Concept explainer
A charge stays fixed
Explains how Vault holds a posted charge fixed and records any correction as a new entry, so the financial history stays complete.
A charge is the billable consequence of an event, such as a procedure performed or a drug dispensed. Once Vault posts a charge, it stays fixed, and any correction is recorded as a new entry, so the financial history stays complete.
When a charge becomes real
A charge becomes real the moment a chargeable order is placed. Forge notifies Vault, and Vault posts a charge against the encounter. An encounter is a single contact between a patient and the hospital, and every charge attaches to it.
Medication is charged per dispense, the strip or vial issued, so the charge follows the pharmacy event rather than the prescription.
The moment it becomes fixed
Vault freezes the price onto the charge at the moment it is raised. The charge carries the price in force on its service date, the day the service was given. From that point the charge is fixed.
The order that produced the charge.
The per-unit price in force on the service date.
The units billed, such as strips dispensed.
The day the service was given, which sets the price.
The billing category the charge belongs to.
The share carried by the payer and the share carried by the patient.
Recording a correction
A correction is a new entry beside the original charge, and the original stays as written. Which entry Vault records depends on where the charge sits.
| Where the charge sits | What Vault records |
|---|---|
| On a finalised, numbered invoice | A credit note reverses it, and the invoice number is preserved. |
| Raised before its invoice is finalised | The charge is cancelled with a reason from a fixed list. |
| A discount, package inclusion, concession or tax applies | Each is recorded as its own adjustment entry beside the charge. |
The charge lifecycle
A charge is born either on the books or held, according to whether a pricing conflict surfaced when it was raised. A held charge rests off any finalised invoice until it clears or a Vault employee consciously accepts it. On the books, a charge settles or is reversed by credit note. Reversed and cancelled are final states, and a re-charge is a fresh charge.
The base charge is held as written
Because Vault records every correction as its own entry, a reviewer reconstructs the full history of a bill line, from posting through correction to settlement, from the entries themselves.
Common questions
How do I correct a wrong charge?
Record a new entry. On a finalised invoice, a credit note reverses the charge and preserves the invoice number. Before the invoice is finalised, the charge is cancelled with a stated reason.
Does a later price change reach an existing charge?
An existing charge keeps the price that applied on its service date. A change reaches charges raised from its effective date forward.
Where does a discount go?
A discount is recorded as its own adjustment entry beside the charge, so the base charge stays fixed and the reduction reads in full.
See how Vault applies a price as of the date it takes effect in effective dating.