What is the process of locating a patient who has an outstanding balance?

The process of locating a patient who has an outstanding balance is known as skip tracing. Skip tracing involves using various methods and resources to determine an individual's whereabouts when they have not made contact or when their location is uncertain. This process is commonly employed in collections and debt recovery when an individual has evaded communication or payment responsibilities.

Skip tracing utilizes public records, credit bureaus, and other information sources to track down the individual. It is specifically focused on finding people who are "skipped" or difficult to reach to ensure that they can be contacted regarding their debts.

In this context, while debt recovery involves the broader process of collecting owed money, credit reporting deals with informing credit agencies about a debtor's payment history, and account reconciliation refers to balancing accounts to ensure all records are accurate, none of these processes specifically target the act of locating a person, which is why skip tracing is the most appropriate answer.