Updating insurance information for patients

You can update the insurance information attached to a patient's record as needed.

Notes:

• Updating a patient's insurance information requires the "Edit Ins. Plan for Patient" security right.

• For instructions on changing a patient's secondary insurance to primary insurance, read the blog post Changing Secondary Insurance to Primary Insurance.

To update a patient's insurance information

1. Do one of the following:

   • 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. On the Patient menu, under General, click (or tap) Overview.

        The patient's Overview page opens.

     On a patient's Overview page, the Insurance box displays the patient's insurance plans. Click (or tap) an insurance Plan link.

     

   • 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. On the Patient menu, under Insurance, click (or tap) Insurance Information.

        The patient's Insurance Information page opens.

     On a patient's Insurance Information page, select an insurance plan.

     

   The options for editing insurance information become available.

   

2. Update the information as needed, such as the subscriber ID, relation to the subscriber, coverage order, and coverage period.

   Set up the following options:

   • Subscriber and Plan - The subscriber and insurance associated with that subscriber. To change the subscriber and plan, click (or tap) in the Subscriber box, search for and select a different provider, and then select a plan. To change only the plan, select a different plan for the selected subscriber. To show or hide the plan selection list, click (or tap) the Show button or the Hide button .

   • Subscriber ID # - The ID used to identify the subscriber of the insurance plan on claims that are submitted to the corresponding carrier. The subscriber ID might not be the same as the subscriber's Social Security Number. Changing the ID will affect the subscriber and all patients covered under that subscriber.

     Note: When you save the plan, Dentrix Ascend attempts to verify with the carrier that the subscriber ID is valid. You may see a notification that the carrier does not accept real-time eligibility verification, the subscriber ID is invalid, or the subscriber ID could not be verified. These issues affect the patient's eligibility status for his or her appointments on the Insurance Eligibility page.

   • Release of Information - The subscriber authorizes the release of information to the practice. With this check box selected, "Signature on File" appears in box 36 on insurance claims. With this check box clear, box 36 is blank.

     Note: Selecting or clearing the Release of Information check box requires the "Manage Subscriber Authorizations" security right.

   • Assignment of Benefits - The subscriber authorizes payments from the carrier to go directly to the provider. With this check box selected, "Signature on File" appears in box 37 on insurance claims, and the carrier will send payments to your practice. With this check box clear, box 37 is blank, and the carrier will send payments to the subscriber.

     Note: Selecting or clearing the Assignment of Benefits check box requires the "Manage Subscriber Authorizations" security right.

   • Relation to Subscriber - For a subscriber, since he or she is the current patient, Self is selected automatically and cannot be changed. For a non-subscriber, select Spouse, Child, or Other.

   • Insurance coordination order - The coverage order of the plan (such as Primary or Secondary).

     Note: The positions that are available on the list are the positions in the coverage order that have active insurance plans and the positions in the coverage order that are missing insurance plans.

   • Coverage Period - In the Coverage Start and Coverage End boxes, enter the date that coverage started and, if known, the date that the coverage will end for the subscriber and all patients who are insured under the selected plan. For a non-subscriber, you can specify an end date that is before or the same as that of the subscriber.

     Notes:

     • For a secondary insurance plan, the start date cannot be earlier than the start date of the patient's primary insurance plan.

     • You cannot save a change in the coverage period if doing so would cause an outstanding claim not to be inside that coverage period. You must resolve the claim before you can change the coverage period.

   • Eligibility - If known, select the patient's eligibility status: Unable to Verify, Eligible, or Ineligible. Then, enter today's date (or the date that eligibility was actually checked) in the Verification Date box.

     Note: Changing the eligibility status here affects the patient's eligibility status for his or her appointments on the Insurance Eligibility page and vice versa.

   • Note - Any notes regarding the insurance plan.

3. Click (or tap) Save.