MERGING/ATTACHING/REMOVING PATIENT ACCOUNTS
Updated May of 2020
Merging is simply taking two or more of the same patient's accounts and consolidating them into one account. For example: Jane Doe DOB 12/12/1982 may have come to our office ten years ago and has a location 02 account. She recently calls and says she needs to set up a new patient account. Many times our PR member will catch that Jane Doe already has an account, it's just not active, but sometimes it it not caught and a new account is made for the patient. When this happens we need to “merge” the two accounts together.
Currently there are only a few selected individuals that actually do the merging. Currently it is Tiffany Ray (TRR) and Sara Scharf (sms). If there is a patient that has two accounts, needs to be attached to a family account or removed from a family account PLEASE sent Tiffany a todo/task AND put that information on the MERGING spread sheet. This excel spread sheet is located under PVC forms, this is on every desktop. Click on PR Tracking spreadsheets, then MERGING spreadsheet. There are three tabs at the bottom of that spreadsheet; “Pt’s with Multiple accts” “Pts that need attached” and “Pt’s that need removed.” Choose the correct one and add the information as indicated and your INITIALS. **Initials are important in case we have a question.” If you see that there is a balance on the ledger, please note that under “Date Merged.” That is very helpful J
1) MERGING ACCOUNTS
a) Once you find a patient that has multiple accounts you need to check for the following before you do anything else. Accounts that have different locations such as 01, 02, 04, and 06 (not 05) and meet all of the criteria need to be merged.
b) Is the DOB (date of birth) the same for both accounts? If it is not the same DOB, then it’s not the same patient and DO NOT MERGE! **We need to be 100% sure that it is the same patient on both accounts. THERE IS NO WAY TO “UNDO” A MERGE. IF IT’S TWO DIFFERENT PATIENTS, THEN ALL OF THEIR HEALTH RECORDS AND LEDGERS INFORMATIONS ARE MERGED INTO ONE ACCOUNT. THAT WOULD BE A BIG PROBLEM!
c) What are the locations listed for the two accounts? If one of the locations is “05” DO NOT MERGE!!! **Patients who do vision therapy will always have a separate “05” account and we do not want merge those accounts. **
d) Is there a balance on the ledger? It can be either an account responsible or an insurance balance. If there is then DO NOT MERGE.
e) Is the ledger “open” on both accounts? Are there charges on the account or a single line that says “open ledger?”
f) If not, then open the ledger and click on any icon on the ledger. For example “service.” Then you can cancel that action and the result of it will open the ledger.
g) Before you actually start to merged, you need to do a few things first.
h) For each of the patient’s accounts, write down the account # and the letter the patient is on that account. This is important for notations, as well in case the patient’s account is deleted during the merge.
Example: Jane Doe 247900 A Jane Doe 249850 B
1.h.1) You can merge a single (non-family) account into either another single account or a family account with no problem or additional notations. Click on the “family” icon -> shared ledger -> list of family member to see if there are multiple patients on a particular account. **If you are merging a single patient account into a single patient account, I typically would merge the outdated account into the more current account. **
1.h.2) When merging a patient that is on a family account into another account, the ledger information will not transfer. If the patient has a single account (no other family members), you will want to merge that account into the family account, every time.
Example: Jane Doe 24700 A (merge into ) Jane Doe 249850 B
i) When you have no choice but to merge a family account into another family account, both accounts will still exist, and all of the patient’s previous services, etc will be on the old ledger. You will need to notate the following information on the ledger:
1.i.1) To make a note on the ledger:
(1.i.1.1) Open ledger -> ADD -> Note. Add your note under the Desc line
1.i.2) If Jane’s single family account (247900) was a multiple family account this would be what you would put on the ledger in the form of a note: “PT A IS PT B ON ACCT#249850” **The word “is” doesn’t have to be in bold. I just wanted to emphasis that there was a word difference between the two notes. ** On a single account, you don’t have to put anything on the ledger because that account will be completely merged and you won’t be able to find the old account any longer.
1.i.3) On the patient’s multiple family account (249850): “PT B WAS PT A ON ACCT#247900”
If the patient’s account looked like a single account but used to be a family account, a message will pop up that the account is now closed. Just click okay and do the same documentation on the ledger.
2) HOW TO MERGE:
a) Go to the patient’s demographic of whichever account you are merging into the other one (the account that we want to get rid of). For our example it would be account 247900. Click on the Edit icon at the top of the screen and then click Merge.
b) A box will appear asking you to enter today’s date to confirm merging operation. Enter today’s date.
c) Next, will pop up the patient search window. Put the patient’s name and choose the account that you are wanting to merge into, not the one you are on. For our example it would be Jane Doe 249850. Double click on the correct line.
d) The popup will say, “Press OK to confirm merging patient: Doe, Jane into Patient Doe, Jane. There is NO UNDO option so BE VERY VERY SURE!!” If you are click ok. ** Then it will say “Transferring ledger detail please wait.”
e) Next it will ask you to “overwrite” different items that are different between the two accounts, such as the family id, the address, etc. Choose YES or NO based on which information was most current (which account had the most recent date of service). The first question will be LAST_MOD with -> It will give you two dates. These dates represent the last time there was a modification on each of the accounts. Whichever one more current, choose either the “yes” or “no.” **If you are merging an “outdated” account into a “current” account, most of the time you will click “no” on all of the questions. **You won’t be able to leave that screen once you have started to go back and check.**
f) Sometimes the screen will appear to freeze-don’t panic! After a couple minutes, it will unfreeze and you officially have merged the two accounts!
g) Next, click “Edit” on the patient’s demographic screen, and check the box next to “Merged.”
h) Next, if you had merged a family account into a family account, go to the ledger and make the appropriate notes on both ledgers (if you haven’t done this already).
i) If you are working off of the spreadsheet please make a notation of the date you merged the patient’s account.
j) You are now finished merging this patient!!!
3) HOW TO ATTACH A PATIENT’S ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER FAMILY’S ACCOUNT. This would be needed if two family members have their own separate accounts and they want to be on the same account/ledger. For example: John Doe has his own account 245000 and his wife (Jane) and son (George) Doe are on account 249850, we want to merge them onto the same account.
a) What are the locations listed for the two accounts? If one of the locations is “05” DO NOT ATTACH!!! **Patients who do vision therapy will always have a separate “05” account, and we do not want to attach to those accounts. **
b) Is there a balance on the ledger? It can be either an account responsible or an insurance balance. If there is then DO NOT ATTACH.
c) Is the ledger “open” on both accounts? Are there charges on the account or a single line that says “open ledger?” If not then open the ledger and click on any icon on the ledger, for example “service.” Then you can cancel that action and the result of it will open the ledger.
d) Both accounts must be the same location. If they are different you can change them by editing the location to make them the same. Click on “Edit” icon at the top of eyecare then choose location. Change it so that both locations are the same. **Typically you’ll change it to whatever the account is that you are attaching the patient to.**
e) Before you actually start to attach, you need to do a few things first.
3.e.1) For each of the patient’s accounts, write down the account # and the letter the patient is on that account. This is important for notations, as well in case the patient’s account is deleted during the merge.
Example: John Doe 245000 A George Doe 249850 A
Jane Doe 249850 B
3.e.2) You can attach a single (non-family) account into either another single account or a family account with no problem or additional notations. **I typically would attach the single family member into the family” account. Let you have to do that way**
3.e.3) When attaching a patient that is on a family account into another account, the ledger information will not transfer. If the patient has a single account (no other family members), you will want to attach that account into the family account, every time.
Example: John Doe 245000 A (attach to this account ->) George Doe 249850 A
Jane Doe 249850 B
f) When you have no choice but to attach more than one person into another family account, both accounts will still exist, and all of the patient’s previous services, etc will be on the old ledger.
Example: John Doe 245000 A George Doe 249850 A
Jenny Doe 245000 B Jane Doe 249850 B
(John Doe 249850 C)
(Jenny Doe 249850 D)
**John and Jenny are in ( ) as this is where they will be after attaching them to account 249850**
g) You will need to notate the following information on the ledger:
3.g.1) On account 245000: Pt A is Pt C on acct 249850
Pt B is Pt D on acct 249850
3.g.2) On account 249850: Pt C was A on acct 245000
Pt D was B on acct 245000
**If the patient’s account looked like a single account but used to be a family account, a message will pop up that the account is now closed. Just click okay and do the same documentation on the ledger.**
h) Finally when you are ready to attach one patient from one account to another account click on the “Family” icon -> Shared ledger -> Attach to family. Then you will enter destination account number.
** For our example we are moving John Doe 245000 into account 249850. 249850 will be the number we type here. You would first move John, then do the same to move Jenny.
i) If you are working off of the spreadsheet please make a notation of the date you attached the patient to the account.
4) REMOVING A PATIENT FROM AN ACCOUNT. Sometimes a patient will need to be removed from a family account or attached to a different family’s account. Some examples are: if the patient is over 18 or there is a divorce.
a) Start out by following the same steps that you would for attaching a patient to an account. Once you are ready to detach the patient click on the family icon -> Shared ledger -> Remove family member. It will ask you “Are you sure you want to REMOVE this pt from this family and create their own account?”
b) Once you have done this eyecare will take you directly to that patient’s new account. You will then need to note on both ledgers: **for our example we will be removing George from the family’s account because he is now over 18.**
On account 249850: Pt A is A on acct 270900 **This is the new account number that eyecare came up with.**
On account 270900: Pt A was A on acct 249850
4.b.1) If you are working off of the spreadsheet please make a notation of the date you removed the patient from the account.
I know there is A LOT of information here. The biggest thing to remember when merging is that it CAN NOT BE UN DONE. So be VERY sure you have two patient accounts that are the same name, DOB, SS# (if listed). Don’t be distracted when merging! There is a little less pressure when attaching or removing a patient, however it is still important to not be distracted while doing this task. Happy Merging J