Clean-claim benchmark
Accepted on first submission.
Source: MGMA / Conifer KPI guide
General RCM benchmark — not BH-facility specific.
Industry benchmarks & Axis measurement standards
Industry benchmarks
& Axis measurement standards.
Every claim is sorted, measured, and worked to a defined standard. These are the figures we hold each file against — and the published industry benchmarks we read them by. Axis establishes each client's baseline during onboarding and reports performance using defined revenue-cycle measures.
Read this first
Published context,
not Axis results.
MGMA · PREMIER · EXPERIAN
Named third-party benchmarks
Industry context
The numbers we manage against.
The figures below are published industry benchmarks and survey findings — not Axis client results. Behavioral-health facility performance can differ because of authorization intensity, institutional claim requirements, payer mix, network status, and level of care.
Industry denial-rate range
Published average range.
Source: MGMA / Conifer · Experian 2025
Varies by setting, payer, specialty & method.
Optimal days in A/R
General-practice benchmark.
Source: MGMA / Conifer KPI guide
Institutional behavioral health may differ.
Optimal net collection rate
95% minimum benchmark.
Source: MGMA / Conifer KPI guide
Use only with a defined, consistent calculation.
Not Axis results. Every figure here is published by a named third party (MGMA/Conifer, Premier, Experian) for context — not an Axis IRG client outcome, and not specific to every level of care. Axis client results are published only after the period closes, the methodology is documented, and the client verifies the result or approves an anonymized study.
Why denial work matters
Denials are expensive — and often reversible.
The economics of denial work explain why we prioritize the highest-value, most-winnable claims first. These are published provider-survey findings, provided for context.
Initial denial rate
Premier-surveyed provider group.
Source: Premier survey
Surveyed providers — not BH-specific.
Denials overturned & paid
After provider review & appeal.
Source: Premier survey
Survey finding — not an Axis appeal rate.
Avg. cost to contest a denial
2025 report, 2023 expense data.
Source: Premier
Provider-survey estimate; actual costs vary.
About these figures: The benchmarks and survey findings above are published by the named third parties and are provided for context. They are not Axis IRG client outcomes and are not specific to every behavioral-health level of care. Axis client results will be published only after the measurement period is complete, the methodology is documented, and the client has verified the result or approved an anonymized case study.
What Axis measures
A clear baseline. A measurable operating system.
Definitions for the measures we baseline at onboarding and report each period — aligned to HFMA MAP Keys where available, so results stay comparable. Client results are published only after clients verify them.
- Clean-claim rate
- Accepted on first submission, no rework.
- Clearinghouse rejection rate
- Rejected before payer acceptance.
- Payer acceptance rate
- Accepted into adjudication.
- Initial denial rate
- First-pass denials, by volume & dollars.
- A/R days
- Average age of receivables.
- A/R over 90 days
- Share of receivables aged past 90 days.
- Denial-to-appeal time
- Days from denial to appeal filed.
- Denial-to-resolution time
- Days from denial to final resolution.
- Appeal overturn rate
- Resolved in the provider's favor, by $ & volume.
- Net collection rate
- Collected vs. expected after adjustments.
- Underpayment identified
- Dollars found below contracted rate.
- Underpayment recovered
- Dollars recovered against contract.
- Authorization lapse rate
- Services exposed by auth gaps.
- Timely-filing exposure
- Claims at risk of filing-deadline loss.
- Expected collectible value
- Supportable amount per claim.
- Work-queue value & closure
- Queue value and reason work closed.
Disclaimer: Published benchmarks are provided for context and are not Axis client outcomes. Axis results will be published only after the measurement period is complete, the methodology is documented, and the client has verified the result or approved an anonymized case study.
Behind every score
A system, not a guess.
Payer intelligence, scoring logic, and a documented framework — the structure that turns scattered denials into prioritized, recoverable revenue. Every measure above is baselined, dated, and reviewed as your outcome data grows.
Measured to a standard, worked to a queue.
Methodology & research
How we decide what a claim is worth.
Our methods are written down, dated, and authored — the diagnostic framework, the scoring logic, and the payer intelligence behind every prioritization decision. Every open claim gets a recoverability score, and the highest-value, most-winnable claims get worked first.
Read the methodology →- 01Payment likelihood
- 02Dollar value
- 03Payer behavior
- 04Effort to resolve
Want this baseline on your book?
Start with a billing review.
Send a little context and we'll baseline your numbers against these measures — then show you which claim issues are worth correcting now, and what they're likely worth. A focused diagnostic, not a sales call.
Last updated: July 5, 2026