Fix Posting Errors on Procedures in History


When you find posting errors in the Ledger, particularly those items already in history, you cannot simply delete them and reenter the information. There’s a good reason for this. The Ledger is a financial record of posted procedures, payments, and patient balances that is used to print statements for patients and to bill insurance. You want to make sure that the information you print doesn’t change after patients leave the office.

If mistakes are found, you should make a new adjustment entry to correct the financial problem (see last month’s article titled Correct Posting Errors on Payments in History).

But when the error involves procedures that are in history, you must maintain accurate clinical records by first invalidating the incorrect procedure, and then posting a corrected, back-dated procedure, and finally, making an adjustment to the patient’s balance for the procedure amount.

To correct a procedure in history:

  1. In the Ledger, select the patient.
  2. Find the procedure that needs to be corrected. Note the details of the procedure (date, procedure code, tooth number, surfaces, provider, etc.), as you will need this information when you post a corrected procedure.
  3. Double-click the procedure. The Validate/Invalidate Procedure in History dialog box appears.
    Validate Procedure
  4. Mark the Invalidate Procedure option. The procedure will be invalidated and will no longer show in the Patient Chart. Click OK to return to the Ledger.

    Note: The procedure you corrected is not deleted from Dentrix. The incorrect procedure now has a “+” symbol next to it in the Description column of the Ledger to indicate that it has been invalidated.
    Validate Procedure
  5. In the Ledger, click the Enter Procedure button. The Enter Procedure dialog box appears.
  6. Enter the correct procedure information. Be sure to backdate the procedure to the date the original procedure was posted.
    Procedure Information
  7. Click OK/Post to post the corrected procedure. The procedure will have a "^" symbol next to it in the Description column of the Ledger to indicate that it was backdated.
    Corrected Procedure
  8. Because you have reposted the procedure, the patient has now been charged for the procedure twice. Post a credit adjustment for the invalidated procedure amount to correct the patient’s balance.

By understanding how to correct posting errors to procedures in history, you can maintain accurate and clear records for your patients. For more information about how to correct posting errors on payments in history, see the Dentrix newsletter article titled "Correct Posting Errors on Payments in History." You can also view the Dentrix Help Files topic titled "Editing Transactions" for links to additional topics on "Invalidating a procedure in history" and "Editing transactions in history."



Author: Sean Eyring
Published: 10/01/2013
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