Encounters in Bad Debt Status

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Pre-Listed Encounters Excluded from the Bad Debt Process

The following pre-listed encounters are excluded from the bad debt process: Encounters with a Line Item Credit Balance: When an encounter that is already on the pre-list for bad debt has a transaction posted, before the bad debt process is run, resulting in a negative (credit) patient balance on some line items and a positive (debit) patient balance on others, a message appears when the bad debt process is run stating that there is [n] encounter that has a line item patient credit and the encounter will not be processed. You can do one of the following: To continue the bad debt process, you can select Yes. All encounters except those with a line item credit balance will process and change to Bad Debt status. To discontinue the bad debt process for all encounters, you can select No. Encounters with an Unposted Transaction: When an encounter that is already on the pre-list for bad debt has an unposted transaction before the bad debt process is run, a message appears when the bad debt pro

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Process Encounters to Bad Debt without using the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Open NextGen® Enterprise PM. From the File menu, select Processes, and then Bad Debt. The Agency Bad-Debt Process window opens. Select the Collection Agency to include the pre-listed encounters in the report. Note: All the collection agencies are selected by default. Clear one or more agencies if they are not to be included on the report. Select the effective date for pre-listed encounters to be included in the report. The default is the current system date and it can be changed if needed. All encounters with a pre-list effective date on or before the date appear on the report. To continue without previewing the report, select OK. A message appears stating that you are about to change the encounter status to bad debt. To continue, select Yes. The message appears stating that the bad debt process is completed. To close the message, select OK. Parent topic: Processing Pre-Listed Encounters to Bad Debt

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Change the Collection Agency on Bad Debt Encounters

The collection agency can be changed on encounters in Bad Debt status, if needed. Open NextGen® Enterprise PM. Select Chart. The Patient Lookup window opens. Enter search criteria to locate the desired patient. Select Find. All existing persons and patients that match the search criteria display in the Matching Records section of the window. Select Matching Records, and then double-click the patient. The Patient Chart window opens. Select the Encounters tab. Select Encounters, and then select an encounter in Bad Debt status. In the Collect Agency section at the bottom of the tab, select the Open Record icon. The Agency Bad-Debt Maintenance window opens. Modify the Collection Agency field, if needed. The effective date cannot be modified. To save changes and close the window, select OK. The change appears in red text on the General sub-tab of the Patient Chart > Encounters tab for the bad debt encounter. Parent topic: Processing Pre-Listed Encounters to Bad Debt

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Process Encounters to Bad Debt from the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Generate the Encounters Pending Bad Debt report to preview the report. Select Report Filter to make changes to the report, if needed. To save a copy of the report, do one of the following: To print the report, select Print Report. To export the report to the Excel file and save to a network directory folder, select Export to Excel. To save a snapshot of the report, select Save As Snapshot. Select Close Report. The message appears confirming to process as bad debt. To change the encounter status to bad debt, select Yes. To continue, select Yes. A message appears stating that the bad debt process is completed. To close the message, select OK. Parent topic: Processing Pre-Listed Encounters to Bad Debt

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Encounters Reinstated from Bad Debt

The following occurs on encounters that have been reinstated from bad debt: Account Alert: If all bad debt encounters are reinstated, the system generated Account Bad Debt alert no longer appears whenever the guarantor’s Account Profile or Patient Chart is accessed. If one or more encounters remain in bad debt status, the alert continues to display. Note: The bad debt alert must be enabled in Practice Preferences > Alerts. Encounter Status: The encounter status changes from Bad Debt to Billed, indicated by a medical building icon. The icon is seen in the guarantor’s Account Profile on the Encounters Detail and Acct Summary tabs. It is also seen in the patient’s chart on the Financial and Encounters tabs. Encounter Note: A Reinstate from Bad Debt note is automatically added to the encounter, indicated by a push pin icon. You can view the icon in Patient Chart on the Encounters tab and the Notes sub-tab. Transactions: Two system generated transactions move the encounter balance from Bad

Help Guide for NextGen® Enterprise PM 8

Encounters Previously in Bad Debt Status

When a bad debt encounter is paid or adjusted in full and the balance becomes $0.00, the encounter status changes from Bad Debt to History. Prevent Bad Debt encounters from going to history status option is available on the Transactions tab in the Practice Preferences window, when this option is enabled, it prevents $0.00 balance bad debt encounters from going to History status, instead retaining in the Bad Debt status. You can use this option for tracking and reporting purposes. When you enable Prevent Bad Debt encounters from going to history status option, only current and future bad debt encounters will retain a status of bad debt. Previous bad debt encounters with a $0.00 balance are not affected and remain in History status. If you clear this option, all $0.00 balance bad debt encounters immediately change to History status. Since enabling the option applies the logic on a go forward basis, the History encounters cannot be reverted to Bad Debt status. When the Prevent Bad Debt en

Encounters in Bad Debt Status

Recommendations

Pre-Listed Encounters Excluded from the Bad Debt Process

Process Encounters to Bad Debt without using the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Change the Collection Agency on Bad Debt Encounters

Process Encounters to Bad Debt from the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Encounters Reinstated from Bad Debt

Encounters Previously in Bad Debt Status

Pre-Listed Encounters Excluded from the Bad Debt Process

Process Encounters to Bad Debt without using the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Change the Collection Agency on Bad Debt Encounters

Process Encounters to Bad Debt from the Encounters Pending Bad Debt Report

Encounters Reinstated from Bad Debt

Encounters Previously in Bad Debt Status