Forget claim lag — here's the metric ASCs should benchmark instead

ASC leaders should focus on improving charge lag rather than claim lag, according to Regent RCM.

Three insights:

1. Claim lag measures the time between the service date and when a claim is billed out. The advent of electronic claims processing made this action almost instantaneous, so it's not a critical metric to track.

2. Charge lag, on the other hand, measures the time between receiving coding from a coding company and entering those charges. This metric is a greater opportunity for improvement than claim lag.

3. Ideally, charges should be entered the day of service. If the lag is greater than 48 hours — which is the gold standard — it's important to look at variables that could be driving the increase, such as dictation turnaround or delays on the coding company's end.

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