Follow the claim, not just the report.

Confirm that the patient, plan, service, provider, and location agree. A 270 eligibility inquiry and 271 response can help establish coverage, but a benefit response does not by itself guarantee payment. Authorization requirements and approved dates need separate attention.

Reconcile completed encounters with charges, review documentation status, and clear payer or clearinghouse edits before the 837 claim leaves the practice. A rejected file and a denied adjudicated claim are different problems and belong in different queues.

Track whether a clearinghouse or payer accepted the submission. Where available, a 276 inquiry and 277 response can update the status of a pending claim. A status response tells the team what to do next; it is not the same as a payment.

The 835 electronic remittance advice explains payment and adjustments. Group codes, CARCs, and RARCs help show why a balance changed. Posting should tie the remit and deposit to the claim before the remaining amount moves to payer or patient follow-up.

Work the open inventory by payer, age, balance, reason, and deadline. A denial packet should include the original claim, payer response, adjustment codes, relevant documentation, owner, and next action. Repeat denials should lead to an upstream fix.