The TARDOC checklist for practices: six steps to clean billing
Sort the case mix, rebuild templates, validate before sending: the six steps separating smoothly billing practices from those fighting rejection piles.
TL;DR
Practices that bill smoothly under TARDOC did six things: sorted their case mix into flat-rate versus single-position cases, rebuilt billing templates from scratch instead of translating TARMED favourites, validate every invoice against the official rules before sending, watch for anaesthesia bundled in flat rates, track rejection reasons monthly, and use tooling that knows the machine-readable rulebook.
Six months into TARDOC, the practices that bill smoothly all did the same handful of things. Here is the checklist — useful whether you are still catching up or auditing your setup.
1. Sort your case mix
List your 20 most frequent treatments and mark for each one: flat rate or TARDOC single positions? This one afternoon of work prevents the majority of rejections, because the flat-rate-versus-single-position decision is where most errors start.
2. Rebuild your favourites from scratch
Do not translate old TARMED favourites position by position. Code your common cases fresh in TARDOC, check the limitations (per-session and per-side quantities, age and sex constraints) and save those as your new templates.
3. Validate before you send
Every returned invoice costs minutes to fix and weeks in cash flow. Validation against the official tariff rules must happen in your software before submission — not at the insurer.
4. Watch the anaesthesia trap
If you operate with anaesthesia, check whether the anaesthesia components are bundled into the applicable flat rate before coding them separately. This is the most frequent double-billing rejection.
5. Track your rejection rate
Count rejections per month and their reasons. A rising rate almost always points to one repeating rule violation — fix the template, not each invoice.
6. Choose tooling that knows the rules
The tariff rulebook is machine-readable — your billing should use that. Viali TARDOC proposes positions from a plain-language description of the service, flags flat-rate conflicts and validates every invoice against the official rules before it goes out. It is a standalone tool, so it works alongside your existing practice software.
Frequently asked questions
What should a practice check first when moving to TARDOC?
Its case mix: for the most frequent treatments, decide whether they fall under an outpatient flat rate or TARDOC single positions. Most billing errors start with this decision.
Can I reuse my TARMED billing templates?
No. TARDOC positions, time values and rules were rebuilt — rebuild your favourite templates directly in TARDOC and verify their limitations.
How do I reduce insurer rejections under TARDOC?
Validate every invoice against the official tariff rules before submission, and monitor rejection reasons monthly to fix repeating template errors.
Do I need to replace my practice software for TARDOC?
Not necessarily. A standalone billing assistant like Viali TARDOC can handle proposal and rule validation alongside existing practice software.
Related articles
Billing
What is TARDOC? The new Swiss outpatient tariff explained
TARDOC replaced TARMED on 1 January 2026. What the new single-service tariff is, how positions and rules work — and what it means for your practice.
Billing
TARDOC vs. TARMED: what actually changes for your billing
Two systems instead of one, a rebuilt position catalogue and machine-checkable rules: the real differences between TARDOC and TARMED — and what they mean for billing teams.
Billing
Ambulante Pauschalen explained: when the flat rate applies — and when TARDOC does
Outpatient flat rates pay a treatment as one fixed amount and take precedence over TARDOC. When they apply — and which double-billing traps to avoid.
Explore more
Viali TARDOC
The Swiss billing assistant for TARDOC and Ambulante Pauschalen — coming soon.
Ready to experience this yourself?
Book a demo and see how Viali transforms your clinic operations.