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Procedure

Clear a discharge

Clear a discharge at the billing counter, settle the outstanding balance in Vault, and release the patient with a clean account.

Clearing a discharge is the finance side of releasing a patient. This page walks the billing counter through clearing a discharge, settling the outstanding balance in Vault, and releasing the patient with a clean account.

The two-way handshake

A discharge needs two things to hold together: clinical readiness from the ward, and finance clearance from the counter. The ward starts the discharge in the record; the counter clears the account; the record then shows the patient ready.

Figure 1.Diagram showing the discharge handshake, from the ward starting it, through finance clearance, to the patient's release.

Both sides hold the release

The record releases the patient when clinical readiness and finance clearance both hold. Clearing a discharge at the counter records the finance side against the record, and the ward carries the clinical side.

The clearance checks

When you open a patient for clearance, Vault re-derives the finance position live from the account and shows a set of checks. Each check reads as done or outstanding, and an outstanding check holds the discharge until you settle it.

Done.The bill is finalised.
Done.Payment or settlement is recorded.
Done.Deposits are adjusted.
Done.The credit limit is clear.
Done.Refunds are processed.
Outstanding.The tax position is reconciled.
Outstanding.The insurance claim is filed.
Done.The audit trail is sealed.

Opening a patient re-reads the account and reports these checks. It reads the figures fresh each time, so the position you act on is the current one.

Clear the discharge

  1. 1

    Open the clearance list

    Open the discharge clearance section. It lists every patient whose discharge the ward has started, drawn from the same admitted-patient stream as the billing desk.

  2. 2

    Open the patient

    Select the patient. The clearance grid shows each check as done or outstanding, and the account shows the balance that stands.

  3. 3

    Settle the balance

    Work through the outstanding checks. Finalise the bill, take the payment, and issue any credit note the account needs, until the balance is settled or arranged.

  4. 4

    Clear the discharge

    Select Clear discharge. Vault re-checks every charge on the account, releases any charge that now reads clean onto the bill, and records finance clearance against the record. The record then shows the patient ready for the ward to release.

  5. 5

    Handle a check that still holds

    If a hard check still holds after the re-check, resolve it and clear again. Where your role carries the right, record an approved override with the Reason from the list and a co-signer, so the discharge proceeds with the ground written down.

When an override applies

An override suits a case where a check holds for a reason the counter accepts, such as an arranged settlement rather than a paid one. The override captures the checks that stood, the reason, and the co-signer, so the account carries the full account of why the discharge cleared.

Common questions

Who starts a discharge?

The ward starts the discharge in the record. The counter clears the finance side, and the record shows the patient ready once both sides hold.

What does Clear discharge do to the charges?

It re-checks every charge on the account. A charge held with a query that now reads clean moves onto the bill; one that still holds stays a blocker until you resolve it.

Can I clear a discharge with a balance outstanding?

Where your role carries the right, record an approved override with a reason and a co-signer. The override lets an arranged account clear while it writes down the ground for the decision.

Related tasks

Read how the discharge finance gate works in the discharge finance gate, and how the record tracks a discharge in discharge.

See the ward side of the same discharge in start a discharge.