Once payment is received and claims reconciled, the next step in the medical billing process is following up on denied claims. Understanding why denials occurred can help mitigate the same issues going forward. The focus of this blog will be on following up on denials to help maximize revenue earned by the practice. Most practices meet timely filing standards for the initial submission of a claim but be aware there are also deadlines for reworking and appealing denials. Insurance payers communicate claim denials to providers using remittance advice codes that include brief explanations. Review these codes to determine whether to correct and resubmit the claim or bill the patient. There are many reasons a claim may be denied. For example, payers may reject services due to a lack of medical necessity or because services took place outside of the appropriate time frame. Denials may also be attributed to non-coverage by the patient’s insurance plan or lack of proper authorization.