Case Study: How One Workflow Fix Recovered 15% More Revenue for a Solo Provider

Overview

A solo provider approached us for help with two tasks:

1. Cleaning up aging accounts receivable

2. Taking over ongoing billing for the practice

The provider’s team had a long-standing workflow: paper superbills created daily, scanned, and faxed out whenever the front desk found time. Our goal was to take over smoothly without disrupting the provider’s comfort or the front office’s routine.

But within the first month, we discovered a critical issue: the practice was unintentionally losing revenue due to missing superbills.

This case study explains how we identified the problem, why it was happening, and how a simple workflow upgrade increased the number of billable encounters by roughly 15% — without the provider seeing a single extra patient.

The Initial Setup

The practice used Practice Fusion as their EHR but continued using paper superbills for every patient. The workflow looked like this:

1. Patient checked in

2. Provider completed a paper superbill

3. Front desk scanned and faxed superbills to billing

4. Billing waited for faxes to arrive and then processed claims

It sounded straightforward — but paper and fax-based workflows hide issues that no one notices until revenue stops adding up.

The Early Warning Signs

Within weeks of onboarding, our team noticed that superbills:

• Were not arriving daily

• Arrived at unpredictable times

• Frequently came in partial, with missing pages

• Sometimes never arrived at all
  

To verify, we cross-checked the provider’s schedule.

What we found was alarming:

• On multiple days, 20 patients were seen

• But we only received 15 superbills

• Some weeks had entire days with missing superbills

• There was no tracking system on the office side

• The provider had no visibility into what billing actually received

Importantly, there were no unusual no-shows and the clinic schedule was normal. The issue wasn’t patient volume — it was the workflow.

Why the Paper Workflow Was Failing

After speaking to the front office and observing their setup, the root causes were clear:

1. Heavy front desk workload

Phone calls, patient check-outs, insurance verifications, and walk-ins took priority over scanning paper superbills.

2. Paper files slowed everything down

Each patient had a physical chart. To resend a missing superbill, the staff had to:

• Locate the chart

• Open it

• Find the correct superbill

• Scan it

• Fax it again

Realistically, this wasn’t happening in a busy office.

3. No tracking or audit trail

If a fax failed or got cut off, no one knew.

4. Provider believed everything was being billed

But in reality, 15–20% of visits never reached billing.

Our Intervention

To protect the provider’s revenue immediately, we took direct action.

Step 1: We reopened communication channels

We informed the provider and front office that superbills were missing. This alone revealed that the front desk had no idea which superbills were actually sent.

Step 2: We went on-site to recover lost revenue

With the provider’s permission, our team visited the office to:

• Review paper charts

• Locate missing superbills

• Scan and upload documents directly into Practice Fusion

• Update insurance information and missing demographic data

  
  

We spent hours retrieving unbilled encounters — ensuring the provider was paid for the work already done.

Step 3: We modernized the superbill workflow

We transitioned the practice from paper superbills to electronic superbills inside Practice Fusion.

This gave the practice:

• A complete audit trail

• Timestamped superbills

• Zero reliance on faxing

• No lost paperwork

• Clean, organized documentation

• Direct access for our billing team

• Faster, more accurate claim submission

• 
  

Finally, we automated the transfer of superbills from the EHR to our billing system, reducing manual entry and potential coding errors.

The Results

After the workflow upgrade, the improvement was immediate and measurable.

📈 15% Increase in Captured Superbills

The provider instantly recovered visits that were previously falling through the cracks.

💰 Faster Billing and Fewer Errors

Electronic superbills allowed us to submit claims quickly and accurately.

🗂 Zero Lost Encounters

Every patient seen had a digital superbill attached to the chart.

🧠 Better Insight for the Provider

The provider could finally see which encounters were billed — and which weren’t.

📄 Long-Term Efficiency

Since switching, the practice has never returned to paper superbills.

Key Takeaway for Practices

If your office still relies on:

• Paper superbills

• Fax machines

• Random scanning workflows

• Busy front desk staff managing billing documents

You are almost certainly losing revenue — even if you don’t realize it.

Modernizing your superbill workflow is not a luxury.It’s a revenue protection strategy.

Even small improvement steps — like moving to electronic superbills or setting up automated transfers — can significantly increase accuracy, speed, and cashflow.

Need Help?

If you want to evaluate your practice’s billing workflow or identify possible revenue leaks, I’d be happy to walk you through practical, non-disruptive options.

No pressure — just straightforward insight that helps you get paid for every service you provide.