Medical Billing Templates and Checklists

Download four original medical billing templates

Each file opens in Excel, Google Sheets and most spreadsheet programs. The fields are intentionally de-identified. Add practice-specific controls only inside an approved secure environment.

1. Build an A/R follow-up log around the next action

An A/R worksheet is useful only when it shows what should happen next. Group balances by reporting date, payer, age band, work status, root-cause category, owner and due date. Keep financial totals on one consistent gross or net basis, and reconcile the age bands to total A/R.

• Use a stable internal reference. The downloadable file contains a de-identified work-item ID, not a patient or claim number.
• Separate status from action. “Pending payer” is a status; “check portal response on October 9” is an action.
• Retain evidence. Record where the status came from, such as a portal response, remittance or approved call note stored in the secure system.
• Close with a supported outcome. Payment, correction, appeal, contractual adjustment or other resolution should tie back to source evidence.

Use the separate days in A/R calculator for the headline measure, then use this log to investigate the work behind the result.

2. Track denials and appeals without inventing a universal deadline

The tracker includes fields for the payer and product, denial and remark codes, root cause, date the determination was received, the source used to verify the filing limit, the calculated due date, the action taken and the current owner. A code is a starting point, not the complete reason or remedy.

The CMS redetermination page was last updated March 10, 2026. Record the source URL and verification date in the tracker so a later reviewer can see which rule was applied.

3. Control a billing-company or system transition

The transition checklist separates the item, current owner, future owner, evidence, due date and acceptance test. Cover EHR and practice-management access, clearinghouse enrollment, payer portals, ERA and EFT, open rejections and denials, old A/R ownership, report exports, user termination and post-cutover reconciliation.

For Medicare eligibility, CMS requires a valid HETS EDI enrollment on file for every NPI submitted for eligibility verification as of May 11, 2026. If a third-party vendor or trading partner changes, confirm the current enrollment and authorization steps rather than assuming access transfers automatically.

CMS issued Transmittal R13954CP on September 29, 2026 to update Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 24 on EDI and electronic filing, with an implementation date of October 30, 2026. Teams planning an October transition should use the current manual and the responsible Medicare Administrative Contractor's instructions.

4. Define KPIs before building the report

A KPI name is not a complete definition. The template requires the reporting population, numerator, denominator, exclusions, source system, reporting date, owner, review frequency and action threshold. It deliberately contains no universal benchmark.

See Medical Billing Audits, KPIs and Reports for metric-selection and review guidance.

5. Apply privacy and compliance controls

HHS explains that covered entities and business associates should make reasonable efforts to limit uses, disclosures and requests for PHI to the minimum necessary for the purpose. A public template should therefore stay de-identified. If a practice adapts it for identifiable work, the file belongs inside the practice's approved access, retention and security controls.

OIG released its General Compliance Program Guidance on November 6, 2023. Its seven-element framework includes risk assessment, written policies, training, reporting channels, enforcement, auditing and monitoring, and corrective action. A spreadsheet can support evidence and follow-up, but it is not a complete compliance program.

• Assign a named owner and review cadence.
• Limit access to the people who need the file.
• Store source evidence in the approved system, not in an emailed public template.
• Record corrections without overwriting the audit trail.
• Retire local copies under the practice's retention policy.

What these templates do not do

• They do not generate an 837 claim, CMS-1500 form, patient invoice or payer submission.
• They do not provide CPT, HCPCS or ICD-10 code selection.
• They do not create a legally sufficient appeal letter for every payer or state.
• They do not establish an ERG service commitment, performance result or price.
• They do not replace the practice's EHR, practice-management system, clearinghouse or secure document repository.

ERG pricing is customized to the practice's services and needs. If you want to discuss scope, use the existing consultation form.

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Frequently asked questions