Service charges

A charge references an encounter and records a service description, amount and status. The Clinical Coordinator can prepare it as a draft, review the amount against the encounter and record an approved outcome. An invoiced status identifies the later billing state; a voided status keeps an invalid charge distinct from an active one. The encounter reference lets the team return to the visit that prompted the charge.

Payments are patient-linked records with a receipt date, amount, reference and status. They are visible to the coordinator, while their record authority is separate from charge management. A payment does not point directly to a charge. When reconciling money, use the patient reference and payment reference deliberately; do not assume a charge-to-payment match from proximity alone.

• Draft. The coordinator records the service description and amount against the encounter.
• Review. The coordinator checks the encounter context before recording an approved charge.
• Receipt. The team reads payment status and reference alongside the patient record during reconciliation.

Agree when a visit is ready for a charge and what description identifies the service clearly. Decide who can approve a draft charge and how an incorrect amount is corrected before it is invoiced. Establish a procedure for marking a charge voided rather than removing its trace. If billing happens in another system, define how its invoice reference and outcome are reconciled to these records.

For a patient with several visits, inspect the encounter on every charge. A service description by itself may not identify the right visit. Keep payment references consistent with the receipt source so an operator can investigate a confirmed or refunded payment later.

Open a completed encounter and prepare a draft charge with a service description and amount. Reopen the encounter to check the patient and visit type. Approve the charge after that review and check that it leaves the draft list. Find the patient’s payment records separately and use the receipt reference when comparing them with billing records.

For a refunded payment, read the receipt date, amount and reference alongside its current status before comparing it with the patient’s other receipts. The charge and payment may have different dates because they describe different events. Keep that distinction visible in the team’s reconciliation procedure.

• Draft Charges — Encounter charges waiting for coordinator review.
• Visits Awaiting Review — Visit evidence that may affect when a charge is ready.

See charge review and visit delivery.