At times, you’ll need to make adjustments to patient accounts to correct errors, grant refunds, or offer discounts. You can raise or lower the account balance by posting charge or credit adjustment types, respectively. Posting adjustments allows you to keep the original procedure records intact, with the adjustment changing the patient’s balance.
Watch the following video to learn how to post an adjustment to a patient’s account. (Duration 1:22)
Additional Tips
- The adjustment will apply to the selected patient in the Ledger unless you select Split By Family Members, where the amount is applied to the oldest family balance.
- If you select Split By Provider or Split By Family Members, you must select a Split Method.
- Click the Details button to display the details of the patient(s) outstanding balance(s) and how the payment will be applied to their provider(s), according to your selected Split Method.
- If you have a long list of adjustment types, sort the adjustment types alphabetically by toggling the Credit/Charge Adjustment Types heading; or, use the Search field to find the type that you require.
- A Note is helpful when you want to explain the adjustment, its purpose, who authorized it, etc.
- Dentrix includes several default adjustment types, and you can edit and/or create your own in Practice Definitions. To learn more about customizing adjustment types, read Customizing Adjustment Types in Dentrix Help.
- To learn more about posting an adjustment, read the adjustment topics found in Credit and Charge Adjustments in Dentrix Help.
Check Your Knowledge
If you have access to Dentrix, check your knowledge with this exercise.
- Switch to the Dentrix demo database.
(Skip this step if you are using the Dentrix Learning Edition software.) - Dr. Smith’s friend, Brent Crosby, came in for a prophy, x-rays, and exam. Brent doesn’t have insurance, so Dr. Smith said he would give him a free prophy and exam. Use the following information to post an adjustment to Brent’s account:
- Enter the amount for the prophy to offset the prophy charge.
- Use the Professional Courtesy adjustment type.
- Allocate the adjustment to DDS1.