Accounting & advisory / Adelaide

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Practice accounts / Adelaide businesses

A monthly bookkeeping checklist for medical and allied health practices

A busy practice can receive money through private fees, Medicare, HICAPS and other payment sources. The useful monthly question is whether billing, remittances and bank records tell the same story. This checklist helps an Adelaide practice organise its accounting handover without mixing it with clinical claim decisions.

Prepared by srwn Accounting & Advisory

Match billing to the money received

Bring together the billing summary, remittance reports and bank statements for the agreed period. Match payments to their source and record timing differences. Keep rejected claims, refunds and unpaid amounts on a separate follow-up list.

The practice team is responsible for choosing the correct claim and checking eligibility. The bookkeeper checks the agreed financial records and flags differences. A deposit alone does not explain which services it covers.

  • Agree the cut-off date for the month.
  • Collect relevant private-payment, Medicare and HICAPS remittance reports.
  • Match deposits, refunds and fees to their records.
  • Assign someone to follow up rejected and unpaid amounts.

Check practitioner payment workings

Use the written practitioner agreement to check how a payment is calculated. The basis might depend on services billed, money collected or other agreed terms. Keep the period and adjustments clear so the payment can be explained.

Contractor status, employment obligations, GST and other tax treatment need advice suited to the arrangement. A bookkeeping spreadsheet does not decide those questions.

  • Use the correct agreement and payment period.
  • Check the agreed split and adjustments against supporting records.
  • Keep practitioner payments separate from unexplained bank withdrawals.
  • Refer unclear contract or tax questions to the appropriate adviser.

For NDIS providers, keep the business and support records connected

NDIS providers are responsible for complete and accurate records supporting their claims. The NDIS lists invoices, support logs, rosters, case notes and service agreements among the relevant records. Your accounting process should make it possible to follow an invoice and payment without replacing the provider’s service records.

srwn’s service concerns the provider’s business accounts. It does not offer participant plan management or decide which supports can be claimed. Agree the minimum accounting information needed and use an appropriate secure transfer process.

  • Keep a clear invoice reference in the accounting records.
  • Maintain the provider’s required support records in the proper system.
  • Review unpaid or rejected invoices with the responsible practice team.
  • Keep patient and participant details out of public enquiry forms.

Finish with a short management review

Reconcile the agreed accounts, review supplier bills and organise payroll records. Compare practice income and operating costs with the previous period, noting changes in opening hours, staff or practitioner arrangements.

A useful monthly handover includes checked balances, outstanding questions and the next cash commitments. Agree who prepares the accounts, who reviews them and who handles registered BAS and tax work.

Sources and further reading

This guide is general information. Your records and arrangements need their own review. Registered partners or your existing tax agent provide BAS and tax services.