Billing Format

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rmsdds52
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:47 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Billing Format

Post by rmsdds52 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 8:00 am

I don't know if we are alone in this, but we find the billing/posting system a lot of work and often confusing. I would like to eliminate the breakdown by family members and just have a running total for a family. Post charges, the member they are for, and then payments on the account, without having to post individual amounts to each family member. Running total, payments on account, balance.
Patients often get confused, as do staff, with the format as it is. Can we customize our billing format within Open Dental?
Rick M Singel DDS
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Ohio State University 1981

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cmcgehee
Posts: 711
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:06 pm
Location: Salem, Oregon

Re: Billing Format

Post by cmcgehee » Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:09 am

There is not a way to only apply payments to a family. Let me say a couple reasons why that might not be as nice as it sounds. Firstly, your production and income reports would not be able to report at a patient level since the income is not linked to a patient. Secondly, if you have a split a family some point in the future, it would be very difficult to determine how much balance should go on each account.

Something that might make it easier for your office is to change the settings for pay splits to Auto Split Only. Then when you create a payment, you can simply accept the suggested pay splits. Also when you create statements, if you check the box for "Intermingle family members", the patients will see all activity on the account grouped together.
Chris McGehee
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

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rmsdds52
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:47 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Re: Billing Format

Post by rmsdds52 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:32 am

Something that might make it easier for your office is to change the settings for pay splits to Auto Split Only. Then when you create a payment, you can simply accept the suggested pay splits. Also when you create statements, if you check the box for "Intermingle family members", the patients will see all activity on the account grouped together.


Thanks Chris. Makes sense.
But here is what happens when we use Auto-Split: we post a payment and payments that don't make sense go all over the place. .80 to some member with a zero balance. 1.98 to another. 3.00 to another. We had to turn off auto split. Can you tell me why this is happening?

And then, "intermingle family members" is PERFECT!!!! This is exactly what I want our bills to look like! Easy for patients to understand and pay.
That suggestion is worth gold to us, Chris. Thank you!!
Rick M Singel DDS
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Ohio State University 1981

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cmcgehee
Posts: 711
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:06 pm
Location: Salem, Oregon

Re: Billing Format

Post by cmcgehee » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:24 am

It's good to hear that intermingle family members will work for you guys.

It's hard to say why the pay splits are assigning the way the are without looking at them. I do know that we have been working hard lately to improve auto splits. I would recommend updating to 17.4 when it comes out in a few days.
Chris McGehee
Open Dental Software
http://www.opendental.com

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rmsdds52
Posts: 23
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:47 pm
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Re: Billing Format

Post by rmsdds52 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:32 am

OK, Chris, we will update and then give auto-split another try.
THANKS for your help!! Invaluable.
Rick M Singel DDS
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Ohio State University 1981

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