Over a Third of Health Systems Now Use AI in Revenue Cycle Work
Thirty-seven percent of health systems are deploying generative AI within their revenue cycle operations, according to a new report from PayZen. Among large health systems, adoption reaches 48%. The survey included more than 200 healthcare revenue leaders and was conducted in partnership with the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Another 85% of health systems not yet using AI said they are interested or very interested in adopting it.
Where AI Is Being Applied
Denial management is the primary use case. Forty-five percent of health systems are applying AI to denial-related workflows.
Other deployments break down as follows:
- Prior authorization: 20% of large health systems
- Patient access and scheduling: 20%
- Financial assistance and eligibility workflows: 20%
Revenue Priorities Shifting
Increasing collections remains the top priority for revenue leaders at 49%. But interest in improving the patient financial experience has accelerated. Forty-one percent now prioritize better patient financial experience, up from 19% in 2025.
Reducing bad debt ranks equally with patient experience improvements at 41%.
Revenue leaders also want earlier eligibility screening. Sixty-one percent said they want Medicaid eligibility checks and financial screening to happen at scheduling. Only 21% of hospitals currently screen for Medicaid eligibility at that stage; most wait until the patient arrives for their visit.
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