Release Notes

After an extensive process that involved many of you offering valuable feedback, we are formally switching over to the new Form Builder interface. It's a major improvement in terms of functionality, speed, and user friendliness. You can review the updated documentation by clicking here.

BillingTracker's Additional Info sub-form now contains a new field labeled, "End of Service Date." The system will pass that value in DTP03 of DTP*472. However, you can only send a date range if you uncheck "Insurer Plans -> Send Service Date as Single Date" in BillingTracker's Insurance Plan setup.

Now you can also enforce a credit card convenience fee when you collect payments on the Patient Portal. Go to: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Credit Card Convenience Fee.

Form Builder's Validation function for textbox fields now includes an option for Zip Codes.

BillingTracker's Insurer Plan setup includes a checkbox in the CMS-1500 Options section of the Claim Details tab for "Send Box 29." You can now send: 1) patient payments; 2) no payments (by putting $0); and 3) insurer payments (the new option we added).

The insurance tabs within the Demographic record now contain two new fields for "Annual Deductible" and "Annual Deductible Met." These fields are also available in the Report Builder's main Demographic Views.

Double-clicking a line within the ERA grid will enable a new function that makes the content within a row much easier to read.

We added a "Suffix" field to the name section of the Demographic form so you can collect information such as "Sr." The system will also display this information in the Patient Find Form, present it as an option within Report Builder, and include it in paper and electronic claim files.

When you create a billing note for a specific claim, you will see that the system will display additional information, including date of birth, policy details, and service codes. Those same data will display when you export your notes.

You will find a new setting for requiring the "Advanced Directive" field on the Demographic form. Search the Options form for "Require Advanced Directive."

Some agencies prefer that staff only enter service codes for appointments through Patient Contacts, not via the Scheduler. We therefore added a "Hide in Scheduler" option in the Service Input form. It lets you configure which service codes appear only in Appointments and which are also available in the Scheduler.

ClinicTracker already had a setting that requires providers to enter a primary linked goal in the Tx Planning Tab if they want to complete a stock Progress Note. We created a new variant that only requires that first linked goal if there is a locked Treatment Plan for the patient. This setting is called: Require entry for first linked Goal on Tx Planning Tab if Patient Has Locked Treatment Plan (Stock Progress Notes).

Our users wanted a way to audit internal efforts aimed at collecting on aged claims. So we added a new metric to the Performance Measurement Report that tracks claims that are over 45 days old that have not had a Billing Note entered within the last 15 days. Administrators should configure the threshold for this setting (Reports -> Performance Measurement Report -> Configure Settings) to start seeing it in your emailed report. We added a corresponding field in the "BT Claims and Balances" report source called, "IsOpenBalance45DayClaimNoBillingNoteIn15Days."

The system has a setting that forces users to enter the Insurance Group Number, Policy Holder, and Employer when they select a payor. We added options that break that requirement into one for insurance policy holder/employer and another for group number. You will find these settings in the Options form, named "Require Insurance Policy Holder and Employer when Payor is Selected" and "Require Group Number when Payor is Selected."

This update also includes general stability and efficiency improvements.

The "Auto" option for setting the height of checkbox controls will now work properly with windows of any size.

We corrected an issue that arose with uploading Staff Related Documents.

You will find a new setting in the Options form labelled,"Require Insurance Group Number, Policy Holder, and Employer when Payor is Selected." The purpose is to make sure users complete all three of those fields when they select a payor.

You will find a new property when you configure Reference Data for a Custom Field. It’s labeled “Allow Duplicates” and lets you display duplicate entries, as opposed to only distinct ones. This feature is only available within the New Form Builder Beta version.

When you create a Patient Portal account, you will see an option for requiring patients to change their passwords the first time they log in. By going to About -> Maintenance, an administrator can also force all Patient Portal users to reset their password the next time they log into the system.

Compliance Builder offers a new option in the Monthly Recurrence section that lets you designate that a rule should be applicable on the "Same Day" as when it is triggered (for example, on 2/17 and 3/17 for a patient who was admitted on 1/17). Previously you could only design a rule for a specific day of the month (such as the 1st or 15th).

You can now bring up the Find Form on the Patient Dashboard with the Control+F keyboard convention.

The Service Specific Fee Form now includes a new field for "Review by Date." You can also access it within Report Builder's "Service Specific Fees" data source.

We've made it so patients won’t be confused if they try to access a form in the Patient Portal after you had already deleted the form directly within ClinicTracker. If you delete the form, the system will ask if you would like to send the patient a secure message indicating that you removed the request and that they should ignore any previous messages from you about completing that form. This scenario is similar to what happens if you delete the form request, rather than the form itself.

You can access the new Form Builder Beta version in the Utilities menu from the ClinicTracker Staff Dashboard. We will soon be replacing the older Form Builder system with this major upgrade.

You can now filter on Remark Codes and Adjustments Codes within the ERA module. Also, if there's a single Adjustment, the information will now display directly on the form (rather than showing "Adj"). Multiple adjustments will display as "Multiple..." To display the details, you can click the button or hover your mouse over it.

You will see a new field for Email Address in the Demographic Form's Responsible Party section (if the responsible party is someone other than the patient). The Integrated Credit Card Processing option will default to this confirmation email address (rather than the patient's) when submitting payments.

You will find a new setting for "Send Subscriber DOB even if subscriber is not the patient" that controls DMG*D8 in Loop 2010BA. It gives you the option of showing this information whether or not the patient is the subscriber.

We’ve completely re-designed the interface for Form Builder to make it more accessible and easier to use. Please let us know what you think about this upgrade. Go to: About -> Form Builder -> New Form Builder (Beta).

You now have the option of processing auto-adjustments as balance-affecting or non-balance-affecting (COB).

The Scheduler's Check-In Sheet will now retain a history of check-in and check-out events (it formerly only displayed patients who were currently checked in). This information will be deleted from your system after a period of time (based on the setting configured for how long to maintain historical data in your live schedule, prior to archiving it).

You will find a new field in the Billing Info section of Patient Contacts that lets you enter a specific number of units for the primary service. Entering a value here will bypass all quantity calculation rules. Note: This new field will only be visible if you have enabled the setting "Allow Price Override" in the Options form.

During the Batch Claim Creation process, you will now find that the system applies all the automations related to Modifiers (modifier rules, fee adjustments, and same-day modifier inclusion).

We implemented various other changes to improve performance across the system.

Claim Management will now show a P, S, or T suffix to indicate that the transaction will be processed for the Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary payor. You will see the same suffixes on the Claims Widget that displays on the BillingTracker home screen.

In the last update, we made it so the system would display Custom Form formulas that produced errors due to faulty formula design. We’ve now limited that display to users with Form Builder access.

The Session Info tab of Patient Dashboard will now show start/end times and the total billable time.

We added new metrics to the Performance Measurement Reports, including the display of aging information. If you want to remove aging information from your report, disable the setting at: Reports -> Performance Measurement Reports -> Configure Settings -> Include Aging Information.

We are adding debugging-type features to Form Builder in response to the increasing number of users who are adding multiple formulas in Custom Forms. Now the system will notify you with a label in the top right corner if you designed formulas that have errors. You can also go to: Actions -> Show Formula Execution, where you will find a listing of all formulas processed on your form.

The way Compliance Builder had functioned, if a staff member left, all the rules you had established based on a Staff Assignment role (as opposed to a specifically-named individual), changed responsibility to whomever was newly-assigned, even for actions that were overdue. However, you may want the system to keep the former staff member’s name associated with any rules that were set prior to the transition. To do so, see: Options -> Admin -> Administrative Settings -> Admin: Administrative Settings -> Update all compliance staff assignments on change of staff assignment for a patient.

We updated the Batch Claim Creation utility with two new features: 1) you will see the same Service Code Add-On and Unit fields as within Patient Contacts; and 2) you can assign the balance to a specific payor (whether primary, secondary, or tertiary). If the patient does not have the selected payor associated in his/her Demographic record, the balance will remain unassigned, and you can adjust it manually within the Billing Account form.

You now have the option of assigning Compliance Builder rules to the Intake Clinician and Follow-up Clinician.

You now can use the F2 Common Phrases feature when you create messages on the Patient Portal. To learn more about this time-saving option, click here.

In the last update we introduced a new feature to Reassign Patient Insurers (About -> Maintenance -> Reassign Patient Insurers). We refined the feature by allowing you to choose either all the patients in the list of just specific ones.

The system will now allow you to modify labels for "Father" and "Mother" in the Custom Labels form. For example, you might prefer to display "Caretaker 1" and "Caretaker 2."

The Billing Notes for Claims reports will no longer display deleted notes.

If you put formulas in a Custom Form, the system will run the calculations every time you edit a field involved in that calculation. All that processing can slow the system down. To significantly increase the speed, we've added a new setting called, "Suppress Calculation Until Save." It keeps the system from processing the formula until you save the form or explicitly refresh reference data (using F5 or Control+Click or Control+Shift+Click). You can turn this setting on or off for each field that has a formula.

We have redesigned the Split Payment feature on the ERA form so you can split not only payments, but also any adjustments.

The ERA form will display a new checkbox above the Claim dropdown that lets you limit the claim display to only those with an Open Assigned Balance.

The Patient Portal lets you exchange forms with your clients. But let's say a patient has to correct a submitted form. The system gives you an option for "Resubmit Form Request" that changes the request from "Submitted" to "Requested" so the patient can edit and resubmit the form. We have added a "Mark as Submitted" option that has the opposite result because it changes the status from "Requested" to "Submitted." This option comes in handy if for some reason you want to remove patient access to the online form, perhaps because they subsequently completed one during an office visit.

Sometimes you need to retire an existing insurance plan and update patients who had that plan with the one replacing it. We've made it easier to make that reassignment happen. Go to: About -> Maintenance -> Reassign Patient Insurers.

When you create formulas within Form Builder, you can ask the system to count how many items there are in a Repeating List of values (for example, the total number of family members residing in the home). Now you can also insert a count of items in a List Box field. For instance, you could add a Date Picker that asks the user for the earliest date to consider in a list of appointments. Next you could insert a List Box (making reference to the Appointments data source) with a filter that limits appointments to only those that occurred after that selected date. With the new feature, you now also have the option of adding a counter that shows the total number of appointments in that list.

You will see new fields for the parents’ social security numbers on the Parent/Guardian tab of the Demographic form.

You will now trigger Compliance Builder Rulesets for Custom Form creation when you generate a Patient Portal form request.

The system will notify you if you attempt to edit a locked Patient Contact that has already been transitioned to BillingTracker.

The Claims dropdown within the ERA form will now include the CPT code.

When you configure Custom Forms, you will see a new option for "Auto Lock Submitted Portal Form." This feature guarantees that forms are locked as soon as someone submits them through the portal. That's important if you want to make sure no one makes any further changes to them.

We corrected a problem that arose in the last update having to do with message board hyperlinks.

ClinicTracker gives you extensive control over who sees what information the system generates. We call that characteristic “differential access.” It applies to charts, patient groups, reports, and modules throughout the program. Now we’ve added another way to drill down on access, this time in regard to specific reports (as opposed to report categories as a whole). You can select which reports a staff member has access to in the User Responsibilities tab of Staff Info, using a new button for Report Access Permissions. Let’s say you want a user to have access to a specific admin report, but not all admin reports. You can grant them access to the Admin category, then remove access to all other items within that category. You will also see a way you can copy (or “clone”) a specific configuration of report permissions to other users and groups of users. Users with full access to managing Staff Info records can also locate the Report Access Permission form at: Admin Config -> Set Report Access Permissions.

Report Builder now supports Running Total field calculations. You will find this feature helpful in reports that involve tallying totals within or across specific groupings.

We have added a way you can create multiple Billing Notes on the Claims tab of the Billing Account form. If you check one or more items, you'll find a "Billing Notes" button near the bottom of the form that lets you create multiple notes.

You now have an option on the ERA form for adding a Billing Note that automatically includes details such as payment date, payor control number, and adjustments. You will see the option labeled "Billing Account - Add Detailed Billing Note" if you right-click on a payment line on the ERA form when you have selected a matched claim.

We added a report at: BillingTracker -> Reports -> Payments -> Claim and Payment Information. You might be interested in this report if you want to see financial information filtered by a variety of date conditions (for example, claims within one year that have payments within another year).

We redesigned BillingTracker's Mismatched Claims feature so that it's easier to use. We also added a new category for "Balances Assigned to Unexpected Payors." It will track instances in which a Balance Assignment exists for a payor that is not listed in the Claim-Specific Insurance information.

We added two reports in BillingTracker's Payment Reports menu:

1. Credit Card Surcharge Report – tracks the amount you collected if you impose a surcharge for paying by credit card
2. Credit Balance Write-Off Report - tracks the amount of master payments written off without being applied to a claim

You now have options beyond the default of "Electronic Payment" when you import an ERA file (e.g., "Check").

We added the Demographic Form's Insurance Qualification Information and Contact Notes to the Scheduler's Event Preview window.

You can add a Billing Note to one or more entries in either list of the Bulk Balance Assignment form by highlighting, right-clicking, and choosing the Add Billing Note option.

We removed the ICD-9 codes from the Diagnosis Assignment module because they are no longer relevant.

If you right click a payment line on the ERA form, you will see an option to update the Payment Date for all entries within the related ERA file (as well as the date associated with the Master Payment record).

We improved the Patient Portal message composition screen with a better interface and improved support for file attachments.

The Bulk Balance Assignment form now contains a way to limit the results to a specific patient. When you access this form from the Billing Account for a specific patient (from a new item in the Claim Handling menu), the system will automatically filter the results for that patient.

You will find a new "Search Claim Control Number" menu item in the Patient Payment, Insurance Payment, and ERA forms. This will help you identify a claim based solely on the Control Number that is returned in an EOB.

We've added a new field for "Gender Identity" in the Demographic tab of the Demographic form. While it comes pre-populated with several options, you can modify them at: Utilities -> Maintenance -> Gender Identity. This new field is also available in the main demographic views of custom reports you create.

We've made it so you can make changes to any of the fields in a group appointment record and have them show up in the associated patient records once you synchronize them. Before you could only modify the text of the new group note -- not the length of the appointment, location, and so on.

You are now able to delete a Compliance Builder Ruleset, even if it has already been used to create Compliance Items. The process will delete the Ruleset and all Compliance Items you created with that Ruleset.

If you save an entry within the Service-Specific Copay form without a description, ClinicTracker will prompt you to populate it with selected service names. We made the change to save you from having to type them out.

To more prominently indicate when you record a payor, the system will put asterisks on either side of the Demographic form's insurance tabs (as in, *** Secondary Details ***) when you select a payor within that tab.

You can now attach files to Secure Messages that you send back and forth between ClinicTracker and the Patient Portal. Either look for the + icon on the message form or drag and drop files onto the attachment section.

If you're finding that certain forms take too long to load in the Patient/Staff portal, you can speed them up by turning off processing of formulas for data, visibility, and color. You make this happen by choosing the "Suppress Formula Execution in Portal" setting in the Form Setup screen (where you can apply it automatically to all fields within the form). You will also see this option on the Field Setup screen, where you can enable it for selected fields only. When you access the saved record within ClinicTracker, go to: Actions -> Reload All Reference Fields (or press F5) to process all the formulas.

We have included three additional options within the Arithmetic section of the Report Builder or Form Builder Advanced Formula Builder:

• Multiple Values: Maximum Value (e.g., the system would return 5 in the sequence 1, 3, 5)
• Multiple Values: Frequency of Maximum Value (e.g., the system would return 2 in the sequence 1, 4, 4)
• Multiple Values: Most Frequency Value (e.g., the system would return 1 in the sequence 1, 1, 3)

We've added some new features to the Schedule Event Detail's Linked Patients list. First, we moved the Scheduling Group controls to a new menu. If you click on the downward arrow next to the + button, you will see a drop-down that lets you add or remove both individual patients and Scheduling Groups. You will also find a new option called "Add New intake” that lets you schedule an event for an intake that hasn’t yet been recorded in the system. If you choose this option, ClinicTracker will bring you to the Demographic form so you can enter details about the intake. Once you save the new record, the system brings you back to the Scheduler where you will find the new patient linked to the event.

We've made it easier to add recipients to a Secure Patient Portal Message from ClinicTracker. When you select a patient, the system will display a list of all authorized representatives so you can send a message to the patient and/or their associated contacts. You can now also send a single message to multiple recipients, even if they are associated with different patients.

You'll see more right-click options for listbox controls on Custom Forms. Now you can copy information about selected or all items to the clipboard.

When you right-click in text boxes within Custom Forms, you'll have more options for Cut/Copy/Paste/Undo, etc.

Form Builder's Form Setup screen has a new "Send Notification" menu item. Click this option to notify staff about a newly-created form.

You can now put links in e-mail and SMS reminders that patients can use to confirm or cancel an upcoming appointment. To add this feature to your SMS notifications, visit: Options -> Admin -> Administrative Settings -> Appointment Reminders -> Configure. Add a "ConfirmCancelLink" field to your SMS script.

The ERA form now gives you a method for applying actions to multiple items. You will see check boxes in the first column that you can use to select individual items. When you're ready, click the "Bulk Actions" button in the bottom left corner and choose from the available options. If you want, you can select or deselect all the entries using the checkmark just above the grid.

The Bulk Actions menu we mentioned above offers a new feature called "Split Payment ($0 payment)." It offers an automated way to split a payment, leaving $0 of payment and all Payment Adjustments on the main payment line, with the full payment amount on the split line. It is the equivalent of opening the Split Payment, entering a value of $0, and performing a split operation.

The Claim Format Override form now allows you to configure rules for a specific clinician.

All dates on the Key Dates section of Demographics now include a clock icon to the right. It lets you include a time component with the dates you enter. We added this option so you could include a specific admission or discharge hour for institutional claims.

The Authorization Mismatch Report (ClinicTracker -> Reports -> Admin) has three new optional filters:

• Include Appointments With Self-Pay Payors
• Include Patients With No Authorization History
• Include Services Billed Directly to Patient

You will see two new settings at: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Electronic Claim Transmission Setup:

• Claim or Encounter Identifier (BHT06) - Change between the default of CH (Chargeable) or RP (Reporting)
• Claim Monetary Amount (CLM02): Force to $0 - Make all service charges display as $0 in electronic claim files

When you clone a field, Form Builder will ask whether you want it to have the same name as the original field or " - Copy" appended to the end.

As you move to different categories of messages in My Messages Widget or the Message Board, the system will retain your sort order.

We're excited to announce that you can now design your own Progress Notes in Form Builder. When you create an appointment, any Custom Form Progress Note you build will display as an option alongside the stock versions. These Custom Progress Notes will function like any other, including how they work with the My Appointments widget, the Completed Paperwork feature, during billing transition, in Batch Paperwork Printing, and so on. You will also see a new control type labeled, "Treatment Planning Block." Use it to pull the same kind of information you’ll find in the "Tx Planning" tab of the standard Progress Notes.

You can now put links in e-mail and SMS reminders that patients can use to confirm or cancel an upcoming appointment. To add this feature to your SMS notifications, visit: Options -> Admin -> Administrative Settings -> Appointment Reminders -> Configure. Add a "ConfirmCancelLink" field to your SMS script.
Note: This feature has been temporarily removed and will be restored in the next update.

When you access any patient-related form, you can now look at the top title bar to see if anyone else is working with that same record. If someone is just viewing the record, the title bar will look like this: . If they are editing the form, you’ll see a comment bubble that looks like this: . The system will also show you the name of those users who are accessing the form at the same time you are.

This feature was previously only available on the Demographic Form and Custom Forms. We've expanded it to the rest of the system’s forms.

We've added another feature to our Telehealth module. Now you have the option to start a conference in "Moderator Mode,” which means you can select which participants you want to show on the screen. You also pick who can participate via audio, video, or neither.

Electronic claim files require Taxonomy Codes for staff members, which classify their job type. The Staff Info form will now collect multiple taxonomies, one for MH and another for CD (assuming you configured ClinicTracker to show both modules). When you create an 837 file, it will pull the relevant taxonomy code based on the appointment type. We also improved the taxonomy code lookup feature.

When you record a service-code add-on, you'll see a new field for collecting the number of service units (previously it was assumed to be 1). For example, now you can indicate that add-on service 1 was performed for 2.5 units and add-on service 2 was performed for 3.25 units.

We're excited to announce that you can now design your own Progress Notes in Form Builder. When you create an appointment, any Custom Form Progress Note you build will display as an option alongside the stock versions. These Custom Progress Notes will function like any other, including how they work with the My Appointments widget, the Completed Paperwork feature, during billing transition, in Batch Paperwork Printing, and so on. You will also see a new control type labeled, "Treatment Planning Block" when building Custom Progress Notes. It replicates the "Tx Planning" tab of the standard Progress Notes.

Note: This feature is currently in limited beta release. If you do not see the option available at Help -> About -> Admin Config -> Form Builder -> Progress Note Forms, contact us and we’ll add you to the testing group.

You will find a new setting at: Options -> Preferences -> Patient Contacts Settings -> Automatically Insert Authorization Codes for Linked Group Appointments. Enable this setting if you want the system to automatically include a valid Authorization Code when you create a linked individual appointment from a group appointment.

We have made substantial enhancements to the integrated Telehealth feature. They include an option for a public conference and new notification features. What's most significant is a simpler way for staff and patients to join a session using a new landing page. For updated instructions on how to use the Telehealth feature, click here.

We've made it easier for you to tell the system which staff can access records based on a patient's Primary Place of Service setting on Patient Demographics. Go to Utilities -> Maintenance and search for "Building/Billing Input." You will see new menu options at the top of the form that let you grant/revoke access for all or selected staff members. For information about the Building/Billing location input forms, click here. The Patient Group Input form performs similarly in that you can choose all, none, or selected groups.

When you perform a patient merge, the system will synchronize Related Documents for the destination patient.

When you build a Custom Report for a Custom Form, you will see that the system will display two new fields: KeptAppointmentsAsOfRecordDate and KeptAppointmentDaysAsOfRecordDate. They are especially useful if you want to create reports that show changes in a patient's functioning across the number of appointments (or distinct days with appointments) that elapsed as of the date the form was completed.

You will be able to enter an additional signature for a Collateral record, even if that record had been previously locked.

We added a "Payment Application by Entering User" report to the BillingTracker payment reports menu. It’s similar to the "Payment Master by Entering User" report. The difference is that the new report will filter and display information based on when a payment was applied to a claim, as opposed to when the payment was associated with the patient/payor's account.

We added a new button to the Appointments tab of Patient Contacts, next to the Billable Time field (click for screenshot). It will display the number of units you can bill for that patient. You'll find this feature most useful for services you bill based on time and that have indicated rounding rules.

You will find a new feature that lets you associate add-ons with a primary service. It's located at: Utilities -> Maintenance -> Link Services to Add-On Codes. When you record an appointment within Patient Contacts, the system will show only add-ons related to the associated service. You'll see all available add-ons if a service code has not been linked to a specific add-on.

If you deactivate a user account, the system will automatically log off anyone using that account within two minutes.

You will find a new feature available at: BillingTracker -> File -> Setup -> Modifiers -> Same Day Modifier. It lets you define a particular modifier for multiple same-day services, unique to each payor. When claims are transitioned, the system will perform the following steps (to identify the case of a unique service that isn't the first claim for that patient, date, and payor):

• It first searches for a Same Day Modifier code for the primary payor. If none exist, it proceeds as usual.
• If there is a configured modifier, it looks for any other claims for the same patient, date, and payor. If none exist, it proceeds as usual.
• If other claims do exist, it verifies that the current service is different from them (i.e., the service you are transitioning is unique). If it is not unique, it proceeds as usual.
• If it is unique, the system will apply the Same Day Modifier code, making sure that the modifier does not already exist on the claim (from a Modifier Rule) and that there are not more than four modifiers for any given service.
• The transition log will display information about any Same Day Modifier applied.

If you select a claim in the ERA module, one of the options now available to you in the context menu is "Billing Account-View Claim". It will bring you to the Claims tab of Billing Account, where the system will have highlighted the claim for you. You will also see that the remaining items in the context menu have been relabeled and displayed in alphabetical order for easier navigation.

You'll find a new button (which looks like a wand) in the Time-Based Billing section of Service Input. Use it to test your time-based billing and rounding rules.

We added a setting in the Security Section of the Options form for "Active Directory Integration: Enforce ClinicTracker Password Not Blank or Expired." Check that setting if you want the system to make sure users logging in via Windows Authentication have valid ClinicTracker passwords (used for security screen unlock and signing for records).

You can now right click a patient name in the top right of the Batch Create Claims form if you want to navigate around the patient record. To keep the original form open, remember you can hold down the Control key on your keyboard.

We added a "Hide 'Allowed to Lapse'" checkbox to the bottom of the Insurance Authorization screen. It prevents any authorizations set as "Allow to Lapse" from displaying in the list.