A service rate is the amount the organization is willing to pay for a unit of a service offering, for example, the amount to be paid for a placement or for a training session. Default service rates can be configured for service offerings by administrators. This can be a fixed amount or an amount which falls within a range (between a minimum and maximum rate) for a defined period of time.
A number of service rates can be maintained for a service offering, however, only one active service offering rate can be specified for a service offering for a given time period. Resource managers can also specify service rates for individual service offerings at the provider level in the resource manager application. The payment options for a service offering configured by an administrator will apply for any service rates set by the resource manager.
Minimum, maximum, and fixed rates dictate the bounds between which an invoiced unit of a service will be paid. A service can be paid for at a fixed rate per unit (with some flexibility provided by the payment options), or at between a range of acceptable rates which can be set using the minimum and maximum rates. For example, James Smith runs a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation clinic. The organization pays James Smith at a fixed rate for the period that clients are placed in his clinic. Similarly, a maximum and minimum rate can be established for services within which the organization is willing to pay.