Running a medical practice today involves more than just treating patients. It means handling complex administrative tasks like insurance billing, claims follow-up, and credentialing—every part of which directly impacts your cash flow. Two of the most important processes in this equation are Accounts Receivable (AR) Management and Medical Credentialing Services.
At Med Brigade, we help healthcare providers manage both. Whether you’re a solo physician, part of a group practice, or running a large clinic, effective AR management and credentialing can make or break your revenue cycle. When done right, these processes work hand-in-hand to minimize claim denials, speed up payments, and protect your income.
What Is AR Management in Healthcare?
AR Management refers to how a healthcare provider tracks, follows up on, and collects payments owed for services already rendered. These payments may be pending from insurance companies, government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, or from the patients themselves.
As soon as a claim is submitted, it becomes part of your “accounts receivable” until payment is received. If that claim goes unpaid—or is denied or ignored—your revenue stalls. This is why AR management is a vital part of any healthcare business.
Why AR Management Matters
Proper AR Management is the difference between a healthy revenue cycle and ongoing financial headaches. Here’s why it’s so important:
- Faster Reimbursements: The sooner claims are submitted, followed up, and paid, the better your cash flow.
- Lower Denials: Proactive AR management ensures claim errors are caught and corrected quickly.
- Improved Financial Visibility: Knowing what’s owed to you helps with forecasting and financial planning.
- Reduced Bad Debt: The longer a claim sits unpaid, the harder it becomes to collect. Timely follow-ups prevent income loss.
- Better Patient Relationships: Patients are more likely to pay their balances if billing is handled clearly and professionally.
At Med Brigade, our AR team works daily to reduce outstanding balances, resubmit denied claims, and ensure every penny you’ve earned is collected.
What Are Medical Credentialing Services?
Credentialing is the process of verifying that a healthcare provider is qualified to treat patients and bill insurance companies. This process involves reviewing the provider’s:
- Education
- Licenses
- Certifications
- Work history
- Malpractice insurance
- Background checks
Most insurance networks—Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers—require credentialing before they allow a provider to bill for services. The process can take anywhere from 60 to 180 days, depending on the payer and the accuracy of submitted documentation.
Why Credentialing Is So Important
Credentialing isn’t just a paperwork task—it directly affects your ability to get paid. Here’s how:
- Claim Denials: If a provider is not credentialed or enrolled with an insurance payer, their claims will be automatically denied.
- Revenue Delays: New providers can’t bill until credentialing is complete, which leads to delays in payment.
- Compliance Risk: Practicing without proper credentialing can result in regulatory penalties.
- Lost Income: Credentialing errors or delays can lead to thousands of dollars in unpaid claims.
Many practices don’t realize how closely credentialing and billing are connected until they see claims being rejected for “non-credentialed provider” reasons.
The Link Between Credentialing and AR Management
These two processes are deeply interconnected. Poor credentialing practices often result in denied claims, which inflate your accounts receivable unnecessarily. That’s why a joined-up approach, like the one we offer at Med Brigade, is essential.
If a provider isn’t properly enrolled with a payer, every claim submitted under their name can go unpaid, adding to your AR balance and costing you money.
Common Credentialing-Related AR Issues
- Claims denied due to lack of enrollment
- Delayed payments for new providers
- Claims needing rework because of credentialing gaps
- Aged AR growing due to unrecognized provider status
With Med Brigade’s integrated solution, we monitor credentialing progress while managing AR in real-time, so no claims are lost due to credentialing delays.
Med Brigade’s Comprehensive Support
At Med Brigade, we offer both end-to-end AR Management and full-service Medical Credentialing. Here’s how we make the process smoother for your practice:
Our AR Services Include:
- Insurance verification and claim submission
- Daily tracking of unpaid claims
- Follow-ups with payers for outstanding payments
- Denial resolution and appeals
- Patient billing and collections
- Customized aging reports and performance metrics
Our Credentialing Services Include:
- Initial credentialing and recredentialing
- Enrollment with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers
- CAQH profile setup and maintenance
- Revalidation tracking
- Ongoing provider status management
Benefits of Working with Med Brigade
- Reduced Claim Denials due to credentialing errors
- Faster Payer Enrollment and provider onboarding
- Lower AR Over 90 Days and improved cash flow
- One-Stop Support for both billing and credentialing
- Real-Time Updates on your financial and credentialing status
- HIPAA-Compliant Processes to protect your data
Whether you’re starting a new practice or managing a growing team of providers, Med Brigade’s solutions are built to scale with your business.
Final Thoughts
Medical billing is more than coding and claim submission—it’s a complete revenue cycle that starts with proper credentialing and ends with successful collections. If even one part of the process breaks down, it can create a chain reaction that hurts your cash flow.
That’s why AR Management and Credentialing must work together. At Med Brigade, we bring both services under one roof to make sure your revenue stays consistent, your providers are always compliant, and your business keeps growing.
