Azebra

RCM Automation Readiness Checklist

A phased approach to revenue cycle automation readiness

1

Phase 1 — Eligibility & Registration (Months 1-3)

  • Audit current eligibility verification process and document error rates
  • Select and connect automated eligibility verification platform to EHR
  • Implement batch eligibility checks 24-48 hours before scheduled appointments
  • Deploy real-time demographic validation against payer databases
  • Establish baseline KPIs: denial rate, days in A/R, cost-to-collect
2

Phase 2 — Claims Scrubbing & Submission (Months 4-6)

  • Map payer-specific billing rules for your top 5 payers by volume
  • Deploy automated claim scrubbing with CCI edit and LCD/NCD checks
  • Implement electronic claim submission with real-time status tracking
  • Set up first-pass acceptance rate monitoring (target: 95%+)
3

Phase 3 — Denial Management & Analytics (Months 7-12)

  • Implement automated denial categorization by root cause
  • Deploy auto-generated appeal letters with supporting documentation
  • Build real-time analytics dashboard (days in A/R, denial rate by payer, cost-to-collect)
  • Establish weekly denial review process with billing leadership
  • Set up automated reporting to track improvement trends
4

Phase 4 — Optimization & Scaling

  • Review and optimize automation rules based on 6+ months of data
  • Expand automation to additional payers and service lines
  • Implement predictive analytics for denial risk scoring
  • Evaluate AI-powered coding review and CDI tools
  • Document ROI and prepare expansion business case

Need help assessing your RCM automation readiness?

Visit azebratech.com/lp/denial-analysis/