In Instinct EMR, the AR for Closed Invoices Dashboard shows patterns that every practice encounters. This article covers how discounts, complex invoices, period analysis, and red-flag scenarios appear in the dashboard. For payment, refund, and timing scenarios, see Part 1 of this article.
Note: This dashboard is currently in beta. Multi-location practices that share a single database will see combined metrics for all locations.
Discount and tax scenarios
Standard discount applied
Sales: $200
Sales Discounts: $20
Taxes: $14.40 (calculated on $180)
AR before payment: $194.40
What it means: A standard discount was applied and taxes were calculated on the discounted amount, not the original total.
Negative line item (credit or return exceeds charges)
Sales: -$50 (negative)
Cash: $0
AR: -$50 (you owe the client)
What happened: A credit or return exceeded the original charges. Issue a refund or apply the amount to future services.
Complex invoice scenarios
Reopened invoice
Timeline:
January 15: Invoice closed and paid ($400)
March 10: Invoice reopened for corrections
March 20: Invoice closed again ($450)
The March dashboard shows that the invoice appears as "Reopened as of Period End" with a +$450 AR impact (the invoice became unpaid when reopened). Key insight: Reopening an invoice makes it "unpaid" until it is closed again.
Multi-payment invoice
Multiple cash entries: $100, $150, -$50, $200
Net cash: $400
AR: $100 (if invoice total was $500)
What happened: The client made several payments and one refund was issued. The dashboard shows the full payment history, but the net effect is what counts for AR.
Period analysis scenarios
AR increased — is this bad?
Starting AR: $5,000 / Ending AR: $7,000 / Change: +$2,000
Analysis questions to ask: Did sales increase (good — more business)? Are collections slowing (concerning — payment issues)? What mix of new vs. old invoices drove the change (check classifications)?
Not necessarily bad: Growth practices often see AR increases.
AR decreased — is this good?
Starting AR: $8,000 / Ending AR: $5,000 / Change: -$3,000
Analysis questions to ask: Are collections strong (good — clients paying)? Did sales reduce (concerning — less business)? Were large refunds issued (check cash movements)?
Usually good: A decrease typically indicates strong payment collection.
Red flag scenarios
Disappeared payment
Payment was recorded then removed the same day
Cash shows $0 change for the day
But the client insists they paid
What to investigate: Was the payment voided due to a processing issue? Was it moved to a different invoice? Check the Ledger Detail tab for the full transaction history.
Impossible balance
Sales: $200 / Discounts: $0 / Taxes: $16 / Cash: $300 / AR: -$84
What it means: More cash was received than services provided — likely a major overpayment or data entry error. Investigate immediately.
Pro tips for daily use
Quick health checks
Daily cash vs. sales ratio — Should be reasonable (not 200% cash against 10% sales).
Negative AR concentrations — A few are normal; many suggest process issues.
Reopened invoice frequency — Occasional is fine; frequent suggests workflow problems.
When to investigate further
Large day-to-day AR swings without corresponding sales or payment changes
Consistent overpayments from the same clients (possible billing process issue)
Frequent payment voids (possible processing or training issue)
Best practices
Check Ledger Event Type when cash movements seem unusual
Compare to previous periods for pattern recognition
Cross-reference with your practice management system for complex scenarios
Still need help?
Contact the Instinct support team via live chat or email [email protected].