Medical Billing Terms P: Payment Posting, Payer ID and Participating Provider

Payment posting is the step where a practice records payer and patient payments against the right claims. This page defines it with the terms from paper check payment to peer review, including payer ID, participating provider, patient statement and payer portal. Each entry gives a plain definition, why it matters, an example, and an official source. MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC works only in mental and behavioral health billing.

Last reviewed: October 10, 2026Sources linked at each term

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Billing Terms Glossary slide, Terms P: Payment Posting - MCM South Medical Billing Service, LLC

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On this page (23 terms)

Paper Check Payment
Parity Complaint
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Participating Provider (PAR)
Participation Agreement
Patient A/R
Patient Control Number (PCN)
Patient Portal
Patient Refund
Patient Responsibility
Patient Statement
Pay for Performance (P4P)
Payer ID
Payer Mix
Payer of Last Resort
Payer Portal
Payment Address
Payment Dispute
Payment Plan
Payment Platform
Payment Posting
PaySpan
Peer Review

How to use these Payment Posting definitions

Use this page as a quick reference for Payment Posting, from Paper Check Payment to Peer Review. Each entry gives a plain definition, why it matters to a mental health practice, and an official source. When a rule changes by payer or state, the entry says so, so confirm Payment Posting details with the payer before you bill.

Checklist: put the payment posting definitions to work

Check the payment posting entries above before you send a claim that depends on them.
Share this payment posting page with front-desk and billing staff so everyone works from the same definitions.
When a payer letter mentions payment posting, find the matching entry and note the date you checked it.

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Paper Check Payment

General (all payers)

Also called check payment; mailed check

Definition: A payment issued as a paper check mailed to the provider's payment address.
Why it matters: Slower to post and easier to misplace or misapply.
Illustrative example: A payer mails a check with a paper remittance.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesPayment & Reimbursement

Parity Complaint

General (all payers)

Also called parity complaint filing

Definition: A formal complaint to a regulator about a plan's possible parity violation.
Why it matters: Regulators such as the Department of Labor and state agencies handle these.
Illustrative example: A provider assists a patient in filing a complaint with a state insurance department.

Reference sourceU.S. Department of Labor, EBSAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesAudits & Compliance Behavioral Health Specific Terms

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

General (all payers)

Also called PHP; day treatment

Definition: A more intensive outpatient program, typically several hours a day on multiple days, as an alternative to inpatient care.
Why it matters: Medicare and payers set specific criteria and billing rules.
Illustrative example: A PHP is authorized for a defined number of days.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesBehavioral Health Specific Terms Medicare & Medicaid Terms

Participating Provider (PAR)

General (all payers)

Also called PAR provider; in-network provider; contracted provider

Definition: A provider who has signed a contract with a payer and agrees to accept its allowed amounts as payment in full for covered services, apart from member cost sharing.
Why it matters: In-network status controls what the practice is paid and what it can bill the patient.
Illustrative example: A therapist with a PAR contract accepts the payer's allowed amount and collects only the patient's copay.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesContracting & Network Management Credentialing & Enrollment

Participation Agreement

General (all payers)

Also called provider agreement; provider contract; network contract

Definition: The contract between a provider and a payer that sets reimbursement, billing rules, timely filing, appeals, and termination terms.
Why it matters: Contract terms override general rules, so the agreement is the first place to check for payer-specific requirements.
Illustrative example: A practice checks its contract for the timely filing limit before disputing a denial.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesContracting & Network Management

Patient A/R

General (all payers)

Also called patient accounts receivable; patient balances

Definition: The portion of receivables owed by patients rather than payers.
Why it matters: Grows with high-deductible plans and needs its own workflow.
Illustrative example: A practice separates payer and patient A/R in reports.

Reference sourceHFMAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesRevenue Cycle Metrics

Patient Control Number (PCN)

General (all payers)

Also called patient account number; PCN

Definition: The provider's own account number for a patient or claim, sent on the claim and returned on the remittance to help match payments.
Why it matters: Helps auto-post payments to the right account.
Illustrative example: The ERA returns the practice's account number on each line.

Reference sourceX12checked 10/9/26

CategoriesClaims Processing EDI & Clearinghouse Terms

Patient Portal

General (all payers)

Also called client portal; patient portal

Definition: A secure website where patients view records, pay balances, complete forms, and message providers.
Why it matters: Helps collect intake forms and balances.
Illustrative example: A patient pays a balance through the portal.

Reference sourceHHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesEHR & Healthcare Technology Terms Patient Financial Responsibility Terms

Patient Refund

General (all payers)

Also called refund to patient

Definition: Returning money owed to a patient after an overpayment or duplicate charge.
Why it matters: Timely refunds prevent compliance issues.
Illustrative example: A practice refunds a duplicate copay.

Reference sourceHFMAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesPatient Financial Responsibility Terms

Patient Responsibility

General (all payers)

Also called PR; patient balance; patient portion

Definition: The amount of a claim the patient owes, such as deductible, copay, or coinsurance, as shown by the payer.
Why it matters: The ERA shows it with group code PR, and it drives statements and collections.
Illustrative example: An ERA shows $30 PR for copay.

Reference sourceX12checked 10/9/26

CategoriesPatient Financial Responsibility Terms Payment & Reimbursement

Patient Statement

General (all payers)

Also called billing statement; patient bill

Definition: A bill sent to a patient showing services, payments, adjustments, and balance due.
Why it matters: Clear statements improve collections and reduce disputes.
Illustrative example: A statement lists date, service, insurance payment, and patient balance.

Reference sourceHFMAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesPatient Financial Responsibility Terms

Pay for Performance (P4P)

General (all payers)

Also called P4P; quality incentive

Definition: A payment approach that gives bonuses or penalties based on measured quality performance.
Why it matters: Ties revenue to quality measures.
Illustrative example: A payer pays a bonus for follow-up after hospitalization.

Related termsHEDIS Value-Based Care

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesValue-Based Care Terminology

Payer ID

General (all payers)

Also called payer identification; EDI payer ID; receiver ID

Definition: The code a clearinghouse uses to route a claim or eligibility request to the correct payer.
Why it matters: Wrong payer IDs cause rejections or misrouted claims.
Illustrative example: A practice uses the payer ID listed on the card or the clearinghouse payer list.

Reference sourceX12checked 10/9/26

CategoriesEDI & Clearinghouse Terms Eligibility & Benefits

Payer Mix

General (all payers)

Also called payer mix analysis; revenue by payer

Definition: The distribution of a practice's revenue or visits by payer or payer type.
Why it matters: Payer mix affects average reimbursement and risk.
Illustrative example: A practice gets 60% of revenue from commercial and 20% from Medicaid.

Related termsFee Schedule Contracted Rate

Reference sourceHFMAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesRevenue Cycle Metrics

Payer of Last Resort

Medicaid (state-specific)

Also called Medicaid payer of last resort

Definition: The rule that Medicaid generally pays only after other available coverage has paid.
Why it matters: Requires billing other insurance first and documenting the response.
Illustrative example: A Medicaid claim is denied until the primary insurance's response is attached.

Reference sourceMedicaid.gov CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesMedicare & Medicaid Terms Eligibility & Benefits

Payer Portal

General (all payers)

Also called provider portal; web portal

Definition: A payer's website where providers check eligibility, claims, authorizations, and remittances.
Why it matters: Often the only way to complete certain tasks.
Illustrative example: A biller checks claim status on a payer portal.

Related termsClearinghouse Claim Status

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesEDI & Clearinghouse Terms EHR & Healthcare Technology Terms

Payment Address

General (all payers)

Also called remit-to address; pay-to address

Definition: The address where a payer sends checks and paper remittances for a provider.
Why it matters: An outdated address sends payment to the wrong place.
Illustrative example: A practice updates its pay-to address after a move.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesPayment & Reimbursement Provider Data Management Terms

Payment Dispute

General (all payers)

Also called payer dispute; provider dispute resolution

Definition: A formal process to challenge how a payer paid or denied a claim, often set out in the provider contract, which may include mediation or arbitration.
Why it matters: Contract dispute steps and deadlines differ from standard appeals.
Illustrative example: A practice files a payment dispute over consistent underpayment under its contract.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesDenials & Appeals Payment & Reimbursement

Payment Plan

General (all payers)

Also called patient payment plan; installment plan

Definition: An agreement letting a patient pay a balance over time.
Why it matters: Reduces bad debt when set up early with clear terms.
Illustrative example: A patient pays a $300 balance in three monthly payments.

Reference sourceHFMAchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesPatient Financial Responsibility Terms

Payment Platform

General (all payers)

Also called payment portal; payment processing platform

Definition: Software that lets a practice or payer send, receive, and reconcile payments electronically.
Why it matters: Different platforms carry different fees and enrollment steps.
Illustrative example: A practice reconciles EFT deposits against ERAs.

Reference sourceCMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)checked 10/9/26

CategoriesPayment & Reimbursement EHR & Healthcare Technology Terms

Payment Posting

General (all payers)

Also called posting payments; cash posting

Definition: Recording payments, adjustments, and patient balances from ERAs and EOBs into the billing system.
Why it matters: Errors in posting distort A/R and hide underpayments.
Illustrative example: A poster applies payment, contractual adjustment, and patient responsibility from the ERA.

Reference sourceX12checked 10/9/26

CategoriesPayment & Reimbursement Revenue Cycle Metrics

PaySpan

General (all payers)

Also called PaySpan Health

Definition: A vendor that offers electronic payment and remittance services between payers and providers. Listed for reference; not an endorsement or partnership.
Why it matters: Some payers use it for ERA and EFT delivery.
Illustrative example: A provider enrolls in PaySpan to receive payer payments.

Reference sourcePaySpan Healthchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesPayment & Reimbursement EDI & Clearinghouse Terms

Peer Review

General (all payers)

Also called clinical peer review

Definition: A review of a case by a clinician of similar specialty at the payer, often used in denials and appeals.
Why it matters: Shapes which clinician can speak to the payer.
Illustrative example: A psychiatric reviewer evaluates an appeal.

Reference sourceURACchecked 10/9/26

CategoriesPrior Authorization Terminology

Quick answer: Payment Posting

What is payment posting?

Recording payments, adjustments, and patient balances from ERAs and EOBs into the billing system. Errors in posting distort A/R and hide underpayments.

Frequently asked questions: Payment Posting

What is a participating provider (PAR)?

Participating Provider (PAR) is a provider who has signed a contract with a payer and agrees to accept its allowed amounts as payment in full for covered services, apart from member cost sharing. In-network status controls what the practice is paid and what it can bill the patient.

What is a payer ID?

Payer ID is the code a clearinghouse uses to route a claim or eligibility request to the correct payer. Wrong payer IDs cause rejections or misrouted claims.

What is a patient statement?

Patient Statement is a bill sent to a patient showing services, payments, adjustments, and balance due. Clear statements improve collections and reduce disputes.

Related resources

Where MCM South works

MCM South serves psychotherapists and psychiatrists in ten states: Georgia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina and Illinois.

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