Understanding medical billing and revenue cycle management, explained clearly.
KÖLNER ABRECHNUNGSDIENST Heiartz & Vogel oHG publishes independent, informational content on how medical billing, healthcare revenue cycle management and receivables management work — for practices, administrators and patients seeking clarity.
Three subjects, explained in plain terms
Our content is organised around the areas most practices and patients ask us about. Nothing here is a substitute for advice from a licensed billing professional, accountant or legal advisor.
Medical Billing
How claims are coded, submitted and tracked between healthcare providers and insurance payers, including common causes of delay or rejection.
Revenue Cycle Management
The end-to-end administrative process — from patient registration to final payment — that keeps a healthcare practice financially organised.
Receivables Management
How outstanding balances are tracked, reconciled and followed up on, and what practices typically do when a claim remains unpaid.
A typical revenue cycle, step by step
Every healthcare claim generally moves through the same sequence of administrative stages. Understanding this order helps explain where delays or errors tend to occur.
Registration
Patient and insurance details are collected and verified before treatment.
Coding
Diagnoses and procedures are translated into standardised billing codes.
Submission
The claim is submitted to the relevant insurance payer for review.
Adjudication
The payer reviews, approves, adjusts or rejects the claim.
Reconciliation
Payments are posted and any remaining balance is tracked as a receivable.
Small administrative errors have outsized effects
A mistyped code, an outdated insurance record or a missed deadline can be enough for a claim to be delayed or denied. Much of medical billing work is, in practice, quality control: checking that information is accurate before it leaves the practice.
- Consistent, standardised coding reduces avoidable denials.
- Timely submission keeps claims within payer deadlines.
- Regular reconciliation catches discrepancies early.
- Clear patient communication reduces disputed balances.
Practices, administrators and patients alike
We write for administrative staff who want a refresher on terminology, practice owners evaluating their internal processes, and patients trying to understand a statement or an insurance response.
- Plain-language explanations of common billing terms.
- Overviews of how receivables are typically followed up on.
- General context — not personalised financial or legal advice.
Have a question about medical billing?
Send us a message and we will point you toward the right information. We do not sell services or handle payments through this site.