Dentrix Insurance Adjustment Editing: A Step-By-Step Guide

Dentrix is a dental office management software that allows users to manage insurance payment adjustments. It offers a range of features to facilitate the process of editing insurance adjustments, including entering write-off and refund adjustments, specifying default adjustment types, and tracking adjustments. By utilising these features, dental offices can effectively handle scenarios where insurance companies underpay or overpay claims and make the necessary adjustments to patient accounts. Proper documentation and categorisation of adjustments are crucial for accurate reporting and financial management.

Open the patient's ledger

To open a patient's ledger, there are several ways to open the Dentrix module:

• The Windows Start menu
• The Dentrix Quick Launch in your Windows notification area
• A shortcut on the Windows desktop
• From another Windows module
• The Dentrix Launcher

When you first open the Ledger, it displays all transactions posted during the current month for the selected patient. You can change the view to see all transactions for the selected patient, including transactions in history. You can also display the treatment plan for the selected patient.

To access a patient's ledger, you can either:

• On the Patient menu, under General, click (or tap) Overview. The patient's Overview page opens. Click (or tap) the Ledger box.
• On the Patient menu, under Financial, click (or tap) Ledger.

The patient's Ledger page will then open.

To edit a credit adjustment for an insurance payment, you must first access the patient's ledger. If the correct patient is not already selected, use the Patient Search box to access the patient's record.

Select the insurance claim

To select an insurance claim in Dentrix, you must first access the patient's record. You can do this by using the Patient Search box and selecting the correct patient. If the patient is inactive, you can include them in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

Once you have accessed the patient's record, there are two ways to proceed:

• On the Patient menu, under General, click Overview. This will open the patient's Overview page. From here, click the Ledger box.
• On the Patient menu, under Financial, click Ledger. This will take you directly to the patient's Ledger page.

Now that you are on the patient's Ledger page, you can view and manage their insurance information. Click on the patient's insurance information to open the Insurance Information dialog box. Here, you will be able to view and edit the patient's insurance plan details, including the insurance carrier, subscriber ID, and signature on file options.

If you need to edit the insurance plan information, you can do so by going to Maintenance > Reference > Insurance Maintenance in the Office Manager. Select the insurance plan you want to edit and make the necessary changes. Remember that making changes to the insurance plan will affect all patients assigned to that plan.

Additionally, you can specify default write-off and refund adjustment types for insurance adjustments. To do this, go to the Ledger and click File > Insurance Payment Setup. In the Insurance Adjustment Setup group box, you can select the default types for write-off and refund adjustments.

Edit the payment

Editing a credit adjustment for an insurance payment on Dentrix is a straightforward process. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Access the Patient's Record

• Use the Patient Search box to find the correct patient.
• Note: Inactive patients can be included in the search results by setting the "Include inactive patients" switch to On.
• Click on the patient's name to access their record.

Step 2: Navigate to the Patient's Ledger

• On the Patient menu, under General, click on "Overview" and then click on the Ledger box.
• Alternatively, under Financial, click on "Ledger" to access the patient's Ledger page directly.

Step 3: Select the Credit Adjustment

• On the Ledger page, click on a credit adjustment associated with the insurance payment for a claim.
• The Edit Credit (-) Adjustment dialog box will appear.

Step 4: Edit the Payment

• Click on the Insurance payment link to bring up the Edit Payment (-) dialog box.
• Here, you can modify the details of the adjustment as needed:
• Date: Change the date of the payment and adjustment by clicking on the box and selecting the correct date.
• Adjustment Type: Select the appropriate adjustment type, such as Insurance Adjustment.
• Adjustment: Specify the amount of the adjustment to be applied to each procedure on the claim.
• Click "Save" to apply the changes.

Additional Notes:

• It is important to properly document and track adjustments to patient accounts.
• Ensure that only authorised team members have access to make adjustments.
• Train financial team members on how and when to make adjustments, and encourage them to add clarification notes to each adjustment.

Change the adjustment details

To change the adjustment details in Dentrix, follow these steps:

Firstly, access the patient's record by using the Patient Search box if the correct patient is not already selected. You can include inactive patients in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

Then, on the Patient menu, under General, click Overview and then click the Ledger box. Alternatively, under Financial, click Ledger.

Once on the patient's Ledger page, click on a credit adjustment associated with an insurance payment for a claim. The Edit Credit (-) Adjustment dialog box will appear.

Click on the Insurance payment link, and the Edit Payment (-) dialog box will open.

Now, you can change the details of the adjustment as needed. You can change the date of the payment and adjustment, the adjustment type (e.g. Insurance Adjustment), and the amount of the adjustment for each procedure on the claim.

Finally, click Save to keep your changes.

It is important to properly document and track any adjustments made to patient accounts. You can also set up default write-off and refund adjustment types for insurance adjustments, which will save you time when applying adjustments.

Save the changes

Once you have made the necessary changes to the insurance adjustment, you will need to save them. This is a straightforward process, but it is important to ensure that you have followed all the previous steps correctly.

Firstly, review the changes you have made to the insurance adjustment. Check that the patient's record is correct and that you have accessed the patient's ledger. You can do this by clicking on the "Patient" menu and selecting either "Overview" or "Ledger". This will allow you to view the patient's details and ensure that you are making changes to the correct account.

Next, confirm that you have selected the appropriate credit adjustment associated with the insurance payment for a claim. This will be displayed as the "Edit Credit (-) Adjustment" option. Clicking on this option will allow you to make changes to the specific insurance payment.

Once you have made the necessary changes to the insurance adjustment, such as modifying the date, adjustment type, or amount, you can proceed to save your changes. Click or tap on the "Save" button. This will typically be located within the dialog box where you made the adjustments.

By clicking "Save", your changes will be stored, and the updated insurance adjustment details will be applied to the patient's record. It is important to ensure that you have made all the required changes before saving, as this will prevent the need for further edits.

Saving your changes is a crucial step in the process of editing insurance adjustments in Dentrix. It ensures that your updates are reflected in the patient's record and allows for accurate tracking and management of insurance payments and adjustments.

Frequently asked questions