Practice Preferences for Encounters

The table describes the preferences for encounters.

Field	Description
When Creating a New Encounter Set Types To	You can select the default encounter types in the Encounter Types field in the Create Encounter window. For NextGen® Enterprise PM, select Billable. For NextGen® Enterprise EHR, select Clinical. For NextGen® Optical Management, select both Optical and Billable. Note: If Enable Group Scheduling is selected in Practice Preferences > Appt Scheduling , then Optical should not be selected here.
User-Defined Fields	You can add labels for multiple custom encounter-level fields in NextGen® Enterprise PM. The user-defined fields can serve as search criteria in the Encounter Specific field in the Encounter Lookup window.
User-Defined 1-4	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the General tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows.
Encounter Specific 1-50	You can enter user-defined names to label up to 50 fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Encounter Specifics tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows. Note: At least one user-defined field must be labeled for the Encounter Specifics tab to appear.
Clinical UD 14	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Clinical tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows.
Bill & Collection UD- 1-4	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Billing & Collections tab in the Encounter Maintenance window. The fields are also available on most reports.
Require Patient Type	You can make Patient Type mandatory for all encounters in the practice. Patient types are defined in master lists.
Delay Medicare Billing By [0-30] Days from Encounter Date	You can set the number of days to hold Medicare batch billing to generate claims starting from the encounter date. For example, if the encounter date is July 1 and the preference is for five hold days, then the hold is released on July 6. The hold date is calculated when a user attaches a Medicare payer to an unbilled encounter. The hold date then appears in the Hold Until Date field on the Billing & Collections tab in the Encounter Maintenance window in NextGen® Enterprise PM. Note: Even though this setting works only with batch billing, users can still force billing with demand billing for specific encounters. If an encounter is still within the allotted number of hold days, it does not appear during encounter lookup and, therefore, is not in the list for batch billing. You can also delay billing for other payers. If you do so, the payer setting overrides delayed Medicare billing.
Default Referring from Rendering Physician for Encounter	You can select this checkbox to default to the referring physician from the Rendering field when creating an encounter. For more information on this option, refer to the "Capturing General Encounter Information" section in the Encounters chapter in the Encounter Maintenance User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM. Note: The name for the default referring physician is printed under Referring Physician on the Patient Data Sheet in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Do not allow free text Referring Physicians	You can prevent users from entering a physician name in an applicable field. If this option is selected, users must choose a provider from a list that is set up in the provider master file.
Prompt for Bulk Rebilling Reason	You can require a reason for rebilling a claim. The reason is then copied to all encounters associated with the claim.
Copy appointment details to encounter complaint	You can have appointment details copied to encounter complaints when users check in to an appointment.
At check-in, show same day encounters	You can select this option to display existing encounters that have the same date as the patient appointment being checked in. The appointment can be linked to an existing encounter, or a same-day encounter can be created.
Require Homeless Status	You can make it mandatory to enter the patient's homeless status for an encounter.
Enable In Progress billing status	You can turn on the In Progress encounter status and all the features and functionalities related to this status in NextGen® Enterprise PM. CAUTION: You cannot turn off this option after it is turned on.
Default all new encounters to In Progress	This preference is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected. Select this option to default all new encounters created in the practice to In Progress status in the Create Encounter window. Note: You cannot clear the In Progress checkbox if you selected Clinical in the Encounter Types field. The In Progress option is not displayed in the Encounter Maintenance window after an encounter is created.
Allow Execution of EHR procedure trigger against locked encounter	You can allow the patient procedure trigger to add, modify, or delete charges (CPT codes) for encounters in a locked status. This checkbox is available only if the Enable In Progress billing status checkbox is selected. You might want to turn on this option, for example, if some offices or specialties provide care to a patient over a period of time. Because the cost of care cannot be accurately predicted, these offices or specialties would need to hold the charge (CPT code) until the patient’s specific treatment regimen is complete. If you select this option, users can associate all charges throughout the course of a case with one specific encounter regardless of the encounter lock status instead of having users submit each charge on independent encounters. Note: For more information, go to NextGen Healthcare Success Community, and download the latest Templates User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise EHR.
Use Convert In Progress Indicator	You can set the Convert In Progress checkbox to display in the Encounter Maintenance window. This option allows users to change the status from In Progress to either Billed or Unbilled. This checkbox is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected.
Enable Recurring Rental Billing	You can make all recurring rental billing-related functions available in NextGen® Enterprise PM. This checkbox is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected.
Enable Include encounters pending approval	You can select this option to include encounters that are pending approval.
Default Encounters Detail-Exclude Encounters in History	You can exclude encounters from the history by default.
Providers	You can select the types of providers to enter in encounters. Each option corresponds to a field in the Encounter Maintenance window. The associated field for each selected option appears in the Encounter Maintenance window for users to select the appropriate providers.
When copying from last encounter: Copy	You can select the type of information to copy from the last encounter to the new encounter when a user selects the Last Enc button while scheduling an appointment in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Default Previous Payer(s) to Encounters in PM	You can select this option to add the previous encounter insurance, if available, when an encounter is created in NextGen® Enterprise PM. If you do not select this option, new encounters created in NextGen® Enterprise PM default to self-pay.
Require Facility	If the practice does regular Uniform Billing (UB) claims billing, you can specify when a user is required to select a facility in the Create Encounter or Encounter Maintenance window. You can clear this option if the practice uses enhanced UB claims billing. Select Always to make the facility information mandatory. You must also select HCFA Box 32 and Facility Location in the Locations List window for the Locations master file. Select Only if Admit or Discharge date is populated if you want to make facility information mandatory only when the time of admission or discharge is entered.
Require Admit and Discharge Times	You can make it mandatory for users to enter the admission and/or discharge time when either of these dates is entered in the Encounter Maintenance window. To require entry of admission and discharge times in specific locations, select from the Limit to Valid Locations field. To require entry of admission and discharge times for specific patient types, select from the Limit to Patient Type field.
CCBHC Qualifying Encounter	You can allow tracking of encounters with one or more Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services in NextGen® Enterprise PM. The option allows users to flag specific SIM codes as a CCBHC service. When an encounter includes a charge for a CCBHC service, the encounter is automatically flagged as a CCBHC Qualifying Encounter for reporting purposes in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Default Enc Billable Time to System Time	You can set the system time as encounter billable time for the encounters that you create from a patient chart, during charge entry, and for group encounters that you have not created from the appointment book. If you do not select this option, the encounter billable time changes to 12:00 AM, but the encounter date remains unchanged.

The table describes the preferences for encounters.

Field	Description
When Creating a New Encounter Set Types To	You can select the default encounter types in the Encounter Types field in the Create Encounter window. For NextGen® Enterprise PM, select Billable. For NextGen® Enterprise EHR, select Clinical. For NextGen® Optical Management, select both Optical and Billable. Note: If Enable Group Scheduling is selected in Practice Preferences > Appt Scheduling , then Optical should not be selected here.
User-Defined Fields	You can add labels for multiple custom encounter-level fields in NextGen® Enterprise PM. The user-defined fields can serve as search criteria in the Encounter Specific field in the Encounter Lookup window.
User-Defined 1-4	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the General tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows.
Encounter Specific 1-50	You can enter user-defined names to label up to 50 fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Encounter Specifics tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows. Note: At least one user-defined field must be labeled for the Encounter Specifics tab to appear.
Clinical UD 14	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Clinical tab in the Create Encounter and Encounter Maintenance windows.
Bill & Collection UD- 1-4	You can enter user-defined names to label up to four fields that your practice can use to enter additional information on encounters in NextGen® Enterprise PM. These customized free-text fields appear on the Billing & Collections tab in the Encounter Maintenance window. The fields are also available on most reports.
Require Patient Type	You can make Patient Type mandatory for all encounters in the practice. Patient types are defined in master lists.
Delay Medicare Billing By [0-30] Days from Encounter Date	You can set the number of days to hold Medicare batch billing to generate claims starting from the encounter date. For example, if the encounter date is July 1 and the preference is for five hold days, then the hold is released on July 6. The hold date is calculated when a user attaches a Medicare payer to an unbilled encounter. The hold date then appears in the Hold Until Date field on the Billing & Collections tab in the Encounter Maintenance window in NextGen® Enterprise PM. Note: Even though this setting works only with batch billing, users can still force billing with demand billing for specific encounters. If an encounter is still within the allotted number of hold days, it does not appear during encounter lookup and, therefore, is not in the list for batch billing. You can also delay billing for other payers. If you do so, the payer setting overrides delayed Medicare billing.
Default Referring from Rendering Physician for Encounter	You can select this checkbox to default to the referring physician from the Rendering field when creating an encounter. For more information on this option, refer to the "Capturing General Encounter Information" section in the Encounters chapter in the Encounter Maintenance User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM. Note: The name for the default referring physician is printed under Referring Physician on the Patient Data Sheet in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Do not allow free text Referring Physicians	You can prevent users from entering a physician name in an applicable field. If this option is selected, users must choose a provider from a list that is set up in the provider master file.
Prompt for Bulk Rebilling Reason	You can require a reason for rebilling a claim. The reason is then copied to all encounters associated with the claim.
Copy appointment details to encounter complaint	You can have appointment details copied to encounter complaints when users check in to an appointment.
At check-in, show same day encounters	You can select this option to display existing encounters that have the same date as the patient appointment being checked in. The appointment can be linked to an existing encounter, or a same-day encounter can be created.
Require Homeless Status	You can make it mandatory to enter the patient's homeless status for an encounter.
Enable In Progress billing status	You can turn on the In Progress encounter status and all the features and functionalities related to this status in NextGen® Enterprise PM. CAUTION: You cannot turn off this option after it is turned on.
Default all new encounters to In Progress	This preference is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected. Select this option to default all new encounters created in the practice to In Progress status in the Create Encounter window. Note: You cannot clear the In Progress checkbox if you selected Clinical in the Encounter Types field. The In Progress option is not displayed in the Encounter Maintenance window after an encounter is created.
Allow Execution of EHR procedure trigger against locked encounter	You can allow the patient procedure trigger to add, modify, or delete charges (CPT codes) for encounters in a locked status. This checkbox is available only if the Enable In Progress billing status checkbox is selected. You might want to turn on this option, for example, if some offices or specialties provide care to a patient over a period of time. Because the cost of care cannot be accurately predicted, these offices or specialties would need to hold the charge (CPT code) until the patient’s specific treatment regimen is complete. If you select this option, users can associate all charges throughout the course of a case with one specific encounter regardless of the encounter lock status instead of having users submit each charge on independent encounters. Note: For more information, go to NextGen Healthcare Success Community, and download the latest Templates User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise EHR.
Use Convert In Progress Indicator	You can set the Convert In Progress checkbox to display in the Encounter Maintenance window. This option allows users to change the status from In Progress to either Billed or Unbilled. This checkbox is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected.
Enable Recurring Rental Billing	You can make all recurring rental billing-related functions available in NextGen® Enterprise PM. This checkbox is available only if Enable In Progress billing status is selected.
Enable Include encounters pending approval	You can select this option to include encounters that are pending approval.
Default Encounters Detail-Exclude Encounters in History	You can exclude encounters from the history by default.
Providers	You can select the types of providers to enter in encounters. Each option corresponds to a field in the Encounter Maintenance window. The associated field for each selected option appears in the Encounter Maintenance window for users to select the appropriate providers.
When copying from last encounter: Copy	You can select the type of information to copy from the last encounter to the new encounter when a user selects the Last Enc button while scheduling an appointment in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Default Previous Payer(s) to Encounters in PM	You can select this option to add the previous encounter insurance, if available, when an encounter is created in NextGen® Enterprise PM. If you do not select this option, new encounters created in NextGen® Enterprise PM default to self-pay.
Require Facility	If the practice does regular Uniform Billing (UB) claims billing, you can specify when a user is required to select a facility in the Create Encounter or Encounter Maintenance window. You can clear this option if the practice uses enhanced UB claims billing. Select Always to make the facility information mandatory. You must also select HCFA Box 32 and Facility Location in the Locations List window for the Locations master file. Select Only if Admit or Discharge date is populated if you want to make facility information mandatory only when the time of admission or discharge is entered.
Require Admit and Discharge Times	You can make it mandatory for users to enter the admission and/or discharge time when either of these dates is entered in the Encounter Maintenance window. To require entry of admission and discharge times in specific locations, select from the Limit to Valid Locations field. To require entry of admission and discharge times for specific patient types, select from the Limit to Patient Type field.
CCBHC Qualifying Encounter	You can allow tracking of encounters with one or more Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) services in NextGen® Enterprise PM. The option allows users to flag specific SIM codes as a CCBHC service. When an encounter includes a charge for a CCBHC service, the encounter is automatically flagged as a CCBHC Qualifying Encounter for reporting purposes in NextGen® Enterprise PM.
Default Enc Billable Time to System Time	You can set the system time as encounter billable time for the encounters that you create from a patient chart, during charge entry, and for group encounters that you have not created from the appointment book. If you do not select this option, the encounter billable time changes to 12:00 AM, but the encounter date remains unchanged.

Practice Preferences for Encounters

Recommendations

Field Descriptions in Encounters Practice Preference

Configure Encounter Types in NextGen® Enterprise EHR User Preferences

Configure Encounter Types in NextGen® Enterprise EHR User Preferences

Create a Group Encounter for Scheduled Members

Create a Group Encounter for a Patient Group

Encounter Maintenance - Clinical Tab

Practice Preferences for Encounters

Field Descriptions in Encounters Practice Preference

Configure Encounter Types in NextGen® Enterprise EHR User Preferences

Configure Encounter Types in NextGen® Enterprise EHR User Preferences

Create a Group Encounter for Scheduled Members

Create a Group Encounter for a Patient Group

Encounter Maintenance - Clinical Tab