During a recent webinar episode of Office Hours, Tadd Miller, AR Manager at Ni2 Health, a division of Infinx, discussed one of the least glamorous—but most critical—topics in healthcare finance: timely filing.
While the episode was titled Protecting Revenue with Safety Nets for Timely Filing, what emerged was a broader conversation about system accountability, workflow design, and leadership during EHR chaos.
If your organization is planning an EHR implementation—or already mid-transition—this is essential reading.
Timely Filing: The Risk You Don’t See Coming
Tadd’s perspective is shaped by hard-won experience. He joined his current organization 100 days into their Epic implementation—right as many payers’ 120- to 180-day timely filing deadlines were about to hit. Having previously experienced the fallout from unworked claims sitting in overlooked queues, he knew what to do: build reporting safeguards and process check-ins immediately.
What’s often overlooked during EHR go-lives, Tadd explains, is that while teams focus on data conversion and training, claim workflows can get ignored. “There are hidey holes,” he said—pockets of AR where claims quietly pile up unnoticed, only to be discovered when it’s too late to file or appeal.
The Solution: Building a System to “Police the System”
Instead of relying solely on dashboards that require users to hunt for problems, Tadd built proactive reporting tools:
- Work Queue Reports (PB and HB): These reports highlight all existing work queues, with a key metric—*days since last access*. Leadership can sort by oldest and instantly spot unworked claims.
- Timely Filing & Appeal Risk Reports: By mapping payer-specific deadlines into Epic, Tadd’s team pulls claims that are within 21 days of their filing or appeal window. These reports span both professional and hospital billing sides.
- Weekly Work Queue Rules: Every Monday, AR teams are required to run specific rules that isolate at-risk claims in their own payer inventory. This workflow standardization ensures timely filing never becomes an afterthought.
These tools create a layer of systemwide visibility—making it possible for leaders to take action before claims age out.
Leadership in the Midst of Chaos
EHR transitions aren’t just a test of systems—they’re a test of leadership.
Tadd recommends assigning someone with decision-making authority to oversee timely filing reports, enforce accountability, and reassign work queues when necessary. This “enforcer” role ensures issues are resolved, not just identified.
He also stresses the importance of reoccurring meetings and centralized ticket tracking. Without a structure to track issues—and confirm that the AR fallout is cleaned up—organizations risk leaving claims behind while rushing to the next problem.
One Common Mistake: Solving the Problem, But Not the Damage
One of the most costly mistakes Tadd sees RCM teams make during transitions is solving the technical problem, but forgetting to resolve the downstream damage.
Fixing a routing issue doesn’t automatically fix the backlog of claims that were impacted by it. Before closing a ticket, his teams make sure *every single affected claim* has been reprocessed and sent out the door.
Bonus Advice for First-Time Epic Managers
If it’s your first Epic go-live, Tadd’s advice is clear:
- Build your reporting tools before go-live.
- Don’t wait for problems—flag risk areas in advance.
- Assign accountability at the leadership level.
- Meet regularly and track everything centrally.
- Avoid manual workarounds unless you have a plan to automate them later.
The Future of Filing Defense? AI + Human Collaboration
As Infinx explores deeper AI integration within its ARDM platform, conversations like this underscore the value of combining machine-driven insight with human expertise.
AI agents could eventually monitor these “hidey holes,” escalate risks in real time, and prioritize claims not just by age—but by recoverability. But even the best AI needs clean workflows and strong operational discipline to thrive.
As Tadd said, “These are things that every organization should be doing—regardless of whether you’re in a system transition. Controllable losses are called controllable for a reason.”
For more on this topic, watch Tadd Miller’s webinar on-demand or request a demo here.