Generating a batch of billing statements

You can generate a batch of billing statements, review any of the statements, and then send all or only specific statements electronically, print all or only specific statements in-office to mail them, or use Dentrix Ascend's print-and-mail statement fulfillment service to have all or only specific statements printed and mailed.

Notes:

• For each statement that you choose to print, a guarantor must have a street address, city, state, and ZIP Code entered in his or her record. If this information is missing, Dentrix Ascend will warn you so you know to update the guarantor's information before printing the statements, and entries for the statements will not be recorded in the patients' communication (connection) history.

• For each electronic statement that you choose to send, a guarantor must have mobile phone number or email address entered in his or her record. If this information is missing, Dentrix Ascend will warn you so you know to update the guarantor's information before sending the statements, and entries for the statements will not be recorded in the patients' communication (connection) history.

To generate billing statements

1. If you are not already viewing the correct location, select it on the Location menu.

   Note: Statements are generated only for guarantors with a preferred location that matches the selected location, but a statement may include transactions from multiple locations.

2. On the Home menu, under Location, click (or tap) Billing Statements.

   The Billing Statements page opens, and the Generate Billing Statements dialog box appears.

   

3. Set up the following options:

   • Minimum guarantor portion to bill - To generate billing statements only for accounts with a guarantor portion that is greater than or equal to a certain amount, type the desired dollar amount (0.01 or greater). To not filter by a minimum guarantor portion, type 0.00.

   • Skip accounts with claim pending - To generate billing statements for only those accounts that do not have an outstanding claim, select the check box. To generate billing statements for accounts with and/or without an outstanding claim clear the check box.

   • Only generate statement if not billed since - Select this check box to generate billing statements only if a statement has not been generated for an account prior to the specified date. By default, this filter uses a date that is one month prior to today's date, but you can change it to a different date. This filter is especially useful if you want to make sure that you're not resending a statement inside of a billing cycle time frame.

   • Guarantor last name - To generate billing statements only for accounts with a guarantor whose last name begins with a letter in a specified range, select a letter for the start of the range and a letter for the end of the range. To use an open-ended range, leave All selected in either of the lists, and select a letter from the other list. To not filter by guarantor last name, leave All selected in both lists.

   • Payment Plans - Select whether to generate billing statements for accounts with and/or without a payment plan.

   • Include credit card payment options - Select this check box to have credit card payment options appear on statements.

   • Include location abbreviation - With this check box selected, the location abbreviation of the applicable rendering location (if an abbreviation has been set up for that location) appears next to each procedure on the statement.

     

   • Include due date as - Select this check box to have the specified date entered as the due date on statements.

     Note: You can choose a date that is 1 to 180 days in the future. However, industry consultants recommend that the due date be 30 days, which is the default.

   • Billing statement start date

     • From last zero balance - Select this option to include transactions that were entered on an account's ledger since the account last had a zero balance.

     • Other - Select this option to include transactions that were entered on an account's ledger since the date you enter. The current date is entered by default, but you can change the date.

     Notes:

     • Statements will include only the current version of transactions. Statements will not include transaction history or cancellations.

     • On each statement, a balance forward amount will appear for the corresponding account's balance up to the specified date.

   • Billing statement message - Do one of the following:

     • Leave the default billing statement message for the current location entered. The message will appear at the bottom of all billing statements that are generated.

     • If there is no billing statement message entered, enter the message that you want to have appear at the bottom of all statements that are generated during the current print session, or leave it blank to not have a message appear.

     • Change the existing billing statement message to have that text appear at the bottom of all statements that are generated during the current print session.

     • Clear the text to not have a billing statement message appear during the current print session.

     Notes:

     • If you have made any changes to the billing statement message (or if there is not a message) and want reset the text back to the system default, click (or tap) the Reset to system default link.

     • If you have made any changes to the billing statement message and want to save the text as the new default billing statement message for the current location, have the Save as this location's billing statement message check box selected when you click (or tap) Generate.

     • There is no limit to the length of the billing statement message, but (depending on the number of procedures and the length of the message) all of the message's text might not fit on the last page of the printed billing statement.

     • Only the first 450 characters of the statement message can be transmitted with an electronic statement.

4. Click (or tap) Generate.

   Tips:

   • As the billing statements are being processed, you can navigate to another part of Dentrix Ascend at any time; the processing of the statements will continue.

   • While the statements are being processed, no other user can access the Billing Statements page. If a user attempts to do so, an error message will appear and display your user name to indicate that you are currently generating statements.

   When the batch of statements has been generated, a list of guarantors for the statements that were generated appears. Next to each guarantor's name is the amount of the corresponding statement. Also for your reference, the following information appears near the top of the page: the date that the batch of statements was generated, the number of statements in the batch, and total dollar amount for those statements.

   

   Note: To change the statement date, message, and/or payment options after you have generated the batch of statements, click (or tap) Generate Statements, and then repeat steps 2-3.

5. Select the name of any guarantor listed to view the corresponding billing statement.

   

   Tips:

   • If the statement is longer than one page, click (or tap) the Page Number button that corresponds to the page that you want to view.

   • To toggle between viewing only the statement and viewing the statement and the list of guarantors, click (or tap) the Zoom button .

6. For any guarantor who you do not want to receive a billing statement, clear the corresponding check box.

   Note: As you clear and select the check boxes of guarantors in the list, the Selected and Total due figures near the top of the List of Patients are updated automatically to reflect your selections.

   Tips:

   • While you are viewing the Billing Statements page, no other user can access the page. If a user attempts to do so, an error message will appear and display your user name to indicate that you are currently reviewing statements.

   • If you navigate to another part of Dentrix Ascend at any time during the review, the state of the review (the settings that you have specified, all of the statements in the batch, and which statements are selected for printing) is saved for the next time you return to the Billing Statements page or until you generate a new batch of statements.

7. Do one of the following:

   • Print statements for the selected guarantors, and optionally send electronic statements (e-statements) to the selected guarantors:

     1. From the Actions button menu, point to (or tap) Print.

        

     2. To record a summary of each statement in the connections history and save a copy of each statement in the Document Manager for the corresponding guarantor and for any other patients who have that guarantor, leave the Add to Patient Connection check box selected. To not record each statement as a patient connection or save a copy of each statement, clear the check box.

     3. To send electronic statements (e-statements) to the selected guarantors, in addition to printing the statements, select the Send eStatement check box. To not send e-statements, leave the check box clear.

     4. Click (or tap) Print.

   • Use Dentrix Ascend's print-and-mail statement fulfillment service to print and mail statements for the selected guarantors (terms, conditions, and fees apply), and optionally send electronic statements (e-statements) to the selected guarantors:

     1. From the Actions button menu, point to (or tap) Print selected & mail for me.

        Note: This option is available only if your assigned user role has the "Send batch of Print & mail for me statements" right.

        

        Note: The Add to Patient Connection check box is always selected. A summary of each statement will be recorded in the patient's connections history and a copy of each statement will be saved in the Document Manager for the corresponding guarantor and for any other patients who have that guarantor.

     2. To send an electronic statement (e-statement) to the patient, in addition to having the statement printed and mailed for you, select the Send eStatement check box. To not send an e-statement, leave the check box clear.

     3. Click (or tap) Print & Mail.

        If you have not accepted the terms and conditions while logged in to the current location, the Pricing Details - Print & Mail for Me Option dialog box appears.

        

        Note: You do not have to accept the terms and conditions again for this location unless the terms and conditions change, such as if the pricing changes.

     4. To read the terms and conditions, click (or tap) the the terms & conditions link. The document opens on a new browser tab.

     5. To accept the terms and conditions, select the I have read and agree with the terms & conditions check box.

     6. Click (or tap) Print & Mail for Me.

     Note: The printed statement that each guarantor receives is a high-quality, full-color statement. The statement groups procedures into visits to make it easy to read. The format is not customizable.

     

   • Send electronic statements (e-statements) to the selected guarantors:

     1. From the Actions button menu, point to (or tap) Send eStatement only.

        

     2. To record a summary of each statement in the connections history and save a copy of each statement in the Document Manager for the corresponding guarantor and for any other patients who have that guarantor, leave the Add to Patient Connection check box selected. To not record each statement as a patient connection or save a copy of each statement, clear the check box.

     3. Click (or tap) Send.

   If you chose to print the statements, one .pdf file that contains a statement for each of the selected guarantors opens on a new browser tab so you can print those statements.

   Notes:

   • Each statement starts on a new page of the document, and a statement may be longer than one page.

   • Printed statements fit in #9 single- and dual-window envelopes and #10 single-window envelopes.

   • If the Add to Patient Connection check box was selected, the "last billed date" is updated for the selected guarantors and all patients who have those guarantors, which affects which statements get generated if you generate a batch of statements in the future using the Only generate statement if not billed since option.