Release Notes

You can now send the secondary insurance information for tertiary claims. To enable this new setting, go to File->Setup->Insurer Plans->Secondary Claims. Below the Send Primary Information for Secondary Claims options, you'll find a checkbox labeled "Send Secondary Information for Tertiary Claims."

Oregon customers reporting data for the COMPASS Project will be able to create the EDI file in the required format by going to Help -> About, Export -> Oregon COMPASS Project Upload.

We corrected a reported issue with the recipient list for signature requests.

We increased the allowable number of characters in a message thread.

When viewing the Event Listing (Utilities -> Scheduler -> File -> Event Listing), you can now right-click and select Associate with Patient Contact to create a link between the highlighted Event and a previously created Patient Contact / Group Appointment record with the same date.

This update includes all the changes we've made since those described in the release notes for #688. Because some users are getting all the upgrades for the first time with this update, make sure to review the prior notes.

You can now press F3 from any form you create using the Custom Form Builder to display the Search Within Record screen. It lets you search for any phrase in the currently-selected record. This feature will soon be available throughout ClinicTracker.

The Patient Reminder system allows you to notify patients about various events, such as medication warnings, lab results, and the like. You can send reminders to patients you've selected who match various criteria, or use the list you generate as the basis for sending a reminder (which you can also record on the form). You'll find it at: Reports -> Patient Summary Reporting: Reminder Lists. What we've done with this update is to expand the search capability. Rather than a single set of selection criteria (such as all individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD), you can now select a second dimension (such as patients prescribed Ritalin) to identify patients who meet both conditions.

To save staff time entering data for insurance authorizations, we created the capacity to pre-store "packages" of recurring information, including a default end date, set of services, and authorized units. You can configure them by going to: Utilities -> Maintenance -> Insurance Authorization Packages. Next time you process insurance authorizations, select one of the packages using a new button in the top right corner of the Authorization form. All the relevant data will populate automatically, at which point you can modify them as you wish.

Until now, the Patient Find Form has defaulted to showing only active patients. You could only add the discharged patients to the list if you checked a box in the bottom right corner. We added a new setting that defaults to showing both active and discharge patients. Go to: Help -> About -> Admin Config -> Options -> Preferences tab and check the "Show Discharged on Patient Find Form" option.

Modifier rules can now be applied based on combinations of Service, Insurer, Program, Place of Service, Clinician, and Credential. To create a new modifier rule, or edit an existing one, go to: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Modifier Rules.

Problems could arise when the Claim-Specific Insurance Information was modified after the appointment had been transitioned from ClinicTracker to BillingTracker. If you removed an insurer with an active transaction from the claim, processing that transaction would cause exceptions because the system couldn't locate the necessary insurer information. We've made two changes to address this issue: 1) a warning message will pop up if you remove an insurer with an Assigned Balance while you are editing the Claim Details; and 2) you will see payors not associated with the claim displayed in blue on the Balance Assignment form.

Some of you noticed that the Payment Application by Clinician report might have listed a clinician by the name of NONE. It did so when write-offs had been recorded. You won't see that "clinician" listed anymore.

It is easier to locate fields in the Formula/Filter builder because we now have them grouped, in the left pane, by the data source.

We added the Navigation menu to the following forms: Patient Education Resources, Immunizations, Lab Order Entry, and Vitals. It lets you move to other parts of the system without having to re-enter the patient's name.

You will find that we included a Patient Find Form option to the following forms: Patient Education Resources, Immunizations, Lab Order Entry, and Vitals. Now you can stay in those forms even if you want to switch to a different patient.

Like several other states, Oregon has developed a comprehensive electronic data system that they want to implement in order to "improve care, control cost, and share information." ClinicTracker is now compatible with what the state has dubbed "COMPASS." To enable this feature, choose "Display Oregon State Features" from the General tab of the Options form. By doing so, you can access a new Oregon COMPASS Project entry in the Actions menu of the Demographic form. We currently support the formatted data collection. A future update will include the ability to upload information to the state system.

When building a formula, you previously could only select a field from the main data source. You can now select fields from any linked table. This new feature will not affect an existing custom formula unless you want to edit it, in which case you will have to replace any field name references according to the new format.

We developed a new feature for Report Builder that makes it easier to specify the format of the field (i.e., date, number, or text) that your formula produces. You'll find the new "Data Type To Use" dropdown on the top of the Formula Editor. For example, by saving the formula with a data type of DateTime, you will have access to all the right-click options normally available for date and time formatting.

To reduce the chances that the same Family ID on the Demographic form will be assigned twice, we introduced more randomization into the assignment process.

We added adjustment CO-253 to the group of codes that will auto-adjust.

The WPC (Washington Publishing Company) has published a new list of CARCs (Claim Adjustment Reason Codes). These codes communicate why an insurer paid a claim or service line differently than what you billed. We have updated the ERA (835) module with the revised code list.

We've made some display adjustments related to DSM-5.

We added DSM-5 codes for "Mental disorder is not present" and "Diagnosis deferred" to a new "Unspecified" Global Category.

We corrected an issue with the event detail form. The Scheduler window will no longer drop behind the main screen after you create a new appointment.

We added the CPT Code and current default price to this report: Maintenance -> Service.

UB-04 Box 15 (Source of Admission) had been configured based on a particular insurer at: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Insurer Plans. You can now override this value with another one based on the Referral Source for that particular claim. A new field allows you to collect the Source of Admission at: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Referral Sources. If a code is entered here, it will take precedence over the default code for the Insurer.

We added new fields on the Basic Info tab of Staff Info to collect the phonetic spelling of a staff member's name. You can use these spellings to improve the system's pronunciation during an appointment reminder call.

We corrected an issue with the Assigned view of the My Patients Widget.

Underneath Include CAS (Claim Level) we added a new setting to the Insurer Plan setup labeled, "Includes All Other Payors." Typically the CAS segment only includes adjustments from the primary insurer on the claim. Select this option to include adjustments from all insurers other than the one to whom you are submitting the claim.

We added a dropdown for "Discharge Status" beneath the Discharge Date on the Demographic form. It populates box 17 (Patient Status Code) of the UB-04 form. Note: The Discharge Status value only displays if the patient was discharged as of the last service date included on the claim form. Otherwise it will include the default value of "30" (Active Patient).

We added Citizenship Status, Advanced Directive, and Pharmacy to the Demographic Information report.

We added the Transition Date to several Aging Reports. Note that this field will not be populated for claims transitioned prior to this update.

We added the Event Type to the Event Preview window.

We made some adjustments to the statistics displayed on the Appointments by Program and County with External Contacts report.

We added a setting for the Form Version to the CMS-1500 section of the Insurer Setup form. It lets you toggle between the current 08/05 and new 2/12 versions. For more information, click here.

We added support for collecting fields that appear on the new CMS-1500 form layout: Claim Codes (10b) and Other Claim ID Qualifier and Value (11b).

We added a setting to the Secondary Claim tab of the Insurer setup form for "Include AMT*D (Paid Amount) Even When $0." Select this option to send the AMT*D segment within the primary payor info section (Loop 2320) when sending non-primary claims, even when the primary did not pay on the claim. Uncheck this setting to support the "0Fill" option in the previous 4010 implementation for certain payors.

We've made it easier to indicate which of the External Contacts were present at an appointment. You'll find a new button to the right of Appointment Date and an option in the Actions menu for "Associate External Contacts." The release notes for update #679 explain how the External Contacts feature works.

We created a new report at Patient Reports: Appointments by Program and County with External Contacts.

We redesigned the layout of the Insurer Setup form.

We added a new setting to the Insurer Setup form for "Include AMT*A8 (Non-Covered Amount)." It includes this segment in loop 2320 of the 837 file for secondary claims.

Typically AMT*D only includes payments from the primary insurer on the claim. We added a new setting to the Insurer Setup form that will instead include payments from any other insurer (aside from the one you are currently submitting to). This setting will also determine what is considered 'primary payments' for the new AMT*A8 segment.

We have installed a national list of pharmacies in your system. When you record a pharmacy on the Demographic form, you'll see a new button that lets you search the list based on various criteria. Double-click an entry in the search results to load that information into your preferred Pharmacy List. That pharmacy will then be available to select for the current patient.

A new option will check the 'No Compliance' checkboxes on the Demographics form by default. It will only be visible to those clinics with multiple modules (e.g., Mental Health and Chemical Dependency). See Options Form -> Compliance (CD/Both) tab -> Default to 'No Compliance'.

When you create a linked appointment from a scheduled event, the system generally displays the status as 'Showed Up.' A new option will allow you to change this status to 'Pending.' See Options Form -> Admin tab -> Default Linked Appointment Status to Pending.

We added a new form to track External Contacts associated with a patient: Patients -> External Contacts. You can associate contacts you create to one or more patients using the plus button in the Associated Patients section at the bottom of the form. You will find the list of External Contacts associated with the selected patient displayed on the Outside Providers/Contacts tab of the Demographic form. Press the Add button above the list to add a new Contact, or double-click an existing Contact to view details. When you add a contact having accessed the form this way, the system will automatically prompt you to create the association to the current patient.

You can use custom labeling to add "Heard About Us From" on the Demographics form. You can also set that label as a required field (see Preferences tab of Options form).

We discovered that the Save button remained greyed out when users clicked on the Load From Prior feature for the following forms: Admission Note, Admission Summary, Consultation Summary, Discharge Summary, and Transfer summary. You'll find that we fixed the problem.

We've enhanced the Custom Form designer significantly. For example, you will now find font selection and control layout properties, all of which allow you more options in designing the look of the form.

We've adjusted the workings of the "Combine same Date/Client" option within the Insurer Setup form. If multiple records exist for the same payor, patient, and date, BillingTracker will establish them as multiple services within a single claim of the 837 file. This change supports Medicaid requirements for billing multiple services on the same day.

We improved the new feature for collecting ERA (835) Payment Adjustments. Now the system will properly record the Payor when it creates adjustments that do not affect the balance (a requirement for submitting secondary claims).

If you re-queue an Electronic Claim for Medicaid that is 90 days past the claim date and is missing a delay reason code, you will be prompted to enter that code.

We added Patient Group and Primary Insurer as fields you could export with the Mail-Merge routine.

When you select specific patients for a report, the DOB will now display after the patient name (if you have enabled the Show DOB on the Patient Listing setting).

You'll find a new "Cloning" feature that lets you duplicate fields. Just select one or more fields and right-click.

We added a new field to the Form Builder that allows you to set a default value for a control (i.e., text field, dropdown list, list box, checkbox, or date picker).

Ensure selection is retained on the message board when highlighting an unread item.

The NPI number now displays for licensed staff in NM1*77 when 'Suppress NPI for unlicensed attending' option is set.

We made more room to put the custodial guardianship information on the Demographic form.

An entry will be added to the exception log if the system identifies an electronic Medicaid claim that's over 90 days from the service date without a Claim Delay Reason code.

We modified the 'Claims and Balances' and 'Point in Time Receivables' reports so they split payments and adjustments into separate columns (before the two were combined in one column).

We added adjustments CO-223 and PI-45 to the group of codes that will auto-adjust.

We adjusted the groupings for the Patient Application By Patient reports to include the "Patient Group" in each option.

We modified the Payment Adjustments form to collect the associated Payor.

We added a column to the Scheduler's Event Listing to indicate if a Linked Appointment exists for the event.

We added adjustments OA-45 and PI-94 to the group of codes that will auto-adjust.

When you create a linked appointment from a scheduled event, the system automatically populates the start and end times according to the scheduled time. You will find a new setting that forces the user to manually enter the time the appointment ended. We developed this feature to make it easier to comply with recent CMS rules that require input of a precise end time. You'll find this setting (Require Manual End Time for Linked Appointment) on the Admin tab of the Options form, in the Scheduling section.

This update includes some minor changes to the ePrescribing module.

We developed a Payment Adjustments form that allows you to track Group, Reason, and Amount of any Payment Adjustments. It is available via a new "Adj" button on the right side of the Patient and Insurance Payment forms, as well as on the Edit Service form. While these adjustments do not affect the claim balance, they will be used for secondary claim submission if you enable the setting for "Send Primary Info" in the insurer plan setup.

Any non-automatically-applied adjustments will be stored in the new Payment Adjustment screen for the corresponding service.

You can now edit and display the Adjustment Group and Adjust Reason on the Edit Payment Application window.

You'll find a new setting in the Transmission Type Setup screen called: Suppress NPI For Unlicensed Attending. Check this option if you want to prevent the NPI number for an unlicensed staff member from appearing in the NM108/NM109 of NM1*77 (Attending Information).

We added a new option to the "Tx Plan Review Due X Days After" section on the second Compliance tab of the options form. It accommodate clinics that require the next Treatment Plan review to be scheduled X days after the Report Date noted on the record, regardless of when the final signatures are actually collected and the record is locked.

We added support for collecting the Adjustment Group and Reason when you record an Adjustment in the manual payment screens. You can modify the OA-2 default by clicking the Edit button in the new Adjustment Info section. If you select Payment Type of Adjustment, you will see it to the right of the comments box.

We created a link from the Insurer Payment History form to the new Bulk Balance Assignment Transfer form. If you right-click a master payment record from the top list, a popup menu will allow you to open the Bulk Transfer form and display only services that the payment was applied to.

We added a new setting in the Insurer Setup form labeled: Don't Send Admission Date. This setting tells the system to prevent passing admission information in DTP*435 for institutional claims.

We added Appointment Status to the top list on the Session Info tab of the Patient Dashboard.

We included Treatment Phase support to the form that stores vital signs.

This update includes all the changes we've made since those described in the release notes for #666. Because some users are getting all the upgrades for the first time with this update, make sure to review the prior notes.