To determine the number of outstanding claims, which routine analysis should a billing and coding specialist perform?

• A. Aging report
• B. Cash flow forecast
• C. Patient ledger
• D. Remittance advice

Answer: (A)

Tracking how long claims have been unpaid shows how many claims are outstanding. The aging report is designed to list all submitted claims and group them by how many days they’ve been outstanding (for example, 0–30 days, 31–60 days, 61–90 days, over 90). This layout makes it easy to count the total number of outstanding claims and to spot where collections efforts should focus. It also helps you notice patterns, like a sudden rise in older-age claims that may indicate denial issues or payer delays.

Other analyses don’t directly provide that quick count. A remittance advice shows payments that have actually been received and applied, not which claims remain unpaid. A patient ledger documents charges and payments by patient, not the overall number of outstanding insurer claims. A cash flow forecast projects expected future cash receipts, which is about planning cash flow rather than listing current unpaid claims.