Adjustment Entry Function

With the Adjustment Entry Function you can post adjustments to accounts.

The Adjustment Entry Function provides the following functions:

Adjustment Entry Lead-in Screen
Allocating an Adjustment
Allocation Screen Action Column Functions
Posting Accumulative Adjustments
Allocate Open Credit Adjustments

NOTE: If you need to post a refund adjustment, you should use the Refund Entry Function.

Upon accessing this function, if your practice has selected to use batch numbers for adjustments, an Adjustment Entry Function screen displays containing a blank field for the batch number. This screen displays if the Always or Sometimes batch option is selected in the Batch Control Integration.

Data Field Information

Prompt	Response	Req	Len
Batch Number	Type the code you want or click the magnifying glass to search a list of every 'unlocked' batch. You can also create a new batch by typing in a batch number that does not exist and you will be asked if you want to create it.		17
Default Last Batch	If you want the last batch number (used by the current user, in the current database, for the current date) to default, select this check box. If you select this check box while in any function in the system that contains a Batch Number field and then you access a different function that contains a Batch Number field, the Batch Number field will automatically default the last batch number used.

NOTE: When you use a Batch Number to post an adjustment, the Accounting Date on the lead-in screen defaults to the Accounting Date stored on the batch.

Next, select a patient account using the standard Patient Look-up function. After selecting an account, an Adjustment Entry Function screen displays so you can choose whether to post a debit or a credit adjustment.

Data Field Information

Prompt	Response	Req	Len
Credit or Debit Adjustment	Select the option to indicate if you want to post a Credit or Debit adjustment. A credit adjustment will reduce the patient account balance and a debit adjustment will increase the patient account balance.		1

Adjustment Entry Lead-in Screen

After you select the type of adjustment, either the Credit Adjustment Entry Function or the Debit Adjustment Entry Function lead-in screen displays.

Credit Adjustment Entry Lead-in Screen

Credit Adjustment Data Field Descriptions

Prompt	Response	Len
Social Security No.	Informational only. Displays the patient's social security number.	11
Date of Birth	Informational only. Displays the patient's date of birth.	10
Balance Due $	Informational only. Displays the account balance.	10
Date of Last Visit	Informational only. Displays the date of the last posted procedure.	10
Last Payment Date	Informational only. Displays the date of the last posted payment.	10
Last Payment Amount $	Informational only. Displays the amount of the last posted payment.	10
Internal Comment	Informational only. Displays any internal comment stored on the patient's account.	45
Accounting Date	Type the accounting date you want or click the calendar icon to select a date. When you use a Batch Number, this field defaults to the Accounting Date stored on the batch.	10
Adjustment Date	Type the adjustment date you want or click the calendar icon to select a date.	10
Adjustment Amount	Type the adjustment amount or type an A to post an accumulative adjustment.	10
Adjustment Code	Type the adjustment code you want or click the magnifying glass to search the table.	10
Remarks	Type any remarks you want.	40
Insurance Carrier	Type the insurance carrier code you want or select from the Insurance Carrier list. The list displays additional information for the patient's insurance policies immediately after the carrier name: (P), (S), or (T) indicates the carrier type — Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary. An asterisk *() displays if the Special Billing check box has been selected for the insurance policy. Term: mm-dd-yyyy** displays if a Termination Date has been entered for the insurance policy.	5

Debit Adjustment Entry Lead-in Screen

Debit Adjustment Data Field Descriptions

Prompt	Response	Len
Social Security No.	Informational only. Displays the patient's social security number.	11
Date of Birth	Informational only. Displays the patient's date of birth.	10
Balance Due $	Informational only. Displays the account balance.	10
Date of Last Visit	Informational only. Displays the date of the last posted procedure.	10
Last Payment Date	Informational only. Displays the date of the last posted payment.	10
Last Payment Amount $	Informational only. Displays the amount of the last posted payment.	10
Internal Comment	Informational only. Displays any internal comment stored on the patient's account.	45
Accounting Date	Type the accounting date you want or click the calendar icon to select a date. When you use a Batch Number, this field defaults to the Accounting Date stored on the batch.	10
Adjustment Date	Type the adjustment date you want or click the calendar icon to select a date.	10
Adjustment Amount $	Type the adjustment amount.	10
Adjustment Code	Type the adjustment code you want or click the magnifying glass to search the table.	10
Remarks	Type any remarks you want.	40
Doctor Code	Type the doctor code you want or select from the Doctor Code list.	3
Location Code	Type the location code you want or select from the Location Code list.	3
Billing Group	Type the billing group code you want or click the magnifying glass to search the table.	5

Allocating an Adjustment

The Adjustment Allocation screen displays the patient number, patient name, accounting date, adjustment amount, balance due, date of last visit, adjustment remaining, and amount allocated.

CGM webPRACTICE automatically lists the first 50 open-item transactions (those with a balance owing) in the lower portion of the allocation screen, starting with the most recent. The columns include: date of the transaction, transaction code, brief description of the transaction, doctor code, location code, original amount of the transaction, balance remaining for the transaction, and the amount of this adjustment applied to each transaction.

To allocate an adjustment, first select the transaction you want to adjust. The cursor is automatically positioned in the Amt Adj column for the most recent transaction, or you can select a different transaction by clicking in the Amt Adj column for that transaction. Type the amount of the adjustment you want to apply to this transaction and press Tab or click in another Amt Adj field. Always type the amount as a positive number. If you selected to post a credit adjustment, CGM webPRACTICE takes that into account and automatically subtracts the amounts from the account balance. The adjustment allocation information in the upper-right section of the window automatically updates. The Adjust Remaining field always indicates the amount available to allocate. If you press Tab, the cursor drops down to the next transaction so you can continue allocating the adjustment.

If you need to make any changes, click the amount in the Amt Adj column you want to change. The amount is highlighted and you can type the correct amount or leave the field blank.

When you finish allocating the adjustment (the Adjust Remaining field equals zero (0.00)), click Save. The patient account and the statistical information (if the adjustment amount was allocated) immediately update.

If the Adjust Remaining field does not equal zero (0.00) but there are no further transactions to allocate the adjustment to, leave the remainder of the adjustment unallocated. This creates a credit balance on the patient account.

If you allocate a debit adjustment to a procedure, you can only apply it to procedures containing the same doctor and location codes that you selected on the Debit Adjustment Lead-in screen.
If you allocate a debit adjustment to an unallocated payment, the doctor and location codes selected for the debit adjustment are given credit on the payment statistical reports for the amount of that debit. For example, if you had a payment that was previously unallocated, a doctor or location code would not have received credit for that payment. The action of allocating a debit adjustment to the unallocated payment immediately gives that doctor and location credit for the payment.
If you allocate a debit adjustment to a transaction that has a credit balance owing, you are able to allocate an amount that is greater than the credit balance owing, when necessary. A debit adjustment, unlike a credit adjustment, does not need to be allocated to a specific transaction to affect the statistical files since you specify which doctor and location code the debit adjustment is posted under. Debit adjustments can become outstanding transactions on patient accounts.
If you post a debit adjustment using an adjustment code that has been set up in the Adjustment Code Table as an insurance adjustment, any outstanding balance for the debit adjustment that you do not allocate is automatically saved in the Insurance balance column on the patient's account.

If you do not allocate the debit adjustment to any transaction, the message The amount of $XX.XX will remain unallocated. Do you want to post this adjustment? displays.

Allocation Screen Action Column Functions

Add/Edit Filter — Opens the Filter dialog so you can choose which transactions to display when allocating amounts (for example, open or closed items, items for a specific service date, items for a specific doctor or location). Use this when you need to narrow the list to a smaller subset of transactions.
Remove Filter — Clears the active filter and returns the allocation screen to the default view of the first 50 open-item transactions.
History — Opens the patient's transaction history for review in a variety of formats. For additional information, see the History function in Review Patient Information.
Previous 50 — After using Next 50, refreshes the allocation screen to display the previous 50 transactions. Unavailable if there are no more transactions to display.
Next 50 — Displays the next 50 transactions. Available if the patient account contains more than 50 transactions and unavailable if there are no more transactions to display.

Posting Accumulative Adjustments

For Credit Adjustments only — to save time and prevent you from manually calculating adjustment amounts, type an A in the Adjustment Amount field on the Credit Adjustment lead-in screen to post an accumulative adjustment. The individual amounts are totaled as you allocate to each transaction, and that total is posted to the patient account.

When the Adjustment Allocation screen displays, the Adjust Amount and Adjust Remaining fields are 0.00. As you type amounts in the Amt Adj column for each transaction, the Amount Allocated field at the top of the screen updates to reflect the running total. Click Save when finished; the totaled amount is posted as the adjustment.

Allocate Open Credit Adjustments

When credit adjustments are posted to patient accounts but not allocated to existing transactions, they are referred to as unallocated or open credit adjustments. These adjustments do not affect the statistical files until they have been allocated and posted. You can identify open credit adjustments by printing one of the Open Credit Reports.

When you allocate open credit adjustments, you are only moving (allocating) amounts that already exist on the account. To do this, you post a 0.00 amount adjustment.

Allocating Open Credit Adjustments

On the Transactions menu, click Adjustment Entry Function.
In the Batch Number field, type the Batch Number you want or click the magnifying glass to search the table, if your practice uses or requires batch numbers.
Using Patient Look-Up, select the patient account you want.
For the Credit or Debit Adjustment option, select Credit.
In the Adjustment Amount box, type 0.00.
In the Adjustment Code box, type the same adjustment code that was used when the original unallocated adjustment was posted.
Click Save.

When the Adjustment Allocation screen displays, notice the Adjust Amount, Adjust Remaining, and Amount Allocated fields in the top section of the screen all contain 0.00. Next, remove the unallocated amount(s) from the open credit adjustment(s); this moves the amount(s) out of the Amt Due column and into the Adjust Remaining field. Then take the amount displayed in the Adjust Remaining field, or any portion of it, and allocate it to one or more open-item transactions.

Locate the open credit adjustment and position the cursor in the Amt Adj field for that adjustment.
In the Amt Adj field, type the amount you want to move preceded by a negative sign (-). For example, type -100.00.
Locate the transaction you want to allocate the open credit adjustment to and position the cursor in the Amt Adj field.
In the Amt Adj field, type the amount you want to allocate to the transaction.
Repeat steps 8 through 11 until you have allocated the entire amount.
Click Save.

The patient account and the statistical files immediately update with the adjustment information.