Skill Sharpeners

Exercise 1: Set up an orthodontic contract.

To create a contract:

On the Patient tab, select Financials > Contracts.
Select New Contract. The Contracts window is displayed, with defaults entered for the Location and Provider in the Contract Summary section.
Enter Phase I as the description.
In the Treatment field, select Full Tx Braces.
In the Treatment Modality field, select Mechanics.
In the Bonding/Tx Start Date field, enter the current date.
In the Est. Months of Tx field, type 12 months. The Est. Completion Date is calculated automatically.
In the CDT for Initial Billing field, select the appropriate CDT code.
Enter the Contract Fee. The Contract Total is calculated automatically.
Scroll to the Contract Charge Schedules section. The Guarantor is entered automatically from the patient record.
In the Downpayment Amount, Charge Amount, and # of Charges fields, enter how and when the contract will be paid by the guarantor. Use the sliders to find the best combination to suit the you and the patient.
Select an amount in the Frequency field.
Enter the First Charge Date for which charges will be levied for this charge schedule.
If the guarantor has insurance on record, the Add Charge Schedule link is displayed. Click this link to display another set of entry fields to enter the insurance plan's charge schedule.
Select the patient's Plan and specify the Amount anticipated to be covered by insurance, the Charge Amount and Frequency in which insurance is to be billed. The insurance amount is automatically subtracted from the guarantor's portion, and the guarantor's schedule (# of charges) is recalculated accordingly.
Enter the CDT for COT Claims required by the patient's insurance for continuation of treatment claims.
Verify the Proposed Payment Schedule in the next section. To adjust the schedule details, return to the previous sections.

Exercise 2: Adjust the insurance coverage in a patient's contract.

To adjust insurance coverage:

On the Patient tab, select Financials > Contracts.
Select the contract to adjust and click Edit Contract.
Scroll down to the Contract Charge Schedules section.
Edit the existing charge schedule for the Amount being paid by the insurance company, the Frequency and Charge Amount for subsequent charges, and the Next Charge Date. The # Chgs Remaining and Remaining Balance fields are recalculated automatically, as well as the guarantor's portion of the contract.
Click Save Contract.