News: Reducing denials will be a high priority for most organizations in 2023, survey shows

As rate cuts are expected to affect revenue in 2023, healthcare organizations are about to up their strategies in denials management. Most practices plan to continue their telehealth operations in the new year, according to the recent 2023 Part B News Predictions Survey. When asked how they will respond to the reduction to the payment conversion factor, 51% of respondents said they plan to be more aggressive in challenging denied claims.

Additionally, about 46% said they would increase their collections efforts with payers, HealthLeaders reported. One respondent of the survey added, “We will be more aggressive about authorizations for Medicare Advantage plans.”

Amongst other strategies, 16% of respondents said they will add self-pay services, 15% said that they would limit staff hours, and 11% said they would have to delay the purchase of office equipment or software. The survey showed only 4% of practices said that staff layoffs are possible.

These findings echo the results found in a similar recent survey conducted by Experian Health, with nearly three out of four respondents reporting that reducing denials is their highest priority. The Experian Health survey also found that the top three reasons for an increase in claims denials were insufficient data analytics (62%), lack of automation in claims/denials process (61%), and lack of thorough training (46%).

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this topic, click here. To read the Part B survey, click here. To read the Experian Health survey, click here.