Can a salvage recovery be reconciled to the settlement ledger?

Question and scope

The scope of this salvage recovery reconciliation protocol is the population named below, not every claim in the file. Write the start event, the stop event, and the pause rule before collecting data. A count without a denominator is not a measurement, especially when the queue changes size during the day. Virtual Claims Assistant records the window and every exclusion so a second reviewer can repeat the sample. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

The question behind this salvage recovery reconciliation protocol is narrow on purpose. It asks whether the evidence supports the share of recoveries matched to a claim and payee, not whether the team feels busy. A broad question produces a broad answer that cannot be tested. A narrow question can be repeated after the workflow changes, which is what makes it useful. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Population and unit of analysis

Virtual Claims Assistant defines the population before the first case is selected. The population is salvage recoveries posted during the observation window, and every exclusion is listed with a reason. A sample drawn from a convenience queue can make a fragile control look stable. The point is to describe the population that actually exists, not the one the team wishes it had. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

The unit is one salvage recovery and its settlement ledger entry. Test the definition on a case that crosses owners, a case that is still open, and a case that was reopened. Apply the same rule to every case and keep the rule beside the extract. A definition that changes halfway through the window destroys comparability. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Definitions and measures

Define completion before the first case. For this protocol, completion means the record supports the measure with a dated source and a named reviewer. A case that fails the definition stays open even when a status field says closed. Virtual Claims Assistant records the status field and the evidence separately so the difference remains visible. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

Each case needs a source, an observation time, the field it supports, and the reviewer who checked it. Mark missing, unavailable, and confirmed negative values separately. Collapsing them hides the difference between no evidence and evidence of absence. The data dictionary should name the allowed values before collection begins. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Evidence standard

Sample across the full observation window, including busy days and days when coverage changed. A sample drawn only from quiet days can make a fragile control look stable. Record the date and time of each observation. If the population is small, report the count and the instability instead of a precise-looking rate. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

The evidence standard for salvage recovery reconciliation should be written before the sample is selected. A reviewer needs to know which source counts, what date is attached, and how a missing field is treated. Virtual Claims Assistant keeps a short codebook beside the extract so the rule does not live in one person's memory. The codebook is part of the method, not an afterthought. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Sampling and collection

A change in systems, policy, claim mix, or volume can make the result stale. Record those triggers with the finding. If the definition changes, keep the old and new rules side by side for the transition period. Label which rule applies to each case so the comparison remains honest. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

Show the distribution, not only the mean. A median close time can hide a long tail of cases that nobody reviews. Report the open-case count and the oldest case age by owner. That view shows where delay accumulates and which queue needs a process change. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Limits and honest reporting

Give the review a named owner and a review date. The report should end with one next action: fix the source, simplify the field, change the queue, or stop the work until the owner decides. Virtual Claims Assistant then repeats the protocol after the change and compares the same definitions. The next sample uses the same codebook and the same population rule. Virtual Claims Assistant applies this rule to salvage recovery reconciliation before the sample is drawn. The claims reviewer keeps the claim reference, source date, and decision owner together.

Report what moved, what did not, and what remains unknown. That final sentence is the honest close of a measurement protocol. It is more useful than a precise-looking rate built on an unclear denominator. The goal is a reviewable decision, not a perfect number. The same salvage recovery reconciliation rule is checked again after the workflow changes. A claims lead can repeat the extract from the written rule without private notes.

Method note

This protocol measures the share of recoveries matched to a claim and payee for salvage recoveries posted during the observation window. It reports the denominator, the observation window, the missing-evidence count, and the limits of the claim file. It is a local review method, not an audit opinion or an industry benchmark.