Denials have climbed for four straight years. In 2022, 31 percent of providers said at least 10 percent of their claims were denied. In 2026, that figure is 40 percent.
The reasons behind those denials are shifting, too. For the first time, “services not covered” is the most common cause, appearing among the top three reasons for 53 percent of providers. It now outpaces coding errors, prior authorization hurdles and frequently changing payer policies.
Experian Health surveyed 204 finance, billing, claims and revenue cycle leaders in August 2026, from directors to chief officers. Their answers show where denials originate, how much revenue providers actually win back and what they are changing in response.
Nearly every organization is paying attention. Eighty-nine percent of respondents say reducing denials is a priority for 2026, up from 76 percent in 2022.
Learnings include:
- What new reason for denials has taken the top spot from authorizations and inaccurate data
- How much denied revenue providers recover after resubmission, and why the gap persists
- The tactics providers used to reduce denials over the past year, from claims technology upgrades to automated payer policy tracking