In the Main Menu, click on Lists, then either on View Fees or Edit Codes. This brings up a window that looks like this, the only difference is that when viewing fees, you can't edit the codes. Notice first of all that ALL the procedure codes used in our office can be displayed on one screen with fees. To select a different fee schedule, single click on the list to the right. If you have more fees than will fit on the screen, the scroll bar at the bottom can be used to quickly access them all.
See the Fee Schedule Tools page for information on how to use the Tools button at the right.
If you are editing procedure codes, a single click on an item in the list will bring up the following window:
Time Pattern
The time pattern is changed by a
slider on the left, with slashes for assistant time and X's for dr time. Single
clicking on an X or / toggles to the other.
Procedure Code
The ADACode is not editable. You
can start with a new code or edit an existing code, but instead of deleting a
code, you should just place it in the obsolete category where it won't get used.
Notice that the code may be up to 15 digits. Any code starting with a D will be
shortened to 5 characters before being included on an insurance claim. So, for
example, you can have two different codes for nitrous with the difference being
a letter that is added to the end of a standard ADA code. When sent to
insurance, they will look like standard 5 digit codes.
You can fill in an alternate code for some Medicaid plans like DentiCal. Instructions on how to set up insurance plans to use alternate codes are in the Ins Plan Types section.
If there is a corresponding Medical code then you can enter it in at the top. But you cannot do this until you have already setup the medical code. A medical code is entered in just like any ADACode, except using a standard CPT code instead of a dental code. You would probably create a category for all your medical codes in the Definitions window, then assign all medical codes to that category. After entereing the medical code, return to the corresponding dental code, and link the two by entering the medical code here.
Graphic Type and Category
The Graphic type
refers to the way a procedure is drawn on the graphical tooth chart in the Chart module.
Depending on which Treatment Area you select from the list, you will have different options when working with that procedure. For instance, if you select Tooth, you will not be given the option for surfaces, but only for a tooth number. Mouth is generic with no extra options. The category list is user definable from the Definitions window, so the categories you see are might be different than in your office. The default note would be the procedure notes that would normally show in the chart after this procedure was marked complete. For instance, materials used, procedures followed; whatever would normally go in your chart notes. They always get edited at the time of the procedure, but puting them here saves a lot of extra typing.
Check Boxes
There are five checkboxes for
special circumstances. 'Remove tooth' is for extractions, and would show the
tooth as missing
in the patient chart if the procedure is marked complete or existing. 'Triggers
Recall' is for exams (usually periodic or complete) or possibly cleanings that
you want to trigger a new recall in 6 months. 'Do
not usually bill to insurance' is for codes other than standard ADACodes, or
codes that you don't usually want to get billed to insurance; crown seats, for
instance. 'Is Hygiene procedure' lets you automatically assign procedures to the
hygiene provider when scheduling an
appointment with two providers. See the appointment edit section
for an explanation of Hygiene provider. 'Is Prosthesis' causes extra fields to
be available in the Procedure Edit
window such as previous date and original vs replacement. It also keeps these
types of procedures from getting sent to insurance without filling in this
information.
Fees
The fees for this procedure code are shown
in list to the right. The fee schedules shown are the ones you defined in Definitions. Each
procedure can have as many fee schedules as you want (there is no limit). You
would generally set up one fee schedule for each insurance company you are
contracted with as well as one fee schedule for your Usual Customary and Regular
fees. To edit a fee, click once on the item in the list. The following window
will be shown:
Note
The default note is the template note
which will be copied into a patient's chart each time that procedure is set
complete. The usual way of setting a procedure complete is by Setting
Complete the appointment it's attached to, although you can also set single
procedures complete from the Procedure Edit
window. You should enter ahead of time a typical entery including treatment
performed, materials used, anesthetic, and informed consent, etc. Once an
appointment has been marked complete, each procedure should have most of the
notes filled in automatically, and the details would just need to be adjusted
from within the Chart
module. Additional ways of handling notes are described in the Notes section and the Quick Paste
Notes section.
If you enter two quotes without anything between them, like this "", anywhere in your note, then it triggers some special functionality in the program. The default note still gets copied to the procedure note just like always. Then, it is expected that the clinical staff will enter somthing between them. If they forget, then the procedure note is considered to be incomplete. You will see a big red "Incomplete Note" warning above the procedure note, and the procedure will show on the Incomplete Procedure Notes Report. Some examples of where you would use "" would be composite shade, crown shade, denture shade, due date, blood pressure, nitrous levels, etc. Anything you don't want users to forget to enter.