Transactions Practice Preferences Descriptions

The following table describes the fields located in the Transaction Practice Preferences.

Default Transaction Spreading

Field	Description
Transaction Source	Select Patient or Third Party and then select one of the FIFO or weighted options. Note: Users can also spread using the FIFO methods by right-clicking on thePayment Entry window. First In/ First Out – (FIFO) applies payments to the oldest line items, until the payment is disbursed. First In/ First Out - Pat Resp Date – Select Patient and then select this option to spread payment and adjustment transactions to detail line items by the earliest patient responsibility date. Weighted distribution – applies a weighted percentage to all line items.

Field

Description

Transaction Source

Select Patient or Third Party and then select one of the FIFO or weighted options.

Note: Users can also spread using the FIFO methods by right-clicking on thePayment Entry window.

First In/ First Out – (FIFO) applies payments to the oldest line items, until the payment is disbursed.

First In/ First Out - Pat Resp Date – Select Patient and then select this option to spread payment and adjustment transactions to detail line items by the earliest patient responsibility date.

Weighted distribution – applies a weighted percentage to all line items.

Reason Codes Options

Field	Description
Default Reason Code Library	Select a default reason code library, which is used for all payers who do not have a specific library attached to them at the payer master level. You can create and modify reason code libraries in the Libraries section of File Maintenance.
Patient Reason Code Library	Select a reason code library to use when the patient is the payer. You can create and modify reason code libraries in the Libraries section of File Maintenance.
Write Off Remaining Patient Balance	Select the adjustment transaction code to be used to adjust the line item patient balance to $0.00 when a reason code is attached that is setup in the Reason Codes Library with the Write Off Remaining Balance check box enabled. The adjustment occurs when the transaction batch is posted. Note: Manual payment entry uses this adjustment transaction code. ERA uses the 'Adjustment Code' selected in the Reason Codes Library.
Write Off Remaining Payer Balance	Select the adjustment transaction code to be used to adjust the line item payer balance to $0.00 when a reason code is attached that is setup in the Reason Codes Library with the Write Off Remaining Balance check box enabled. The adjustment occurs when the transaction batch is posted. Note: Manual payment entry uses this adjustment transaction code. ERA uses the 'Adjustment Code' selected in the Reason Codes Library.

COB Window Options

Field	Description
Warn on COB imbalance with allowed amount	Select this check box to receive a warning message when the allowed amount is not equal to the paid amount plus the patient responsibility amount. The message "Warn on COB imbalance with Allowed Amount" displays when closing the Coordination of Benefits Information (COB1, COB2, COB3, or All Payers) window.
Warn on COB imbalance with billed amount	Select this check box to receive a warning message when the billed amount is not equal to the paid amount plus the sum of all adjustments. The message "Warn on COB imbalance with billed Amount" displays when closing the Coordination of Benefits Information (COB1, COB2, COB3, or All Payers) window. Note: The 5010 format does not require the allowed amount for COB claims.
Create EOB for manual payments	Select this option to view manually posted payments on the EOB.

Payment Entry Defaults

Field	Description
Free text line item reason codes	Select this check box to allow users to enter line item reason codes during payment entry instead of selecting the reason codes from a list. When users type multiple reason codes, they must separate them with commas - for example, CO18, CO42, PR1. If any of the typed codes are incorrect, then the incorrect codes display along with the list of reason codes from the Reason Code library that the users can select.
Show all line items	Select this check box to have the Show All Line Items check box selected by default on the Payment Entry window.
Enable transaction notes	Select this check box to display the Transaction Notes field in Payment Entry in NextGen® Enterprise PM. Users can type additional information for the transaction in the field. Note: The field is required only when any of the "Approval needed" Auto Creation actions is selected in the Task Types master file for task types with a Transaction source type.
Use settled up status	Select this check box to settle a balance upwards during manual payment entry whenever the secondary payer pays before the primary payer pays. Then, when the primary finally pays, the status skips the secondary payer, who already paid, and settles down to the tertiary one. If this check box is not selected, then the balance automatically moves to the next bucket (for example, from the secondary to tertiary payer) even though the primary payer bucket might still be empty.

Unapplied Credit Options

Field	Description
Utilize unapplied credit as payment	Select this check box to use unapplied credits as payments. If the check box is not selected, unapplied credits are applied as adjustments. Note: If you select the check box, the following fields change to contain payment transaction types: Applied Encounter/Invoice Credit Applied Encounter/Invoice Debit Applied Account Credit Applied Account Debit Transfer Credit to Account Receive Credit on Account Refer to "Applying an Unapplied Encounter Credit at Charge Entry" in the Encounter Maintenance User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM for more information.
Unapplied credits encounter limit	Populate this field with the maximum number of encounters allowed for your practice for unapplied credits.

Field

Description

Utilize unapplied credit as payment

Select this check box to use unapplied credits as payments.

If the check box is not selected, unapplied credits are applied as adjustments.

Note: If you select the check box, the following fields change to contain payment transaction types:

Applied Encounter/Invoice Credit

Applied Encounter/Invoice Debit

Applied Account Credit

Applied Account Debit

Transfer Credit to Account

Receive Credit on Account

Refer to "Applying an Unapplied Encounter Credit at Charge Entry" in the Encounter Maintenance User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM for more information.

Unapplied credits encounter limit

Populate this field with the maximum number of encounters allowed for your practice for unapplied credits.

Bad Debt Options

Field	Description
Prevent Bad Debt encounters from going into history status	Select this check box to exclude encounters that are in a bad debt status from going into a history status. If the check box is selected and you deselect this option the following message displays: "Disabling this option will revert all previous bad debt encounters with a zero balance into a history status. This is not reversible. Do you want to continue?" Then you can click Yes or No.
Show bad debt charges (Account Level)	Select this check box to make bad debt charges display in Payment Entry in NextGen® Enterprise PM when Account is selected in the Source field. If this check box is not selected, the bad debt charges do not display. If this check box is selected, users will not be able to use unapplied credits when they are working with bad debt encounters. They cannot create unapplied amounts from a bad debt encounter and they cannot use unapplied amounts on a bad debt encounter.
Use payer default bad debt tran codes	Select this check box to use the default transaction codes set up in the Payers master file for encounters with bad debt status. For more information, see Setting Up Bad Debt Transaction Codes.

Field

Description

Prevent Bad Debt encounters from going into history status

Select this check box to exclude encounters that are in a bad debt status from going into a history status.

If the check box is selected and you deselect this option the following message displays:

"Disabling this option will revert all previous bad debt encounters with a zero balance into a history status. This is not reversible. Do you want to continue?"

Then you can click Yes or No.

Show bad debt charges (Account Level)

Select this check box to make bad debt charges display in Payment Entry in NextGen® Enterprise PM when Account is selected in the Source field. If this check box is not selected, the bad debt charges do not display.

If this check box is selected, users will not be able to use unapplied credits when they are working with bad debt encounters. They cannot create unapplied amounts from a bad debt encounter and they cannot use unapplied amounts on a bad debt encounter.

Use payer default bad debt tran codes

Select this check box to use the default transaction codes set up in the Payers master file for encounters with bad debt status. For more information, see Setting Up Bad Debt Transaction Codes.

Contract Defaults in Payment Posting

Field	Description
Default contract amounts when payer selected	Select this check box to apply co-pays and allowed amounts to CPTs defined in the Fee Schedule or for the SIM price for CPT's not in the Fee Schedule. The allowed amount will be blank during payment processing for CPTs that do not have a related price in the Fee Schedule. After you select this check box, the following options become available. You can select one option.
Default contract Allowed for CPTs in Fee Schedule, default SIM Price as allowed for CPTs Not in Fee Schedule	Select this option to apply co-pays to CPTs in the Fee Schedule or the default SIM price for CPTs not in the fee schedule.
Default contract Allowed for CPTs in Fee Schedule	Select this option to apply co-pays to CPTs in the Fee Schedule.

Field

Description

Default contract amounts when payer selected

Select this check box to apply co-pays and allowed amounts to CPTs defined in the Fee Schedule or for the SIM price for CPT's not in the Fee Schedule.

The allowed amount will be blank during payment processing for CPTs that do not have a related price in the Fee Schedule.

After you select this check box, the following options become available. You can select one option.

Default contract Allowed for CPTs in Fee Schedule, default SIM Price as allowed for CPTs Not in Fee Schedule

Select this option to apply co-pays to CPTs in the Fee Schedule or the default SIM price for CPTs not in the fee schedule.

Default contract Allowed for CPTs in Fee Schedule

Select this option to apply co-pays to CPTs in the Fee Schedule.

Batch Posting Defaults

Field	Description
Enable batch sub-batches	Select this check box to do the following: Set up sub-batches when setting up batch header records. For more information on sub-batches, refer to the Posting Transactions chapter of the Transactions User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM. Enable the Require the number of payments when balancing sub-batches check box.r
Require the number of payments when balancing sub-batches	Select this check box to require that the Number Of Payments field on the Batch Maintenance window be populated when balancing sub-batches. Note: If you do not select this check box, the Number Of Payments field on the Batch Maintenance window will not display. This box will only be available for selection if the Enable batch sub-batches check box is selected .
Enable batch balancing with Adjustments	Select this check box to enable the Total Adjusted field on the Batch Maintenance window in NextGen® Enterprise PM so that users can include the total adjustment amount in the batch balancing process. When selected, the Total Adjusted column displays on the Batch Posting window, and the Total Adjusted field is available on the Batch Maintenance window. When not selected, the Total Adjustment column does not display on the Batch Posting window, and the Total Adjusted field is not available on the Batch Maintenance window.

Field

Description

Enable batch sub-batches

Select this check box to do the following:

Set up sub-batches when setting up batch header records. For more information on sub-batches, refer to the Posting Transactions chapter of the Transactions User Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM.

Enable the Require the number of payments when balancing sub-batches check box.r

Require the number of payments when balancing sub-batches

Select this check box to require that the Number Of Payments field on the Batch Maintenance window be populated when balancing sub-batches.

Note: If you do not select this check box, the Number Of Payments field on the Batch Maintenance window will not display. This box will only be available for selection if the Enable batch sub-batches check box is selected .

Enable batch balancing with Adjustments

Select this check box to enable the Total Adjusted field on the Batch Maintenance window in NextGen® Enterprise PM so that users can include the total adjustment amount in the batch balancing process.

When selected, the Total Adjusted column displays on the Batch Posting window, and the Total Adjusted field is available on the Batch Maintenance window.

When not selected, the Total Adjustment column does not display on the Batch Posting window, and the Total Adjusted field is not available on the Batch Maintenance window.

Enterprise Transactions

Field	Description
Enable Enterprise Batch Groupings	Select this check box to enable users to include transaction batches from this practice in batch groupings. Batch groupings enable users to enter, balance, and post transactions from multiple practices. This check box is enabled only when the Enable Enterprise Batch Groupings check box is selected on the Setting Up Bad Debt Transaction Codes > General .

Transactions Practice Preferences Descriptions

Recommendations

Reason Code Options

Reason Code Library Maintenance Field Descriptions

Reason Codes Library Report

Reason Codes Library

Automatic Adjustments

Automatic Adjustments