Overview
The Billing Timer & Time Logging feature in Care Plan 2.0 enables organizations to accurately record the time spent providing care management services. Every interaction with a patient—including reviewing records, documenting care plans, coordinating with providers, conducting patient calls, and monitoring remote patient data—can contribute toward billable care management time.
The Billing Timer provides a standardized method of capturing care coordination activities while reducing manual calculations and supporting compliance with care management billing requirements.
Depending on your organization's configuration, time may be recorded automatically using the built-in timer or entered manually for activities completed outside the platform.
Purpose of Time Logging
Accurate time logging helps organizations to:
Document billable care management services.
Track staff productivity.
Support reimbursement requirements.
Maintain audit-ready documentation.
Measure patient engagement.
Improve operational reporting.
Reduce manual time calculations.
Time logs become part of the patient's care management history and may be referenced during billing reviews or audits.
Before You Begin
Before logging time, ensure that:
The patient is enrolled in an eligible care management program.
You are assigned to the patient.
The appropriate Care Plan is open.
Your organization has enabled Billing Timer functionality.
Navigation
Log in to the HealthArc Portal.
Navigate to Patients.
Select the patient.
Open the Care Plan.
Locate the Billing Timer or Time Logging section.
Depending on your workflow, the timer may also appear during patient encounters or care coordination activities.
Understanding the Billing Timer
The Billing Timer measures the total time spent performing qualified care management activities for a patient.
Examples of qualifying activities include:
Reviewing the patient's chart.
Updating the Care Plan.
Conducting patient phone calls.
Reviewing RPM data.
Reviewing assessment results.
Coordinating with physicians.
Updating medications.
Providing patient education.
Documenting care coordination activities.
Reviewing laboratory or diagnostic results.
Only activities that meet your organization's policies and applicable billing requirements should be recorded.
Automatic Time Tracking
Starting the Timer
To begin recording time:
Open the patient's Care Plan.
Click Start Timer.
Perform the care management activity.
The timer continues to run until it is paused or stopped.
Pausing the Timer
If work is interrupted:
Click Pause Timer.
Resume when ready.
Paused time is not included in the total recorded duration.
Stopping the Timer
When the activity is complete:
Click Stop Timer.
Review the recorded duration.
Enter activity notes if required.
Save the time log.
The completed session is added to the patient's cumulative time for the applicable billing period.
Manual Time Entry
Organizations may allow manual time logging for work completed outside the active timer. Examples include:
Reviewing records after hours.
Provider consultations.
Care coordination completed outside the platform.
Documentation completed after a patient encounter.
To manually record time:
Open the Time Logging section.
Select Add Manual Time.
Enter:
Date of service
Duration
Activity performed
Notes (if required)
Save the entry.
Manual entries should accurately reflect the actual time spent on qualified activities.
Time Log Details
Each time entry may include:
Date
Start time
End time
Total duration
User who performed the activity
Care management program
Activity description
Associated Care Plan
Supporting notes
These details help create a complete audit trail for care management services.
Cumulative Monthly Time
Care management programs often require time to accumulate throughout a billing period.
The Billing Timer continuously totals qualifying activities performed during the current period, allowing staff to monitor progress toward program requirements.
Examples of activities contributing to cumulative time include:
Multiple patient calls.
Care Plan updates.
RPM data review.
Medication reconciliation.
Provider communication.
Follow-up documentation.
The cumulative total is updated as new time entries are added.
Activity Notes
Many organizations require supporting documentation for each logged activity. Notes should clearly describe the work performed. Examples include:
Reviewed RPM blood pressure readings.
Updated Care Plan following patient call.
Performed medication reconciliation.
Coordinated specialist referral.
Discussed medication adherence.
Reviewed laboratory results with provider.
Updated SMART Goals following evaluation.
Detailed documentation supports billing compliance and clinical continuity.
Viewing Time History
Users can review previously logged activities for a patient. The Time History typically displays:
Activity date.
Duration.
Staff member.
Activity description.
Notes.
Associated program.
Historical logs provide visibility into ongoing care coordination and support internal audits.
Editing Time Entries
Depending on user permissions, previously recorded time entries may be edited. Typical editable fields include:
Duration
Notes
Activity description
Date (if permitted)
Changes should be made only when necessary to correct documentation errors.
Deleting Time Entries
Authorized users may remove incorrect time entries. Before deleting an entry:
Verify that the entry was recorded in error.
Confirm that it has not already been used for billing.
Follow your organization's documentation policies.
Deleted entries may be retained in system audit logs depending on organizational settings.
Time Logging During Patient Calls
Care Plan 2.0 allows time to be recorded while conducting patient encounters. Examples include:
Monthly CCM calls.
RPM follow-up calls.
PCM visits.
Medication review.
Care coordination.
Wellness discussions.
When integrated with AI Call Notes, the timer can complement automatically generated documentation by providing the duration of the patient interaction.
Relationship to Care Plan Activities
Time logging can occur while completing many Care Plan activities, including:
Care Plan Creation
Time spent creating a new Care Plan may contribute toward the patient's cumulative care management time.
Evaluations
Periodic Care Plan evaluations can be logged as billable care coordination activities when appropriate.
AI Call Notes
Generating and reviewing AI-assisted documentation may accompany a timed patient interaction.
Physician Coordination
Communicating with providers regarding treatment recommendations or Care Plan updates may qualify as time, subject to organizational policies.
RPM Review
Reviewing transmitted patient readings, identifying abnormal values, and documenting follow-up actions may also contribute to cumulative care management time.
Billing Considerations
Time logging itself does not automatically generate claims. Organizations should ensure that:
Activities meet program requirements.
Documentation supports recorded time.
Physician approvals are completed where applicable.
Program-specific billing criteria have been satisfied before claim submission.
Billing administrators should review cumulative time alongside clinical documentation before finalizing reimbursement.
Best Practices
Start the timer before beginning patient-related work whenever possible.
Stop the timer immediately after completing the activity.
Record time only for qualified care management services.
Add meaningful activity notes for every time entry.
Review cumulative monthly time regularly.
Avoid duplicate or overlapping time entries.
Verify manual entries for accuracy before saving.
Coordinate with billing staff if corrections are required after billing has occurred.
Common Scenarios
Monthly CCM Follow-Up
A care coordinator conducts a scheduled monthly Chronic Care Management call.
Recommended Workflow
Open the patient's Care Plan.
Start the Billing Timer before initiating the call.
Complete the patient discussion.
Generate AI Call Notes, if enabled.
Stop the timer.
Review the recorded duration.
Save the time entry with supporting notes.
Reviewing RPM Data
A nurse reviews a patient's remotely transmitted blood pressure readings and contacts the patient regarding elevated values.
Recommended Workflow
Start the Billing Timer.
Review RPM readings.
Document findings.
Update the Care Plan.
Stop the timer.
Save the activity.
Updating a Care Plan
A patient's medications and SMART Goals are updated following a recent hospitalization.
Recommended Workflow
Start the timer.
Review the discharge information.
Update the Care Plan.
Modify interventions.
Complete evaluation notes.
Stop and save the recorded time.
Troubleshooting
The timer did not start.
Verify that you have permission to use the Billing Timer and that the patient's Care Plan is open. Refresh the page if necessary and try again.
I forgot to start the timer.
If your organization permits manual time entry, record the activity using Add Manual Time, including the actual duration and appropriate supporting notes.
Can I pause the timer?
Yes. Use the Pause Timer option whenever your work is interrupted. Paused time is not included in the recorded duration.
Can multiple users log time for the same patient?
Yes. Multiple members of the care team may record their own qualifying care management activities. Each time entry is associated with the individual user who performed the work.
Does the Billing Timer automatically submit claims?
No. The Billing Timer records qualifying activities and cumulative time. Billing and claim submission remain separate processes that should follow your organization's billing workflow and applicable payer requirements.