Maintain Letters

With the Maintain Letters function you can create new letters and documents and edit existing letters and documents.

Plain Text vs Rich Text
Maintain Letters Summary Screen
Create a New Letter
Maintain Letters Formatting Screen
Rich Text Letters
Maintain CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letters
Plain Text Letters
New Patient E-mails

Plain Text vs Rich Text
Prior to using this function, you need to know if your system is set up to create Plain Text Letters or Rich Text Letters. All new-client systems are automatically set up with the Rich Text Editor (RTE). You can check the format for your system in the DMS Integration.

Notes:

If you switch from Plain Text to Rich Text, the first time you access any existing Plain Text DMS document using the DMS Letter Processor, it will automatically be converted to Rich Text. After a document has been converted, all future editing of the document can only be performed using the RTE.
If you have existing Plain Text documents and switch to RTE, you may have to reformat the Plain Text documents.
You cannot switch back and forth between Plain Text and Rich Text because the formatting and integrity of your documents will be compromised.
CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letters are created and edited using the Plain Text Editor within the Maintain Letters function. Even if your system is set to use RTE documents, when you create a new letter or select an existing electronic letter to edit, the Plain Text Editor will automatically launch.

Maintain Letters Summary Screen

Upon accessing this function, the Maintain Letters summary screen displays listing all existing letters and documents. The list contains the letter name and description, the file drawer name, if it is set up to use data-fill, and whether it's marked as a Patient Collection Letter or an Insurance Collection Letter. If you use CGM ECOLLECTIONS and have created electronic letters, those letters will be indicated with an 'E' in the Pt Col column.

To view or edit an existing letter, select it by clicking anywhere in the row containing the letter information. When you select an existing letter, the Maintain Letters formatting screen displays so you can edit the formatting settings if needed before proceeding to view or edit the letter.

Create a New Letter

Select New Letter in the Action Column to create a new letter. The Maintain Letters new document screen displays containing blank data fields.

Data Field Information

Prompt	Response	Len
Document Name	Type a name for the letter/document that you are creating. It cannot match any existing letter/document name.	20
Password	Type a password for this letter/document. A password is not required, but if you do enter a password any time the letter/document is accessed in the future, you will be required to enter this password. Passwords are case sensitive.	10
Verify Password	Type the password again to verify it. Passwords are case sensitive.	10
CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter	This field will only be enabled if CGM ECOLLECTIONS has been activated. If this letter is to be used for CGM ECOLLECTIONS, select this check box. When selected, the 'Plain Text' letter editor will be enabled to create the CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter.

Maintain Letters Formatting Screen
The Maintain Letters formatting screen displays so you can define the settings for the new letter/document.

Note: If you select an existing CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter or you selected the CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter check box when creating a new letter, the Maintain CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letters screen will display instead of the standard Maintain Letters formatting screen.

Data Field Information

Prompt	Response	Len
Document Name	This field is informational only and reflects the name of the document.	30
Document Description	Type a description of the document.	55
Patient Collection Letter	If this is a Patient Collection Letter, select this check box.	1
Insurance Collection Letter	If this is an Insurance Collection Letter, select this check box.	1
Use Data Fill	If this letter will be used in conjunction with a list, select this check box.	1
From What File Drawer	Type the file drawer name to indicate where the patients' information will pull from.	6
Page Width	Type the width of the page in inches.	4
Page Height	Type the height of the page in inches.	4
Top Margin	Type the size of the top margin in inches.	4
Bottom Margin	Type the size of the bottom margin in inches.	4
Left Margin	Type the size of the left margin in inches.	4
Right Margin	Type the size of the right margin in inches.	4

Rich Text Letters
If you selected to use Rich Text letters/documents, after you complete the formatting screen, a blank document displays so you can create the letter. For additional information on using the RTE, see Rich Text Editor (RTE) Instructions.

You can view the formatting language of the letter by selecting the View Source check box in the lower-left corner of the letter.

Click Delete in the Action Column to permanently delete the letter. An alert message displays asking you to confirm the deletion.

Click Copy in the Action Column to copy the letter to another database. The Maintain Letters screen displays containing the detailed letter information and a blank Transfer to Database field. Type the database number that you want to copy the letter to.

Maintain CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letters
If you select an existing CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter or you selected the CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letter check box when creating a new letter, the Maintain CGM ECOLLECTIONS Letters screen displays containing blank data fields.

Data Field Information

Prompt	Response	Len
Document Name	This field is informational only and reflects the name of the document you selected.	30
Document Description	Type a description of the document.	50
E-Letter Type	Select the applicable E-Letter Type for this letter. There are three E-Letter Types available to choose from; Past Due Notice (1), Second Notice (2) and Final Notice (3). You can create multiple letters using the same E-Letter Type to accommodate multiple collection statuses if needed. For examples of the three E-Letter Types, see the CGM ECOLLECTIONS Client Setup Packet.	1
Pay this Amount	This field controls which balance amount prints in the Pay This Amount and Amount Due fields on the letter. The Total Account Balance automatically defaults for this field but you can select to print a different balance for situations when you do not want the Total Account Balance to print. Note: When you send collections letters using the Print/Send Collection Letters function, letters will be suppressed and not sent electronically when the Total Account Balance equals zero or is a credit balance or if the balance amount selected for this field equals zero or a credit balance.	1

After you click Save, the Plain Text Editor will automatically launch so you can insert text into the body of the letter.

Note: Each E-Letter Type allows 29 lines of text within the body of the letter.

Plain Text Letters

If you selected to use Plain Text letters/documents or are creating or editing an electronic collection letter, after you complete the formatting screen, a blank document displays so you can type the text or insert data-fill fields or special formatting commands.

Disregard the margin alignments as they appear; the document will be automatically formatted to fit within the margins you specified in the new document definition screen.

Inserting Data

You can type, delete, copy and paste the text you want in the body of the letter/document. In addition to regular text, you can insert data from patient accounts (data-fill) using the fields listed in the Data Library and also insert special commands. Every data-fill field and special command must be inserted within double LESS-THAN and GREATER-THAN signs. For example,<<2:3>>.

Action Column Functions

Delete Document - Click to permanently delete the letter.
Show Data Library - Click to display the available data-fill fields. To insert fields from the Data Library, place the cursor in the position you want within the letter. Hold down the SHIFT key and then press and release the number 6 key. This will insert a circumflex accent character '^', and displays the entire body of the letter as 'grayed-out'. Then select the data-fill field by clicking on the actual field numbers in the data library list. The data-fill fields replace the '^" and are always inserted within double LESS-THAN and GREATER-THAN signs. For example,<<2:3>>.

Note: If you are working on an electronic collection letter, the number of data elements listed in the Data Library will be limited to only the ones relevant to patient collection letters.

Copy - Click to copy the letter into another database. The Maintain Letters screen displays with the details of the document and an empty Transfer to Database field. Type the number of the database that you want to copy the letter to.

Special Data-Fill Commands

Command	Description
FILENUMBER	Inserts the Patient Account Number.
Claim Information	Inserts the Details of the transaction selected.
CENTER	Centers the text following the command, on the same line between the margins.
NEWPAGE	Inserts a form/page feed at the point in the document the command is entered.
TAB	Will advance to a specified position on the current line. Example: <<T20>>
LS	Changes the line spacing on the document. Examples: <<LS=1>> for single spacing, <<LS=2>> for double space, etc.
DATE	Today's date will print. Details are given below on formatting dates.
DATE=FU	Full date in all upper case (Example: AUGUST 23, 2015)
DATE=FL	Full word date in upper and lower case (Example: August 23, 2015)
DATE=AU	Abbreviated date in upper case (Example: AUG 23, 2015)
DATE=AL	Abbreviated date in upper and lower case (Example: Aug 23, 2015)
DATE=N-	Numeric date separated by hyphens (Example: 08-23-15)
DATE=N/	Numeric date separated by slashes (Example: 08/23/15)
<<1:13:AGE>>	Inserts the patient's age.
<<1:17>> <<1:17:C>> <<1:17:##>> replace ## with field number	Using data-fill for a table entry, such as <<1:17>> for Referral Source, will insert the code Description from the Table. Typing the data-fill command as <<1:17:C>> will print the actual Code from the Table. Typing a number in the third position will insert other information from the Table. Such as <<1:17:12>> will insert the Referral Source's Business Phone number.
<<5:1:D:P>> <<5:1:D:S>>	The Insurance Carrier Table works the same as other data-fill Table commands, but you can also specify if you want to insert data from the Primary Carrier or the Secondary Carrier. Example: <<5:1:D:P>> or <<5:1:D:S>>
<<8:1>> <<8:1:P>> <<8:1:I>> <<8:AGE:B>> or <<8:AGE>> <<8:AGE:P>> <<8:AGE:I>> <<8:AGE:A>> <<8:AGE:P:60>> <<8:AGE:I:60>> <<8:AGE:I:90+>> <<8:AGE:B:60+>>	There are three variations for using data-fill to insert the account balance. <<8:1>> Inserts the total account balance (patient plus insurance). <<8:1:P>> Inserts the patient balance only <<8:1:I>> Inserts the insurance balance only. You can also include the account aging in four variations, as well as insert the dollar amount from one column of the aging. <<8:AGE:B>> or <<8:AGE>> Inserts the total account aging (patient and insurance added together). <<8:AGE:P>> Inserts the patient balance aging only. <<8:AGE:I>> Inserts the insurance balance aging only. <<8:AGE:A>> Inserts the patient aging, then the insurance aging and will total the two and print the account aging. This adds four lines to the document. Regardless of which aging you chose, a heading will print above the columns of numbers. This will add extra lines to your document. You can also insert the dollar amount from the aging. Use I for Insurance Aging, P for Patient Aging or B for Both Insurance and Patient Aging. You can also insert a total of Aging amounts by typing a + in the command. <<8:AGE:P:60>> Inserts the patient's total for charges in the 60 day column. <<8:AGE:I:60>> Inserts the insurance total for charges in the 60 day column. <<8:AGE:I:90+>> Inserts the total of all insurance balances 90 days or older Inserts the total of the patient and insurance balances

Note: The word '*ERROR*' will print within the letter/document if you misspell any of these commands or do not type them exactly as shown.

New Patient E-mail Messages
With the E-mail Integration function, you can automatically send an e-mail message to every new patient after the account has been registered. You can create the e-mail message using an RTE letter containing the text and any data-fill fields. Note: If you use an RTE document, do not insert any images into the document as they will not transfer through the e-mail application.