Payment

Use the Payment window to make patient payments or refunds, or view payment split information.

In the Account Module, click Payment.

Enter a patient payment or process a Patient Refund. By default, payments are automatically allocated via Payment Splits (paysplits) to the oldest adjustments, pay plan charges, and procedures with a remaining balance. If the production charges are paid in full, expected to be paid in full, or the patient has a credit balance, payments are allocated to unearned income (e.g., prepayment). To change payment allocation settings, see Allocations Setup.

See our video: Entering Patient Payments Webinar

Creating a Payment

See Credit Card Payment for instructions on processing a credit card payment using an integrated processor.

Selected Charges Method (Recommended)

To apply a payment to specific charges:

  1. Highlight the charges (adjustments, pay plan debits, procedures) from the patient account grid.
  2. Click Payment.
  3. Enter the payment amount.
  4. Click OK to proceed to the payment window (shown above) and enter payment details.
    Note: When charges are selected, the payment amount is split between the charges by their remaining patient portion due.
    • Any charges with no balance due are skipped, and the payment is automatically split to the next oldest outstanding charge.
    • If a selected charge was previously overpaid, the overpaid amount is deducted from the charge and reallocated to another charge within the current payment.
  5. Click Save to finalize the payment.
First In, First Out (FIFO) Method

To create a payment without selecting procedures:

  1. Without any charges selected in the patient account grid, click Payment.
  2. Enter the payment amount.
    • Check Prefer this patient to apply the payment to the patient's oldest outstanding charges. Leave unchecked to apply the payment to the oldest outstanding charges for the entire family.
  3. If the Paysplits setting in Allocations Setup is set to Rigorous or Auto-Split, Open Dental automatically creates payment splits for outstanding charges. If set to Manual, paysplits are made for the patient only.
  4. Enter payment details.
  5. Click Save to finalize payment.
Outstanding Charges and Treatment Plan Prepayment Method

To apply payment to charges in the Outstanding Charges or Treat Plan grid:

  1. Click Payment.
  2. Enter payment amount.
  3. Click Delete All to delete automatically generated paysplits.
  4. Select charges from the Outstanding or Treat Plan tab.
    • Treat Plan tab is only available if Allow prepayments to allocate to treatment planned procedures is enabled in Allocations Setup.
  5. Click Pay.
  6. Repeat as necessary until all charges are added to the payment.
  7. Click Save to finalize payment

Payment Details

Payment Type and Credit Card Details

Payment Type: The type of payment. Affects reports.

Pay Into Account: If using the Accounting feature, and Auto Payment Entries are set up for the selected Payment Type, use the dropdown to select an asset account to debit or credit the payment to. Set available accounts in Accounting Setup.

Credit Card: Process a Credit Card Payment.

Apply to Recurring Charge: Check to apply this payment to a scheduled recurring charge (i.e., currently in the CC Recurring Charges Tool list). The user is prompted to select a date to apply the recurring charge. The patient is removed from the Recurring Charges List for the date the payment was applied.

Current Payment Splits

Payment Splits (paysplits) currently attached to this payment are listed here. Paysplits can be allocated to production (i.e., procedures or adjustments), providers, clinics, patients, pay plan charges, etc. Paysplits can also be unallocated and attached to an Unearned / Prepayment. Double-click a row to Revise a Paysplit.

Use the Filtering Current Payment Splits options to highlight specific paysplits in the Current Payment Splits grid that meet filtering criteria.

Click Refresh to update filter criteria. Positive and negative paysplits matching the criteria are highlighted in the grid.

All paysplits currently attached to the payment are listed in the Current Payment Splits grid. The grid columns indicate the provider, patient, procedure code, and amount of the paysplit. The Type column indicates the type of production (procedure, adjustment, etc.) attached to the paysplit and any additional details (e.g., procedure abbreviation, adjustment type description, etc.)

Note:
  • If a payment is split to multiple providers, only the provider most recently added to the Providers list is shown in the Patient Account Grid. Double-click an existing payment to see a breakdown of all providers attached to a payment.
  • Payments split to multiple patients (e.g., family members) display text noting the first name of the Paid By account (i.e., where the payment was created) and (split) if the payment is split to multiple patients (e.g., Paid by Oliver (split)). Payment line items only display for accounts that have Payment Splits, regardless of the Paid By account.

Outstanding Charges and Treatment Planned Procedures

See what charges are currently outstanding and view treatment planned procedures. These charges can be used to generate new paysplits.

To change what shows in the Outstanding Charges or Treatment Planned Procedures grid (see below), use the Filtering options.

Click Refresh to update items in the grid after setting filter options.

By default, the Outstanding tab is selected and the grid lists outstanding charges matching the filter criteria. Users can select completed charges or treatment planned procedures to create paysplits.

Outstanding Tab: Lists all adjustments, pay plan charges, and completed procedures that meet the filter criteria.

Note: If the preference Balances don't subtract insurance estimate is enabled, the charge balances reflect the amount after all payments, adjustments, and PPO write-offs. Insurance estimates are not included.

Treat Plan Tab: This tab is only available when Allow prepayments to allocate to treatment planned procedures is enabled in Allocations Setup. Lists all treatment planned procedures that meet the filter criteria.

Pay: Click to create paysplits for the selected outstanding charges or treatment planned procedures.

Transfer: When None (Income Transfer) is the Payment Type, the Pay button changes to Transfer. Useful for Income Transfers.

Add Partials: Click to create a paysplit for only part of an outstanding charge. There is a prompt to enter the partial paysplit amount after clicking this button.

Group By: Change the grouping of items in the grid.

Save Payment, Receipts, and More