Send Encounters to Pre-Collections/Collections
The Bill Date associated with the Collections Agency on the Encounter Dashboard reflects the date that the Encounter was sent to Collections.
To place an Encounter in Pre-Collections, the Encounter must have an outstanding Patient balance.
- If an Encounter is in Pre-Collections/Collections, a banner will display at the top of the Encounter Dashboard.
- There are several ways to place an Encounter in Pre-Collections.
- Maximum Dunning Count
- Encounter Dashboard
- Patient Dashboard
- Pre-Collections Worklist
Dunning Count Maximum
Once an Encounter reaches the maximum Dunning Count with no Payments, it is put in Pre-Collections automatically.
Encounter Dashboard: Send to Collections
Sending to Collections from the Encounter Dashboard, adds it to the Pre-Collections Worklist and displays a banner on the Encounter Dashboard and the Patient Dashboard.
- From the Encounter Dashboard, select the To Collections button.
- Select the Collection Agency
- Select Save [F2].
The To Collections button changes to Remove From Collections.
Patient Dashboard: Send to Collections
When sending Encounters to Pre-Collections from the Patient Dashboard, the Encounters will be added to the Pre-Collections Worklist, and a banner will be displayed on the Patient and Encounter Dashboards.
- From the Select Action dropdown, choose Send to/Remove from Collections.
- Select the checkboxes beside the Encounters to send to Pre-Collections.
- Select the Apply button.
- Send Encounters with Patient Balance to Collections will be selected by default.
- Select the Collection Agency.
- Note: Optional
- Select Save [F2].
- The banner on the Patient Dashboard has a View link that navigates to the Pre-Collections Worklist.
- A new Collection Balance field is added to the Balance panel.
Zero Balance
An Encounter with a zero Patient Balance will not be sent to Collections.
- If an attempt is made on the Encounter or Patient Dashboard to send an Encounter to Collections, a Validation Error will be displayed.
- This prevents the Encounter from being sent to Collections.
- Close the pop-up.
- If multiple Encounters are selected on the Patient Dashboard, a Validation Warning will display.
- The Encounter(s) that have a balance will be sent to Collections, but any Encounters with a zero Patient Balance will not.
- Select Save & Continue.
Generate a Pre-Collections Worklist to send to Collections
The purpose of a new list is to update the list with the latest Payment information.
Select Statements on the Left Side Menu, and then select the Pre-Collections button at the bottom of the screen.
Make a Pre-Collections List
Before you Make a new list, make sure that all Set Actions have been applied.
- If you make a new list and select clear the current list, you will delete all Set Actions that have not been applied.
- Select the Make List button.
- Enter the Criteria for your list.
- Select Clear current Pre-Collections list checkbox.
- Select Run.
- Use the checkboxes to select the Encounters manually
- Use the Select button to choose criteria for the Encounters that you want to Send to Collections and to select/unselect all of the Encounters in the list.
The Select button function is an optional function, but can be helpful when:
- The Pre-Collections list is long;
- You want to select specific Encounters with a specified insurance, provider, amount, etc.;
Set Action
- Select the Set Action button.
- In the Choose Action dropdown, select Send to Collection.
- Collection Agency 1
- Select the Collection Agency.
- If you are sending to a "dummy" collection Agency for the purpose of taking the Encounters out of your A/R, set up the "dummy" Collection Agency in the Insurance Library.
- If you are really sending the Encounters to a Collection Agency, select it here.
- Select Run.
Apply Action
- Select the Apply Action button.
- Select the Run button.
Place the Pre-Collections List into Collections
Placing an Encounter in Pre-Collections does not actually place the Encounter into Collections.
In Collection
The In Collection process puts the selected Encounters into Collections and creates a spreadsheet to send to a Collection Agency.
- Select Statements on the Left Side Menu.
- Select the In Collection button at the bottom of the Statement/Invoices Management Dashboard.
- Select the Encounters to send to Collections.
- You can use the Transaction No. and additional selected Encounters options.
- Select the Collection Agency Spreadsheet button.
- Transaction No.: Send Encounters with the same Transaction No.
- If all Encounters were sent from Pre-Collections at the same time, they will all have the same Transaction No.
- Agency ID: Select the Collection Agency
- Date Span, Date Entered From, and Date Entered To: Only send Encounters that were sent to Collections in a specific Date Range.
- This is helpful when you are sending individual Encounters to Collections during a specific date range.
- Sent: Select Exclude to not pull Encounters that have already been sent to collections.
- This is used for pulling a list of Encounters that were sent to the Collection Agency on a specific Date.
- Total By: Select Encounter or Patient.
- By Patient can be beneficial to the Collection Agency.
- Include Selected Encounters: If you selected Encounters on the previous screen, select the checkbox.
- The Transaction No. can be used along with the selected Encounters.
- Update records as Sent: When Run is selected, the Encounters will be updated with a Sent Date.
- If the Encounters are being sent temporarily to a "dummy" Collection Agency, do not select the checkbox if you plan to send these to a Collection Agency later.
- Select Run [F2].
The Sent Date will be added to the In Collections screen.
Example 1: Select Encounters with a Guarantor Balance less than or equal to $100.00 that have no Action on them.
- Choose the Select button.
- From Select/Unselect dropdown, choose Select.
- For Action: Choose Records with no Action from the dropdown.
- Guarantor Balance less than or equal to: Enter 100.00
- Select Run.
- You can sort by Amount by selecting the Guar Bal Column title.
Example 2: Unselect items that have been previously selected.
- Select/Unselect: Choose Unselect All.
- Select Run.
Example 3: Select all lines that have AK as the Billing ID.
- Select/Unselect: Choose Select.
- Billing ID: Choose AK using the Lookup icon.
- Select Run.
Example 4: Remove Medicaid with balances greater than or equal to $100.00 with Records with no Action.
- Using the Select button, Select/Unselect: Choose Select.
- For Action: Choose Records with no Action.
- Insurance: Choose Medicaid.
- Select Run.
- Using the Set Action button, select Delete
- Select Run.
- Using the Apply Action button, select Run.
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