# Adding a Claim

This short guide walks you through the essential steps for creating a claim using VBAPI.
You can optionally group claim data into batches, then create the claim header, and finally add one or more service-line details.

## 1️⃣ (Optional) Create Claim Batches

If you want to organize multiple claims together, start by creating a batch container.

Use **Create Claim Batches**:
[`POST /claim-batches`](https://vbapi-docs.vbasoftware.com/openapi/vbasoftware/tag/Claim-Batches/#tag/Claim-Batches/operation/CreateClaimBatches)

This gives you a batch ID that subsequent claim records can be associated with.

## 2️⃣ Create the Claim Header

Next, create the core claim record that holds the header-level data.

Use **Create Claim Batch**:
[`POST /claim-batch`](https://vbapi-docs.vbasoftware.com/openapi/vbasoftware/tag/Claim-Batch/#tag/Claim-Batch/operation/CreateClaimBatch)

This establishes the claim shell (member, dates, provider, etc.) that your service lines will attach to.

## 3️⃣ Add Claim Service Lines

Finally, include one or more service-line entries that make up the details of the claim.

Use **Create Claim Batch Detail**:
[`POST /claim-batch-detail`](https://vbapi-docs.vbasoftware.com/openapi/vbasoftware/tag/Claim-Batch-Details/#tag/Claim-Batch-Details/operation/CreateClaimBatchDetail)

Each call creates a service line tied to the claim header.

## 📘 Data Model Overview

Below is a visual reference of how batch → claim → details relate:

![Claim Entities](/assets/claim-entities.a0702bd155c6d28c25f7a973d48c79a4c0f2359b617716990f989bb59e2ddcde.afe294b5.png)