Revenue cycle management (RCM) is the process of managing the financial aspects of patient care. It starts when your practice schedules the patient appointment and continues until you receive and post the final payment. Goals of RCM include optimizing revenue and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations. Appointment scheduling and patient registration, insurance verification, pre-authorization, documentation, coding, claim submission, monitoring claim status, payment posting, denial management, patient billing, financial reporting, and choosing the right RCM vendor are key components of an effective revenue cycle.