Collection Collection Event Tab

Collection Event

The Collection Event tab lists billing events with actions in collections that need to be worked for the selected visit. Updates can be made to billing events in the main tab, although actions are worked in the Open & Pending Actions child tab.

Actions are associated with billing events and assigned to collectors automatically as the billing event moves through its collections cycle. Actions may include reviewing accounts or calling patients or insurance companies.

The list displays all collection events (billing events) for the visit and includes information on the billing period, bill type, frequency, charges, adjustments/payments, and balance. Clicking on a collection event populates the detail section below, which includes the billing period, amount, bill date, patient type, professional code, and phone number.

Note: The phone number is followed by an initial representing the responsible party (I = Insurance, G = Guarantor, P = Patient). If the billing event is Self Pay, RCM Cloud^® will check for a guarantor then patient phone number. If the billing event is not Self Pay, it checks for an insurance phone number.

To update collection event information, follow these steps:

1. The event selected in the worklist should be selected by default in the Collection Event panel list. To select another event, click on it in the list.
2. Change any of the following options, if necessary:

• Full Cycle – Check to designate the billing event as full cycle. Full cycle billing events are not picked up by the StepUpdate process, have no future collection actions scheduled, and are listed in the Full Cycle Report. Uncheck to reset the billing event’s status in conjunction with manually updating the cycle step and payer in order to start the collections process.

• Bad Debt – Check to assign a bad debt date to the billing event.
• A/R Hold – Click the drop-down and select a hold reason. This stops collection activity on the billing event, although bills continue to be generated.

• Step – Click the drop-down menu and select a different step in the current collections cycle.
• Payer – Click the drop-down menu and select a different payer. Upon clicking Submit, any actions associated with the previous payer will be canceled.
• Collector – Click the drop-down menu and select a different collector.
• Insurance – Click the drop-down menu and select a different insurance from the available insurances for the visit.
• Recalc Balance Code – Click to automatically update the billing event’s balance code and cycle. Upon clicking Save and confirming the update, all open collection activities will be canceled, the account will be moved to Step 1 of the new collections cycle, and, if necessary, a new collector will be assigned.

3. Click Save.

Open & Pending Actions

The Open & Pending Actions tab allows a collector to add, complete, or cancel open actions that are scheduled for a billing event. Action notes can also be added. Multiple actions can be completed or canceled simultaneously.

The list displays only open actions. Completed or canceled actions are removed from the list after being saved.

To complete/cancel actions, follow these steps:

1. Click on an action in the Open & Pending Actions list to select it. The Action Status drop-down is enabled, while the Scheduled Date, Collector, and Action fields display read-only action information.
2. Action Status – Click the dropdown and select complete or cancel.
3. Repeat for other actions, if necessary.
4. Click Save. The action is removed from the list upon re-selecting the visit and collection event.

Add an Action

Actions can be added manually for a billing event. The new action can be set as open or completed/canceled before saving.

To add an action, follow these steps:

1. Click the Add button . A row is added to the Open & Pending Actions list with the current date, user, and collector fields populated. Fields for Scheduled Date, Action Status, Collector, Action Type, and Action display below the list.

2. Scheduled Date – Defaults to current date. Click the field to enter the date directly or click to select a date from a calendar.
3. Action Status – Defaults to Open. Click the drop-down and select complete or cancel, if needed.
4. Collector – Defaults to the current collector assigned to the billing event. Click the drop-down and select a new Collector, if needed.
5. Action Type – Click the drop-down menu and select a specific action type, or leave the default All to enter/search for all action types. If a specific action type is selected, only actions with that type can be entered into the Action field or will be displayed during a description autocomplete search.
6. Action – Enter an action code in the first field or an action description in the autocomplete field (clicking a suggested description to select it).

7. Click Save.

Action Notes

Notes that have been added to the action are displayed in a collapsible list under the action in the Open & Pending Actions list. Action note information includes the date, user, code, and narrative, and the notes can be sorted by clicking on the column headers. Notes can also be added here.

View Action Notes

To view the action notes, follow these steps:

1. Click the + to expand the notes for the action. The notes display in reverse chronological order.

2. Scroll to view notes, if needed.

Add Action Notes

The top line of the notes list is an entry form, with the Date defaulted to the current date and the User defaulted to the logged in user. Coded or free-form notes can be entered and saved. To add a note, follow these steps:

1. Enter note information using one the following options:
   • Coded note – Enter a note code in the first field or a note description in the autocomplete field (clicking a suggested description to select it).

• • Free-form note. Enter free-form note text into the Narrative field.

2. Click the Add button . The note is added to the bottom of the list.

Note: The note can only be deleted prior to saving. To delete the note, click the Delete button .

3. Click Save. The first saved action notes displays with the action in the Collection History tab.

Strike Unnecessary Notes

Although action notes cannot be deleted once they’ve been saved, strikethrough lines can be applied to out-of-date notes. The Strike action is located to the right of the Narrative field for saved notes. The strikethrough options allows notes to be designated as no longer used, helping user determine which information is current on the medical record. Strikethrough lines can be removed.

To strike a note, click the Strike action. A strikethrough line displays over the Date, User, Code, and Narrative fields. To remove the strikethrough line, click the Un-Strike action.

Charges

The Charges tab lists all charges associated with the selected event. The information includes the charge date, charge code, revenue ID, charge description, amount, etc.

To update the billing period for a charge, follow these steps:

1. Click on a charge in the list to select it. The Period drop-down menu displays the selected billing period.

2. Click the Period dropdown and select a different billing period.
3. Click Save.

Adjustments

The Adjustments tab lists all posted adjustments associated with the selected event. The tab also allows adjustments to be added and updated. Adjustments added in the tab are automatically posted to the visit/billing event.

To view or update adjustment detail, follow these steps:

1. Click on an adjustment in the list to select it. The adjustment’s detail displays, and the editable fields are enabled.

2. Update the data, as needed.
3. Click Save.

Add an Adjustment

To add an adjustment, follow these steps:

1. Click the Add button . A row is added to the Adjustments list with the current date and selected billing period populated. Fields for Adj Cd, Date, Amount, Period, and Comments display below the list, with all but the Period enabled.

2. Adj Cd – Enter an adjustment code in the first field or an adjustment description in the autocomplete field (clicking a suggested description to select it).
3. Date – Click the field to enter the date directly or click to select a date from a calendar.
4. Amount – Enter the adjustment amount.
5. Period – Displays the selected billing period.

6. Amount – Enter the adjustment amount in dollars. For a credit to the balance, enter a positive amount. For a debit to the balance, enter a negative amount (-1000.00, for example).
7. Comments – Enter any free-form text comments regarding the adjustment.

8. Click Save.

Payments

The Payments tab displays all payments that have been applied to the selected billing event. The list displays the payments and includes information on the payment date, payment code, amount, etc. The user may need to scroll to the right to view all data.

Clicking on a payment populates the detail selection below, which includes the billing period, insurance (if necessary), check number, payment code, remit batch number, and comments. Only the billing period, remit number, and comments fields can be updated.

To update payment information, follow these steps:

1. Click on a payment to select it. The detail displays below.
2. Change any of the following options, if necessary:
   • Period – Click the drop-down menu and select a different billing event for the payment. The payment will be applied to the selected billing event.
   • Remit No – Update the Remit batch number.
   • Comments – Enter free-form comments regarding the payment.

3. Click Save.

Collection History

The Collection History tab lists past actions (completed or canceled), collections notes (system generated or manually added), and step changes made by nightly processes or manual changes. The information is read-only.

The Addl Note column displays any note (or the first note added if multiple notes are associated with the action) associated with the action.

Payer History

The Payer History tab displays any changes in the payer for the selected billing event. This provides an audit trail of payer changes. The information is read-only.

Patient Images

The Patient Images child tab lists images associated with the visit, patient, and/or billing event. The images available depend on the application area and parent tab. For example, the Patient Images child tab in the Collections application area and under the Collection Event parent tab lists images associated with the selected collection event. But the tab in the Registration application area and under the Patient parent tab will have filter options at the bottom right of the tab, allowing you to filter by images associated at the patient, visit, or billing event level.

Users must have view rights (in Imaging Security Maintenance) for the form type in order to view the image.

To view an image, follow these steps:

1. Filter the list by clicking either of the following options, if needed:
   • Patient – Displays images associated at the patient level.
   • Visit – Displays images associated at the visit level.
   • Episode – Displays images associated at the billing event level.

2. Click on an image in the list to view it. The image opens in another window or application, depending on the file type.

Delete an Image

To delete an image, follow these steps:

1. Click the Delete button  for an image in the list. The image is deleted.
2. Click Save.