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Collection Data Versions

Collections data is in comma delimited (ASCII) format with each field enclosed in quote marks " " and a comma separating each field, as follows:
"M2-48404","SCARBOJH","12/26/94","John","H","Scarborough","John","H","Scarborough"
,"206 Lukken Industrial Drive","","LaGrange","GA","30240-1234","(706)","882-4704",
"256-50-3282","191.50","0.00","191.50"

In the data file directly above, each field has a programmable maximum number of spaces.  For example, an invoice number has 10 maximum spaces, a name has a maximum number of spaces, etc.  The actual data may require more than the max, and the extra spaces are removed so as to make the file word-processor compatible. Removing unnecessary spaces is achieved by selecting this option in the company screen as shown here:    wpe29.jpg (2026 bytes)   If the selection was Y, then each field would be space filled to its maximum so as to make the file EQUIFAX compatible, which has not found much usage at this time.  If EQUIFAX compatible, the field for the name John would look like this "John                 ", assuming that the program allowed a maximum of 20 spaces in which case John takes 4 spaces, and the program would leave the extra 16 blank spaces for a field width of 20 characters, as required by EQUIFAX.  However, if a word processor accessed this file to print a letter, the name would appear as:
John                 Scarborough.   Thus the need is there for two ways of exporting a collection data file: (1) word processor compatible, or (2) EQUIFAX compatible.

Collection Data Versions have evolved, based on specific customers and their specific needs.  It is expected that Version 2 is adequate for most needs.  The evolution has been to add fields onto the tail end of the previous version, as described below.

Collection Data Format -- Version 1
In Parentheses ( ) are the number of characters in each field.
Field 1--Invoice Number (10), Field 2--Patient Code (8), Field 3--Service date (8), Field 4--Patient First Name (15), Field 5--Patient Middle Initial (1), Field 6--Patient Last Name (25), Field 7--Responsible Party First Name (15), Field 8--Responsible Party Middle Initial (1), Field 9--Responsible Party Last Name (25), Field 10--Address1 (30),  Field 11--Address1 (30), Field 12--City (25), Field 13--State (2), Field 14--Zip(10), Field 15--Area Code (3), Field 16--Phone (8), Field 17--Social Security Number (11), Field 18--Charges (10), Field 19--Payments (10), Field 20--Balance due (10)

 

Collection Data Format -- Version 2
Note: this is the same as Version 1 with a single field (field 21) added to the end as shown below.
Field 1--Invoice Number (10), Field 2--Patient Code (8), Field 3--Service date (8), Field 4--Patient First Name (15), Field 5--Patient Middle Initial (1), Field 6--Patient Last Name (25), Field 7--Responsible Party First Name (15), Field 8--Responsible Party Middle Initial (1), Field 9--Responsible Party Last Name (25), Field 10--Address1 (30),  Field 11--Address1 (30), Field 12--City (25), Field 13--State (2), Field 14--Zip(10), Field 15--Area Code (3), Field 16--Phone (8), Field 17--Social Security Number (11), Field 18--Charges (10), Field 19--Payments (10), Field 20--Balance due (10), Field 21--Signature(1)

 

Collection Data Format -- Version 3
Note: this is the same as Version 2 with added fields 22 through field 29 as shown in red
Field 1--Invoice Number (10), Field 2--Patient Code (8), Field 3--Service date (8), Field 4--Patient First Name (15), Field 5--Patient Middle Initial (1), Field 6--Patient Last Name (25), Field 7--Responsible Party First Name (15), Field 8--Responsible Party Middle Initial (1), Field 9--Responsible Party Last Name (25), Field 10--Address1 (30),  Field 11--Address1 (30), Field 12--City (25), Field 13--State (2), Field 14--Zip(10), Field 15--Area Code (3), Field 16--Phone (8), Field 17--Social Security Number (11), Field 18--Charges (10), Field 19--Payments (10), Field 20--Balance due (10), Field 21--Signature(1), Field 22--Employer Name(28), Field 23--Employer Street Address #1 (30), Field 24--Employer City(20), Field 25--Employer State(2), Field 26--Employer Zip(10), Field 27--Employer Area Code(3), Field 28--Employer Phone Number(8), Field 29--Invoice paid/rejected P if any payor paid R if any payor rejected(1)
Collection Data Format -- Version 4
Note: this is the same as Version 3 with added field30 in red
Field 1--Invoice Number (10), Field 2--Patient Code (8), Field 3--Service date (8), Field 4--Patient First Name (15), Field 5--Patient Middle Initial (1), Field 6--Patient Last Name (25), Field 7--Responsible Party First Name (15), Field 8--Responsible Party Middle Initial (1), Field 9--Responsible Party Last Name (25), Field 10--Address1 (30),  Field 11--Address1 (30), Field 12--City (25), Field 13--State (2), Field 14--Zip(10), Field 15--Area Code (3), Field 16--Phone (8), Field 17--Social Security Number (11), Field 18--Charges (10), Field 19--Payments (10), Field 20--Balance due (10), Field 21--Signature(1), Field 22--Employer Name(28), Field 23--Employer Street Address #1 (30), Field 24--Employer City(20), Field 25--Employer State(2), Field 26--Employer Zip(10), Field 27--Employer Area Code(3), Field 28--Employer Phone Number(8), Field 29--Invoice paid/rejected P if any payor paid R if any payor rejected(1), Field 30--Patient DOB (8)

 

Using Word Processors to Print Your Collection Letters
CES Supports Certain Versions of Microsoft WORD
and
Certain Versions of WordPerfect
(by supplying sample letter and header files)

A word processor must have a mail merge feature so that a master form letter can be written with certain embedded variables (data field names) so that a number of specific letters can be generated by replacing in these embedded variables with real data from some type data  file, in our case LETTER1.DAT, LETTER2.DAT, etc.  In addition to having a master form letter and data file, there must be a Header file that relates the master form letter variables to the field positions in the data file, and you can call this header file anything you wish.  For Microsoft Word and Word Perfect, CES has already done this, as described later.  For now, let us deal with Microsoft Word.   The header file is a one-row table with as many columns as there are data elements.   In order not to have a table one inch high and one mile wide, we have shown the Header file table below as more than one row so to see it in its entirety on one screen, but remember that the next column (cell) in row one following PAT_LNAME would actually be RP_FNAME.  Assignment of names to these cells is strictly arbitrary; the only requirement is that you call them the same here in the header file as you call the variables in the mail merge master letter.  This is a header file for Version 2 data files.

INVOICE PAT_CODE SER_DATE PAT_FNAME PAT_MINIT PAT_LNAME
RP_FNAME RP_MINIT RP_LNAME ADDR1 ADDR2 CITY
STATE ZIP A_CODE PHONE SSN AMT_INIT
AMT_PAID AMT_DUE SIGNATURE      

 

Reset Date For Letter X -- If you are resetting date filed for letter 3, e.g., you will be prompted to enter a date, after which the letter will go back to collection level 2, and this is the same as for other levels.  Invoices not on status C3, and those that were not put on C3 on the specified date are unaffected.

 

Extract Bad Address Data -- Works just like the other extractions, but the invoice status is changed from status C to status C4.  It may be assumed that when you transferred bad address invoices to collection status C, you had exhausted your efforts to get a good address.  It may further be assumed that you either intend for these to be turned over to a collection agency or that level C4 identifies these particular invoices for some other action.

Ways of Transferring Invoices To Collection Status
     The computer does it for you
     Transferring Bad Address invoices to collections
     Sorting by date and manually selecting
     Using end of month statements with final notice messages

Sorting By Date and manually selecting -- One function available to you from the main invoice screen is to press the function key F4 such that invoices are sorted by dates of service.  Then you can select from the same main invoice screen the function to go to the oldest date of service by pressing the END key.   From here, you can scroll down from oldest to latest and review claims for evaluation of whether or not to put on collections.

Using end of month statements to determine invoices that need to be on collections -- Pull your final notice invoices and determine whether to go ahead and put on collections rather than prolong the process.

 

  Print Detail Invoice Report

Repeated here is screen 1 above, to shows the complete set of screens to achieve this printout.

wpe1F.jpg (23312 bytes)
Screen 1 -- Collect Menu
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wpe21.jpg (13552 bytes)
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The report shown below is printed for all of the selections shown above, and the same format.  Only one invoice is shown below, but if there were more, the same information would be repeated as many times as there are invoices. The difference in the printed reports is that the selection  Collection Status - No Letter prints only those invoices on C status; Letter 1 State prints invoices on collection level C1; Letter 2 State prints invoices on level C2, etc.

Print Detailed Invoice Report

      12/04/98                   Your County EMS                     Page  1
            DETAIL REPORT FOR INVOICE: M1 -122346  PATIENT: BLACKJIM
                               INVOICE INFOMATION
                               ------------------
      Stat: C   Service Date: 11/24/98   Due Date: 01/01/99  Service Type: E
      Service Ordered By: 911        Purchase Order No: 911                 
      Service Related To Employment: N
      Accident: N  Service Level: A   Round Trip: N   Return Veh:     
      Pri Diag: Discharged after treatment for Gastrostomy/Feeding 
                Tube-Attention To/Replace/Clean/Close/Etc/hx CVA,alzheimers,
                cardiac,decubitus ulcers,contractures  
      Sec Diag: pt bedridden due to CVA,alzheimers                       
      Transported From: RLA  Residence - Lagrange, GA                 
      Transported To..: RH   Rosemount Hospital - LaGrange, GA          
      Medicare Base Rate Modifier: RH   Medicare Secondary Modifier: WN
      Medicare Information Code: WN
      Date Collection 1:   /  /    2:   /  /    3:   /  /    4:   /  /  
                               PATIENT INFORMATION
                               -------------------
      Patient  Code: BLACKJIM    Jim               Blackstone               
      Contract Code: BLACKJIM                                               
      Contact:                                            
      Address1: 999 Elm Street                         Phone: (999) 999-9999
      City:   LaGrange            ,  GA    Zip: 99999-9999
      Race, W/B/O: W   Sex, M/F: M   Date of Birth: 02/04/35
      Social Sec: 999-99-9999   Patient Status: A
      Medicare: 999-99-9999-A      Medicaid: 999999999     
      Date Employment Verified:   /  /       Employment Status: 4
      Responsible for Payment, P/R: P
      Responsible Party: Jim               Blackstone               
      Finance Charges, Y/N: N
                                                                            
                              EMPLOYER INFORMATION
                              --------------------
      Employer Code: UNKNOWN      Name: Employment Unknown          
      Employer Status: A          Phone: (   )         
      Street:                               
                                            
        City:                     ,        Zip: 
      Insurance Company Code: UNK         Insurance Company Unknown     
      Group Number:                     
                               DOCTOR INFORMATION
                               ------------------
      Doctor Code: ER-RH      Name: ER Doctor-Roseville Hospital   
      Status: A   UPIN:                       Phone: (   )         
      Specialty:                                                   
      Street:                               
        City:                     ,      Zip: 
                           PRIMARY PAYCODE INFORMATION
                           ---------------------------
      Pri Pay Code: 5 Pri Insurance    Approval:                Discount %  
      Reason For Transport: BS  Accept Assignment: Y   Transported To/For:  
      Paid/Rejected:     Reason:                               
      Service Ordered By Code:     Sign. On File: Y     Date Filed:   /  /  
      Physician's Statement On File:    Modifier:     Date Refiled:   /  /  
      Condition/Diagnosis Code:                      Date Verified:   /  /  
      Procedure Code:        Patient Status:    Attendant: Fixum Upp        
      EMT: Bandaid King                      Driver:  Wreckum Jones         
      Pickup Time:   :     Start:  0: 0     Stop:  0: 0     Start:  0

Transfer data to collection agencies email / diskette / printed reports

email -- Collection agencies prefer to receive collection data electronically via email. We can supply them with the data format, and they have no problems inmporting the data such that their key entry is reduced (practically eliminated).

Diskettes -- Collection data can be written to diskette and transferred to the collection agency for processing.   This reduces their key entry, but requires diskettes and handling, mailing, etc. problems.

Printed Reports -- This report can be printed from either the collection menu as shown immedicately above, or printed from the main invoice screen choosping the R-Report option. This is their least preferred method of receiving data.  Certain parameters in the company screen define what data to include in this report.