Importing fee schedules

You can import a fee schedule to update or add a fee schedule. Dentrix Ascend supports the uploading of .csv files (comma-delimited text files).

Tip: You can create and edit .csv files in a spreadsheet program or a text editor.

Important: If you have exported a copy of the Fee Schedule Report as a .csv file, have modified it, and want to import the file to update or add a fee schedule, before you import the file, delete the following extra rows/lines so Dentrix Ascend can read the file properly:

Delete the first seven rows/lines.
For each "Procedure Category, " delete that row/line, the empty row/line above it, and the row/line below it.
Delete the last four rows/lines.

Terms
Basis Fee Schedule	A fee schedule (new or existing) in your organization's database. This fee schedule is to be used as a basis for comparison with an imported fee schedule.
Import Fee Schedule	A fee schedule in an imported .csv file.
Skipped Procedure Code	A procedure code that exists in the Import Fee Schedule but not in the Basis Fee Schedule.
Missing Procedure Code	A procedure code that exists in the Basis Fee Schedule but not in the Import Fee Schedule.

To import a fee schedule

On the Settings menu, under Production, click (or tap) Fee Schedules.

The Fee Schedules page opens.
Do one of the following:
- Create a fee schedule:
  1. Click (or tap) Create New.
    
    The options for creating a fee schedule become available.
  2. In the Name of fee schedule box, enter a name for the fee schedule.
- Update an existing fee schedule:
  1. Select a fee schedule.
    
    Note: To search for a fee schedule, begin typing part of the name of a fee schedule in the Search for Fee Schedule box, and continue typing as needed to narrow down the list.
    
    The options for editing the fee schedule become available.
  2. If the fee schedule has multiple versions, select the version that you want to update from the Fee schedule version list. This list is available only if the fee schedule has multiple versions.
  3. Do any of the following as needed:
    - Change the name of the fee schedule in the Name of fee schedule box.
    - To set the end date for the fee schedule and make a new version of the fee schedule that will become effective after the specified date, do the following:
      1. Click (or tap) Set End Date.
        
        The Set End Date for This Version of the Fee Schedule dialog box appears.
      2. If this is not the first version of the fee schedule, specify the Start date. This box is available only if there is an existing previous version. Changing the start date affects the end date of the previous version.
      3. Specify the End date. The next version will become effective on the day after the specified end date for this version. If there is an existing next version, changing the end date for this version affects the start date of the next version.
      4. Click (or tap) Set & Save. Ignore step 5 unless you are going to make changes to the fees of any version of the fee schedule.
On the Bulk Edit menu, select Update fees from file.

The Update Fee Schedule from File dialog box appears with the File Upload tab selected.
Drag a .csv file from an open window to the dialog box, or click (or tap) Browse to select the correct .csv file.

The Select Code Column tab is now selected.

Note: If there are duplicate codes in the Import Fee Schedule, only the first one will be imported.
If the first line of the data from the imported file has a description of what each column contains, set the Table has header row switch to On. Dentrix Ascend will ignore the first row when importing the fee schedule. You can also turn the switch On or Off on the Select Fee Column tab.
Select the column that contains ADA Procedure Codes.

Note: Procedure codes in the Import Fee Schedule that do not exist in the Basis Fee Schedule will not be imported.
Click (or tap) Next, or select the Select Fee Column tab.

The Select Fee Column tab is selected.
Select the column that contains the fees to be imported. This column should contain positive numbers (whole or decimal) only.

Note: Empty fees or fees with invalid characters will be imported as zero amounts (0.00).
Click (or tap) Next, or select the Missing Codes tab.

The Missing Codes tab is selected.
Specify how you want to handle any Missing Procedure Codes (procedures that might not exist in the Import Fee Schedule):
- Use current fees in this fee schedule (Do not change) - Select this option to populate the fees from the Basis Fee Schedule.
- Use existing fees from - Select this option to populate the fees from a specified fee schedule. In the Fee schedule search box, begin typing part of a fee schedule name, continue typing as needed to narrow the results list, and then select the desired fee schedule. The selected fee schedule becomes the Basis Fee Schedule for only the Missing Procedure Codes.
- Fill missing fees with - Select this option to populate the fees with a specific amount. In the box, enter the desired fee, or leave 0.00 entered.
  
  Note: With this option selected and 0.00 entered, the handling of that zero amount is determined by the selected option on the Fee Handling tab.
Click (or tap) Next, or select the Fee Handling tab.

The Fee Handling tab is selected.
Specify how you want to handle any procedure codes with a zero dollar fee that might exist in the Import Fee Schedule:
- Marked as "No write-off" - Select this option only if a write-off should not be posted. The patient will be billed the fee from the Basis Fee Schedule. This is the recommended option for most fee schedules.
- Allow write-off - Select this option only if a zero dollar ($0.00) charge should be posted because you are contracted not to charge the patient or insurance. If this fee schedule is a contracted fee schedule, a write-off for 100% of the fee from the Basis Fee Schedule may be posted.
  
  Note: With the No Write-off checkbox selected for procedures, a write-off can occur only if this fee schedule is selected as the Max allowable amount fee schedule for a patient's insurance plan. Also, a write-off cannot occur if a patient's record has a discount plan attached and no insurance coverage is attached.
Specify how you want to handle any procedure codes with an empty fee that might exist in the Import Fee Schedule:
- Use current fee in this fee schedule (Do not change) - Select this option to populate the fee from the Basis Fee Schedule.
- Set to $0.00 mark as "No write-off" - Select this option to populate the fee with a zero dollar ($0.00) amount. A write-off will not be posted, and the patient will be billed the fee from the Basis Fee Schedule.
Click (or tap) Import.

The results appear.

Note: If there are Skipped Procedure Codes from the Import Fee Schedule, a yellow warning message appears with the list of procedure codes that were not imported.
In the New Fee column, review the changed fees (the ones highlighted in light blue).
To increase or decrease all the fees in the fee schedule by the same amount or percentage, do the following:
1. On the Bulk Edit menu, select Increase all by.
  
  The Bulk Edit - Increase All dialog box appears.
2. Enter a positive or negative number (for example, 20 or -20), and then select $ or %.
3. Select the Round up resulting values to the nearest dollar checkbox if you want to round up the new fees.
4. If you are increasing fees, to ignore any current fees with a $0.00 amount (they will stay at $0.00; only non-zero fees will be increased), select the Exclude $0.00 fees from increase checkbox.
5. Click (or tap) Proceed. The resulting fees appear in the New Fee column.
For each procedure, do any of the following as needed:
- Enter or change the fee that you charge as needed in the corresponding box in the New Fee column.
  
  Note: If this fee schedule is the location's preferred fee schedule, changing the fee of a procedure code here affects the fee for the same procedure code on the location's Procedure Codes page and vice versa.
- If you do not want to allow an automatic write-off to be posted, select the corresponding checkbox in the No Write-off column.
  
  Notes:
  - To select or clear every procedure's checkbox at the same time, select or clear the checkbox at the top of the column.
  - To select the checkboxes of a range of adjacent procedures, select the first checkbox of the range, and then while holding the Shift key, select the last checkbox of the range. All the checkboxes from the first one to the last one are selected.
Tips:
- To search for a procedure, begin typing a code or description in the Search by code/description box, and continue typing as needed to narrow down the list of procedures.
- The Hide inactive procedures checkbox is selected by default, so only active procedures are shown. To temporarily show inactive procedures too, clear this checkbox (the checkbox reverts back to being selected the next time you access the Fee Schedules page and select a fee schedule).
Click (or tap) Save.