How long does it take to resolve aged medical claims?

If you’ve ever stared at a stack of aged claims and wondered whether you're looking at a financial black hole or a minor hiccup, you're not alone. For many healthcare providers, aged claims are a persistent thorn in the side—draining time, energy, and potential revenue. It’s a frustrating scenario, and the question we hear most often is:

"If I have aged claims, how long does it take to get them all resolved?"

As with most things in healthcare administration, the answer is: it depends. But don’t worry—we’re not going to leave you hanging with that classic consultant cop-out. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about timelines, challenges, strategies, and realistic expectations when it comes to cleaning up your aged claims.

What Are Aged Claims, Really?

Let’s start with a quick definition. “Aged claims” are medical claims that haven’t been paid within a reasonable period of time—typically more than 30 to 60 days past submission, though some systems define aging in 90-day increments (e.g., 90+, 120+, 180+ days).

They may be unpaid, underpaid, denied, or simply stuck in limbo due to administrative oversight or payer backlog. These claims represent money already earned by providers—but not yet collected. Left unresolved, aged claims can wreak havoc on cash flow, profitability, and the overall health of your practice.

Why Do Aged Claims Happen?

Aged claims happen for all sorts of reasons. Here are the most common culprits:

• Coding errors or mismatches

• Missing or incorrect patient information

• Prior authorization issues

• Payer policy changes

• Late submissions

• Coordination of benefits issues

• Denials that were never appealed

In other words, aged claims are the graveyard of miscommunication, overlooked details, and administrative chaos. If you’re dealing with a large backlog, the first step is identifying the specific reasons each claim is stuck.

The Factors That Affect Resolution Timelines

Now to the heart of your question: how long does it take to resolve aged claims?

While we’d love to hand you a guaranteed 10-day fix-it plan, aged claim resolution isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here’s what actually determines the speed of recovery:

1. Volume of Claims

A backlog of 25 aged claims is a very different animal than a backlog of 2,500. The more claims you have, the more time it takes to comb through them, categorize them, and determine the best course of action for each.

2. Claim Complexity

Some claims are aged because they were missing a single diagnosis code. Others are buried under a mountain of documentation requests, denied appeals, and unclear policy language. Complex cases require more time, attention, and follow-up.

3. Payer Responsiveness

Unfortunately, not all insurance payers are created equal. Some are easy to work with. Others might as well be ghosts—slow to respond, inconsistent in communication, and frustratingly bureaucratic. A payer’s turnaround time can make or break your aging recovery timeline.

4. Timely Filing Limits

Each payer has its own rules about how long you have to submit, correct, or appeal a claim. If a claim has aged beyond the timely filing limit and no exception applies, it may no longer be recoverable—unless you're willing to fight an uphill battle.

5. Resources Available

The skill, experience, and availability of your billing team also affect your recovery speed. Do you have a full-time revenue cycle management (RCM) team, or is billing handled part-time by a front office staffer? Are you using automation, robust reporting tools, and EHR integrations—or are you stuck in spreadsheet hell?

A General Timeline You Can Expect

Let’s say you’ve hired a competent billing company or put a dedicated staff member on the job. Here’s a general breakdown of what to expect:

Week 1–2: Initial Review and Prioritization

• All claims are pulled from your system and categorized by payer, date of service, aging status, and potential recovery value.

• Claims nearing timely filing deadlines are flagged for immediate action.

• Low-hanging fruit (e.g., obvious data corrections or resubmissions) are processed first.

Week 3–4: Action Phase Begins

• Calls and emails to payers begin in earnest.

• Appeals are drafted and submitted.

• Denied claims are reprocessed, resubmitted, or adjusted as appropriate.

30–60 Days: Noticeable Progress

• At this point, many recoverable claims should have begun resolving.

• Expect a noticeable uptick in cash flow.

• Some tougher cases may still be pending, especially those requiring multiple appeals.

90–120 Days: Deep Cleanup

• The more stubborn claims are pursued through escalated appeals or compliance channels.

• You’ll likely receive regular updates, showing what’s been resolved, what’s pending, and what’s uncollectible.

Beyond 120 Days: Final Recovery and Closure

• By now, most recoverable claims should have been resolved.

• The final step is documenting unrecoverable claims and cleaning up the reporting trail.

So, while some claims may resolve in days, a full recovery timeline generally takes 90–120 days, especially if you're dealing with high volumes or especially tangled issues.

Can Aged Claims Be Prevented in the Future?

Yes—and frankly, they should be. Cleaning up aged claims is labor-intensive and expensive. Prevention is always better than recovery. Here are key ways to reduce aged claims long-term:

1. Tighten Up Front-End Processes

Make sure patient intake, eligibility verification, and prior authorizations are rock solid before services are rendered. Garbage in, garbage out—claims are only as good as the data behind them.

2. Use a Real-Time Claim Scrubber

Automated claim scrubbers can catch common coding and formatting errors before submission, improving first-pass acceptance rates.

3. Track Claims Daily

Whether you use Charm EHR, Kareo, or another platform, build a daily routine of checking claims for rejections, denials, or delays. Don’t let issues go unnoticed for weeks.

4. Standardize Denial Management

Create a documented process for appeals, including templates and timelines. Train your staff to follow up promptly and track appeal outcomes.

5. Invest in Good Billing Help

This might be a billing company, an experienced in-house RCM pro, or hybrid support. Make sure someone owns your revenue cycle and is accountable for keeping it clean.

What If Some Claims Are Too Old?

This is the painful part. If claims are beyond timely filing limits and don’t qualify for exception handling (e.g., due to payer error, retroactive eligibility, or natural disaster allowances), they may not be recoverable.

However, don’t throw in the towel without a fight. Sometimes payers do make exceptions—especially if you can prove you submitted on time and the denial was based on incorrect information.

That said, it’s important to:

• Document everything

• Use your appeal rights

• Escalate when needed (ask for a supervisor, compliance officer, or provider rep)

• Know when to cut your losses

How to Choose a Partner for Aged Claim Recovery

If you’re overwhelmed with aged claims, consider outsourcing to professionals who specialize in medical billing cleanup and recovery.

Here’s what to look for in a partner:

• Experience with your EHR and payers (e.g., Charm EHR, BCBS, Medicare, etc.)

• A defined workflow for triaging and pursuing aged claims

• Clear communication and reporting

• A willingness to educate your team to prevent future aging

Conclusion: You Can Get Paid—But It Takes Strategy

Aged claims are not a hopeless case. With the right approach, tools, and team, it’s entirely possible to turn that “unpaid” column into recovered revenue.

To recap:

• Expect to see progress within 30–60 days

• Plan for full cleanup to take 90–120 days

• Prevent future aging by improving front-end processes and denial management

And if you’re stuck in a backlog right now, don’t wait. Time is money—and with timely filing limits ticking down, every week matters.

If you’re ready to get serious about recovering what you’ve earned, we’d love to help.

Need help with aged claim recovery or end-to-end billing support?
Contact Salsbury & Co. to schedule a free consultation. We help integrative healthcare practices across the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) get paid faster and smarter—so you can focus on what matters most: your patients.

This Q&A does not constitute legal, accounting, or tax advice and

does not address state or local law.