Managing health funds in a patient's file

Adding or changing health funds is necessary to ensure the patient is charged correctly; a smooth transaction eliminates issues with the patient at the front desk and with management. It is best to cross check the patient's health fund card and their health fund details in Core Practice, before the patient is checked out of their appointment. This article will outline how to do the following:

1. Add a new health fund
2. Edit a health fund
3. Select between a number of valid health funds
4. Select the cash fee level

Concept

When a patient attends their first consultation or have joined a health fund (whether they were previously with one or not), you would have to add a new fund to their file. This is important because it ensures you will be charging the patient at the correct fee level.

Sometimes - due to a number of possibilities - patients may have more than one current health cover. In this scenario, you would have to select between a number of valid funds.

Finally, patients may sometimes choose not to use their health fund cover in order to pay for their treatment. This can occur for multiple reasons, one of which is if they have reached their dental limit for the year (if applicable). In this situation, you would have to select the cash fee level.

Adding a new fund 

1. Find the patient's appointment block, click More and then click Patient profile.
   
   
   
   
2. Click on Health fund.
   
   
   
3. Click Add a new fund for this patient.
   
   
   
4. Enter the Member ID and Series numbers and click Add Fund.

Edit a health fund

1. Click on Health fund in the patient's profile.
   
   
   
2. Click on Options and then click Set as default.
   
   You will see the Options icon once you hover your cursor over the virtual health fund card. Click on Remove card in order to delete it entirely from the patient's profile.
   
   
   
3. You can edit the Member ID and Series numbers from the virtual health fund card, too.
   
   Remember to click on Confirm after making the necessary changes.

Selecting between a number of valid funds

This step can only be completed as part of the process of entering treatments.

1. In "Treatment details", click on Select Fund.
   
   
   
2. If the default health fund is not the one which the patient would like to use, select Change fund from the dropdown menu.
   
   
   
3. Navigate through the options by clicking Previous or Next until you find the right one.
   
   
   
4. If it's not there, either follow the adding a new fund procedure above or click the blue plus and enter the relevant details.
   
   
   
5. Confirm the location and provider and then click Submit and Start Treatment.
   Now you can enter treatments as per normal.

Selecting cash fee level

This step can only be completed as part of the process of entering item numbers.

1. In "Treatment details", click on Select Fund.
   
   
   
2. Click on Don't use any fund for this visit, as below.
   This will revert the fees to the fee level for patients which do not want to use a health fund for this treatment (if applicable).
   
   
   
3. Confirm the location and provider and then click Submit and Start Treatment.
   Now you can enter treatments as per normal.