Collections in the Medical Office
10
Lecture 2
10-11
10.4 Working with Collection Agencies
• A collection agency is an outside firm hired to
collect on delinquent accounts
– Practice no longer contacts the patient if the account
is turned over to a collection agency
– Often paid on the basis of the amount of money they
collect
• When payment is received from a collection
agency, it must be posted to the patient’s account
– Information found on the statement provided by the
agency
• Exercise 10-1
10-12
10.5 Writing Off Uncollectible Accounts
• When all collection attempts are exhausted,
the collection process is ended
• Amount owed is often called an uncollectible
account or a bad debt, and it is written off the
practice’s expected accounts receivable
• A write off is a balance that has been
removed from a patient’s account
• Exercise 10-2
10.6 Using a Patient Aging Report for10-13
Collections
• An aging report shows the patient’s chart
number and name, and the amount of unpaid
charges in each of these categories:
– Current: Up to 30 days
– Past: 31 to 60 days
– Past: 61 to 90 days
– Past: 91 to 120 days
– Past: More than 120 days
• Exercise 10-3
10.7 Adding an Account to the
Collection List
10-14
• Overdue accounts are added to a collection
list
• The collection list is designed to track
activities that need to be completed as part of
the collection process
– Ticklers or collection reminders are displayed as
collection list items
• A tickler is a reminder to follow-up on an
account that is entered on the collection list
10.7 Adding an Account to the
Collection List (Continued)
10-15
• The Collection List dialog box displays ticklers
that have been entered into the database
10.7 Adding an Account to the
Collection List (Continued)
• Tickler Item dialog box
• Exercise
Tickler tab10-4
Office Notes tab
10-16
10.8 Creating Collection Letters
• Before collection letters can be sent in
Medisoft:
– Patient-responsible tickler item must be entered
in the collection list
– Collection Letter report must be created
• Report is generated when the Patient
Collection Letters option is selected on the
Reports menu
10-17
10.8 Creating Collection Letters
(Continued)
• The Patient Collection Report lists patients
with overdue accounts to whom statements
have been mailed
10-18
10.8 Creating Collection Letters
(Continued)
• After printing collection letters, an account
alert appears in the Transaction Entry, Quick
Ledger, and Appointment Entry windows
• There are three account alert abbreviations:
– RB – remainder balance
– DP – delinquent on payment plan
– IC – in collections
• Exercise 10-5
10-19
10-20
10.9 Creating a Collection Tracer Report
• A collection tracer report is used to keep track of
collection letters that were sent
• The report lists:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Tickler item number
Responsible party
Chart number
Account balance
Date collection letter was sent
Reasons the account is in collections
• Created via the Collection Tracer Report feature on the
Reports menu
• Exercise 10-6