Which step creates the insurance bucket from which a claim can be demanded?

• A. Process claims
• B. Initiate Billing
• C. Creating the encounter
• D. Initiate DNB

Answer: (B)

Initiating billing kicks off the claim process by packaging the encounter’s charges into a claim-ready record. This step pulls together patient and payer information, coverage details, and the line items (codes, units, amounts) so there is a complete, billable itemset that can be sent to the insurer. The encounter alone stores the clinical visit data, but it isn’t yet organized into a billable claim. Processing claims comes after a claim has been created and submitted, while initiating DNB would block billing. So the act of starting billing is what creates the insurance bucket from which a claim can be demanded.