You can apply monthly late charges to patient accounts with payment agreements when patients have failed to make payment within the grace period. Although you can apply the late charges at any time during the month, apply them consistently and at about the same time each month.
Note: Late charges are only applied to accounts with payment agreements. To enter late charges manually for accounts that do not have payment agreements, click Posting finance and late charges.
To apply late charges
1. From the file server, complete a backup of your Dentrix directory. (Please read Backing up the Dentrix database or refer to your hardware technician for assistance in creating a backup.)
Important: We strongly recommend that you have a current backup before proceeding.
2. In the Ledger, click Task Scheduler.
The Reports and Tasks Scheduler dialog box appears.
3. In the Available Tasks list, right-click Apply Late Charges.
The following options appear.
4. Select the appropriate option:
· Run Now.
· Add to Queue, and then select a queue from the list.
The Apply Late Charges dialog box appears.
5. Complete the following:
· Select Provider – Select the providers whose patients you want to apply late charges to.
· Select Billing Type – Select the billing types that you want to apply late charges to.
Note: By default, all providers and billing types are selected.
6. Click OK.
· If you selected Run Now, charges are calculated immediately. If you selected Monthly, Yearly, or Daily, the Apply Late Charges task is activated in the Scheduled Tasks list.
· If you selected Add to new queue, after you click OK, the New Queue dialog box appears. Name the new queue, and set how often you want the Apply Late Charges task to recur.
7. Set the time you want the report or task to process (default is 12:00 AM).
The report or task processes automatically at the time you set and according to the queue you placed it in.
Note: If you are using the Sample database, the Begin processing at option is not active, and you cannot change the time.
8. Edit the queue to set when and/or how often you want the report or task to run.
Note: You can print the Late Charge Report in the Office Manager to see which accounts were assessed late charges.