Posting patient payments

You can post a payment from a patient to that patient's ledger.

To post a patient payment

1. How to get there

   1. If the correct patient is not already selected, use the Patient Search box to access the patient's record.

      Note: You can include inactive patients in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

   2. Do one of the following:

      • On the Patient menu, under General, click (or tap) Overview. The patient's Overview page opens. Click (or tap) the Ledger box.

        

      • On the Patient menu, under Financial, click (or tap) Ledger.

      The patient's Ledger page opens.

   On a patient's Ledger page, click (or tap) Payment.

   

   The Enter Payment dialog box appears.

   

2. Leave the current date entered in the Transaction date box, or click (or tap) in the box to select the correct date.

   If you attempt to backdate the payment to a date that would cause it to become locked (based on your organization's transaction lock setting), the Locked Time Period pop-up box appears. In the Authorized user and Password boxes, enter your credentials if you have permission to backdate transactions into locked time periods, or have someone with permission enter his or her credentials. Then, click Unlock.

   

   Note: Backdating transactions into locked time periods requires the "Override Locked Transaction" security right.

3. Enter the Amount of the payment.

4. Select the Method of payment received from the patient (such as a check, cash, or credit card).

   Note: If your location uses Dentrix Ascend Pay, and you select Credit Card Payment as the payment type, options for processing the credit card become available.

5. Enter the payment details, such as the check number and amount.

   Set up the following options:

   • Check # - The check number. This option is available only if the payment type is Check Payment.

   • Reference # - The reference number of the transaction or electronic funds transfer (EFT). This option is available only if the payment method is Patient Financing Payment or Electronic Transfer Payment.

   • Bank/branch # - The bank account number on the check. This option is available only if the payment type is Check Payment.

   • Apply to charges for - The payment goes towards charges for the patient whose record you are viewing or another member of his or her household. If you select [Guarantor], you can apply the payment to charges for any household members.

   • Paid at patient visit - The payment was made at the office when services were rendered. Statistics regarding payments collected during visits appear on the Payment Analysis Report.

6. The payment amount is applied automatically to the procedure with the oldest date of service and then to subsequent procedures based on the date until the payment amount is used up. However, you can change the Applied amount for any procedure in the procedure list as needed.

   

   For your reference, the following amounts appear:

   • The Amount not applied is the payment Amount minus the sum of the amounts in the Applied column. This amount will appear as a credit on the account of the patient whose record you are viewing, another household member, or the guarantor, according to the selection that you made from the Apply to charges for list.

   • The Amount applied is the sum of the amounts in the Applied column.

   Notes:

   • If you are entering a payment for procedures on the same date as the date of service or for procedures prior to the current date that are attached to a claim, Dentrix Ascend automatically calculates the estimated guarantor portion of the charges (if the patient has insurance coverage). However, if you are entering a payment for procedures prior to the current date that are not attached to a claim, Dentrix Ascend automatically calculates the estimated guarantor portion to be 100 percent of the charges.

   • If the patient has insurance coverage, and the estimated insurance portion for a given procedure is 100 percent, that procedure does not appear in the Enter Payment dialog box.

7. On the Tags tab, add tags to the payment as needed.

8. If applicable, on the Xfer Reason(s) tab, select or create reasons for a transfer of responsibility as needed.

   

   To select or create a reason, do the following:

   1. In the Add a tag search box, begin typing the name of a reason. Once you have entered at least two characters, the results list appears with any matches (not case-sensitive). Continue typing as needed to narrow the results list.

   2. Do one of the following:

      • If the correct reason is listed, select that reason to attach it.

        

      • If the correct reason does not exist, finish typing the name of the reason (spaces are allowed). Make sure that the name is capitalized as desired. Then, select + Create [reason name] to create the reason and attach it.

        

        Note: The reason that you have created is now available to all Dentrix Ascend users in your organization.

   Note: To save the payment after you add reasons for a transfer of responsibility, your user account must have the security right "Edit responsibility transfer reason" enabled.

9. On the Notes tab, enter any notes regarding the payment.

10. Click (or tap) Save.