Bounced Checks and Fees
When your bank returns a check, you should note it in Partner and re-bill the patient’s family. You can also post a bounced check fee, in accordance with your office’s financial policy. Follow the steps below to learn one method of managing a bounced check in Partner.
The steps below require two procedures in the Procedures table of the Table Editor (ted):
A “Returned Check” procedure with the accounting type of “Receipt – NSF.” You will use this procedure to offset the bad check.
A “Returned Check Fee” procedure with the accounting type of “Revenue – Non Service.” You will use this procedure to charge the account a penalty fee for the returned check. Set the price of the procedure to your practice’s bounced check fee.
Contact PCC if you need assistance adding the above items.
When the bank returns a bad check, follow this procedure:
Run refund and Find the Account
Run refund from the Daily Operations window, or type refund at a command prompt. Find the account that paid with a bad check.
Post a Returned Check Procedure
Post the Returned Check adjustment procedure for the full amount of the original check.
Post the Returned Check Fee
Use refund to post the Returned Check Fee procedure. Your practice’s default fee, as entered in the Procedures table in ted, will appear in the Amount field.
Run oops
Run the Correct Mistakes (oops) program from the Daily Operations window, press the F6 – Correct Mistakes key while in refund, or type oops at a command prompt.
Locate the Check
Use Page Down and Page Up to find the bad check. If posted correctly, it will be listed underneath the visit date for which the payment was originally intended. Note the number next to the item.
Press F7 – Relink Pmt and Enter the Number Next to the Bad Check
Enter the number that appears next to the check in the history.
Select the Returned Check Procedure
From the list of outstanding charges, select the Returned Check adjustment procedure that you posted in refund. Enter the appropriate number and press Enter. If you have trouble picking the Returned Check adjustment procedure from a long list of unpaid procedures, look for a procedure with the same dollar amount as the bounced check.
Confirm Your Selection
The next screen will confirm that the full dollar amount of the check will be linked to the Returned Check adjustment procedure. The Unlinked amount should be $0.00.
Press F1 – Save Payments to finish linking. Back on the main oops screen, you will notice that the balance of the original charge is now reinstated. It will be listed under the original date of service. At the top of the history, you will see today’s record of the bounced check and the check fee:
Record Your Actions and Contact the Family
Add a note about the check on the Notes page of the Family Editor (fame). Contact the family or send them a form letter. When the account sends you a new check, simply run the Posting Payments (pam) program and apply the new payment to both the original charge and the Returned Check Fee.