Refund Entry Function

With the Refund Entry Function, you can post refunds to patient accounts. Refunds should never be entered using the regular Adjustment Entry Function since the information entered doesn't necessarily affect the monthly statistics. Only those accounts that contain open credits (unallocated payments, credit adjustments, or overpaid charges) may be accessed using this function. Under the Reports menu, you can print the Credit/Small Balance Report to generate a report of current accounts with credit balances.

Upon accessing this function, the Batch Number screen will display if your practice has elected to use batch numbers for posting adjustments. For information on using batches, see the Transaction Batch Control Menu.

Next you need to select the patient account using the standard Patient Look-up function. After selecting the patient, the Refund Entry Lead-in Screen will display.

Data Field Information
Prompt Response Req Len
Social Security No.     12
Date of Birth     10
Balance Due $     10
Date of Last Visit     10
Last Payment Date     10
Last Payment Amt $     10
Internal Comment     45
Accounting Date     10
Refund Date     10
Refund Amount $ Enter the Amount of the Credit or 'Q' to Quit   10
Refund Code Enter a Refund Code from the Adjustment Code Table or HELP for a List 10
Remarks Enter An Optional Comment   40

The Accounting Date response determines which month's adjustment statistics (if applicable) will be affected by the refund allocation. If you are using batches, the accounting date will be the accounting date specified for the batch and you will not be allowed to change it. If you are not using a batch, the default date displayed will be the current system date, which may be changed if necessary.

The Refund Date should reflect the actual date of the refund. This is the date that will print on the patient's statement. The default date displayed will be the date entered as the Accounting Date, which may be changed if necessary.

The Refund amount, or credit balance write-off, should be entered as a positive number.

You may enter any Adjustment Code from the Adjustment Code Table that is marked as a refund code. If you know the code you can type it in, or click on the magnifying glass to display the available codes. Even though a refund is a debit adjustment, CGM webPRACTICE needs to be able to differentiate between a refund debit adjustment and a regular debit adjustment.

The Remarks field is optional and may be used to enter additional information regarding the refund or write-off. Any information entered in this field will override the description contained in the Adjustment Code Table. This remark is stored in the patient's history and will print on the patient's statement.

You will notice that CGM webPRACTICE does not ask for the doctor code or location code as it does in debit adjustment entry. When you enter a regular debit adjustment, you are giving credit to a particular doctor and location for the debit adjustment amount. In payment entry, when you apply a payment to a line item, whatever doctor performed the services for that line item, receives credit for the payment in his statistical files. In the case where a payment is left unallocated, no doctor received credit for this payment and therefore when the refund is applied to this type of payment, it is not deducted from any doctor or location. In the case where the refund is applied towards a charge that was overpaid, then the refund will actually be converted to a debit adjustment and absorb the doctor and location of the overpaid charge.

You can refund both types of credits in the Refund Entry - an unallocated payment or adjustment and an overpaid charge. However, you cannot refund both types in the same entry.

The lower portion of this new screen will display any transactions that contain open credits (payments or credit adjustments that have not been completely allocated, or overpaid charges).

To start allocating the refund, click in the Amt Adj. column on the line item to be adjusted. Enter the amount of the refund to be applied to this line item. Enter the amount as a positive amount. Once you enter Tab, you will notice on the top portion of the screen that the amount that is entered at the Amt Adj field is automatically subtracted from the Refund Remaining field and added to the Amount Allocated field. The Refund Remaining field will always indicate to you how much of the refund is left to be applied. The cursor will drop down to the next line item and wait for your response. You will continue applying amounts until the refund amount remaining has been used.

If you need to make any changes, click on the line item to be changed in the Amt Adj column. The amount previously entered will immediately be highlighted and you can enter the corrected amount or leave it blank. The Adjustment Remaining field, and the Amount Allocated field in the upper portion of the field, will change accordingly.

If an amount is still displayed in the Refund Remaining field and you indicated that the allocation was complete, CGM webPRACTICE will display a message You must allocate the entire refund.