Importing fee schedules

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

Notes:

You can create and edit .csv files in a spreadsheet program or a text editor.
The .csv file must be less than 20 MB in size.
If the import must affect procedure fees, the .csv file must have a column with ADA Procedure Codes (each of which consists of a D prefix and four digits) and a column with fees (whole numbers, zeros expressed as decimal numbers, and positive decimal numbers are allowed).
If the import must mark procedures as "Paid in Full," the .csv file must have a column with ADA Procedure Codes (each of which consists of a D prefix and four digits) and a column with values that indicate which procedures are paid in full (T, t, True, or true is allowed for indicating a yes; anything else is considered a no). This type of import does not affect procedure fees, so a column with fees is not required.

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. Do any of the following as needed:
    - In the Name of fee schedule box, enter a name for the fee schedule.
    - To enable "Paid in Full" procedures for the fee schedule, select the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox. With this checkbox selected, a Paid in Full column is available for the list of procedures.
- 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.
    - To enable or disable "Paid in Full" procedures for the fee schedule, select or clear the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox. With this checkbox selected, a Paid in Full column is available for the list of procedures.
On the Bulk Edit menu, select Import fees from file.

The Bulk Import dialog box appears.
- If the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox is selected for this fee schedule, the Import Type step is first.
- If the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox is clear for this fee schedule, the Upload File step is first.
Complete each of the steps in turn as applicable:
- Import Type (available only if the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox is selected for this fee schedule).
  For the Import Type step, do the following:
  1. Select one of the following options:
    - Paid in Full procedures - Use this option to indicate which procedures should be marked as "Paid in Full." The procedure fees are not affected.
    - Fees - Use this option to affect the procedure fees. The "Paid in Full" indicators for procedures are not affected.
  2. Click Next.
- Upload File (available for any type of import).
  For the Upload File step, do the following:
  1. Drag a .csv file from an open window to the Drag file here.. box, or click (or tap) Drag file here... box to select the correct .csv file.
    
    When the file is uploaded successfully, a message appears.
  2. Click Next.
- Select Table Header (available for any type of import).
  For the Select Table Header step, do the following:
  1. For Does your file have a header row?, select one of the following options:
    - Yes - If the first line of the data from your .csv file has a description of what each column contains.
    - No - If the first line of the data from your .csv file does not have a description of what each column contains.
  2. Click Next.
- Select Code Column (available for any type of import).
  For the Select Code Column step, do the following:
  1. Select the column of your .csv file that contains ADA Procedure Codes.
    
    Notes:
    - If there are duplicate codes in the Import Fee Schedule, only the first one will be imported.
    - Procedure codes in the Import Fee Schedule that do not exist in the Basis Fee Schedule will not be imported.
  2. Click Next.
- Select Fee Column (available for any type of import).
  For the Select Fee Column step, do the following:
  1. Select the column of your .csv file that contains the fees to be imported.
    
    Note: Empty fees or fees with invalid characters will be imported as zero amounts (0.00).
  2. Click Next.
- Missing Codes (available only if the import affects procedure fees).
  For the Missing Codes step, do the following:
  1. 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. Next, click (or tap) in the Search for a version box; begin typing a date (or "past" or "future") in the box, continue typing as needed to narrow the results list, and then select the desired version (only the (past) - (future) option is available if there is only one version).
    - Fill missing fees with - Select this option to populate the fees with a specific amount. In the box, enter the desired fee (whole numbers, zeros expressed as decimal numbers, and positive decimal numbers are allowed).
      
      Note: With this option selected and 0.00 entered, the handling of that zero amount is determined by the selected option for the Fee Handling step.
  2. Click Next.
- Fee Handling (available only if the import affects procedure fees).
  For the Fee Handling step, do the following:
  1. Under For $0.00 fees, specify how you want to handle any procedure codes with a zero dollar fee that might exist in the Import Fee Schedule:
    - Recommended - Marked as "No write-off" (ensures write-off's are never posted for $0.00 procedures) - 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. (100% write-off may occur if this is a Max Allowable Fee Schedule) - 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 a procedure, 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.
  2. Under For codes present in the spreadsheet, but with an empty fee cell, 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.
  3. Click Complete Import.
- Select Paid in Full Column (available only if the import affects the "Paid in Full" indicators for procedures).
  For the Select Paid in Full Column step, do the following:
  1. Select the column of your .csv file that contains the indicators for procedures that are paid in full.
    
    Note: If the import tool detects blank or invalid values in the selected column, a message appears. Those procedures will not be marked as "Paid in Full."
  2. Click Complete Import.
When the import has been completed successfully, a message appears, and all steps on the left have green checkmark icons.

- OR -

- OR -
Click Done.

The results appear.

- OR -

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.
Review the changes. For each procedure, do any of the following as needed:
- In the box in the New Fee column, change the fee that you charge for the procedure.
  
  Notes:
  - If you are creating a fee schedule, a procedure with an updated fee has a darker number in the box than a procedure whose fee was not updated).
  - If you are updating a fee schedule, a procedure with an updated fee is highlighted in blue and has a darker number in the box than a procedure whose fee was not updated.
  - 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 for the procedure, select the checkbox in the No Write-off column. If you want to allow an automatic write-off to be posted for the procedure, clear the checkbox in the No Write-off column.
  
  Notes:
  - With the No Write-off checkbox selected for the procedure, an automatic write-off can occur for that procedure only if this fee schedule is selected as the Max allowable amount fee schedule for a patient's insurance plan. Also, an automatic write-off cannot occur if a patient's record has a discount plan attached and no insurance coverage is attached.
  - To select or clear every procedure's checkbox (if available) 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 (if available) from the first one to the last one are selected.
  - If the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox is selected for this fee schedule, the No Write-off checkbox for the procedure is available only if the Paid in Full checkbox for the procedure is clear.
- If the Paid in Full Enabled checkbox is selected for this fee schedule, depending on whether you want the procedure to be marked as a "Paid in Full" procedure or not, select or clear the checkbox in the Paid in Full column.
  
  Notes:
  - With the Paid in Full checkbox selected for the procedure, instead of a patient being responsible for a portion of the charge, anything over the maximum allowed (contracted) rate gets written off. The patient's portion is always $0 for a "Paid in Full" procedure.
  - To select or clear every procedure's checkbox (if available) 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 (if available) from the first one to the last one are selected.
  - The Paid in Full checkbox for the procedure is available only if the No Write-off checkbox for the procedure is clear.
Tips:
- 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).
- 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.
Click (or tap) Create or Save.
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; also, decimals are allowed), 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.
6. Click (or tap) Save.