
📞 Contact us today to learn how we can turn aging accounts into recovered revenue.