Patient Payments - FAQs
Kareo/Billing
Q: How do copays, coinsurances, and deductibles work with Kareo?
A: Copays must be entered into the appointment or chart in WebPT before the therapist finalizes the note for the associated appointment for the copay amount to flow into Kareo. Coinsurances and deductibles do not flow into Kareo.
Agenda/Dashboard
Q: Why doesn’t the copay or coinsurance paid amount appear on the Agenda?
A: The Payment Log in the Reports box serves as a single point of reference for all patient payments.
User Permissions
Q: Can I restrict certain people from editing or deleting payments?
A: Yes. Users with User Manager permissions can grant or remove these permission settings in the User Profile using the Edit/Delete Patient Transactions check box.
Patient Appointments
Q: If I change the copay amount for an appointment on the Scheduler, will this information update for all upcoming appointments?
A: Yes, unless you’ve already collected the copayment for one of the future appointments.
Q: I see a copay or coinsurance in my patient’s Insurance screen. However, when I look at the Collect Payment window on the patient’s upcoming appointments in the Scheduler, the copayment or coinsurance does not appear. Why?
A: The Collect Payment window only shows items that are due today. For example, if a patient’s copay displays in her Insurance screen, it also will appear in the Collect Payment window for her appointment today. If you view that patient’s appointment for later in the week, however, you’ll see that the copay does not appear because the payment is not yet due.
Q: Why is the Date of Transaction calendar blocked/disabled in the Scheduler?
A: If you need to update the Date of Transaction calendar, you can do so within the Patient Payments section of the patient chart. This allows for a more streamlined payment collection process within the Scheduler.
Q: When checking in a patient, what does the coinsurance percentage represent?
A: This amount represents the patient’s coinsurance percentage. For example, if the patient’s coinsurance is 20%, you’ll enter 20 on the Insurance screen. This percentage will then display in parentheses on the Payment Collection screen, indicating that the patient has a coinsurance.
Q: I just collected a payment for a past date of service, but I received an empty receipt. Why?
A: Receipts reflect the date on which you collect payment—which, in some cases, may not match the date of the charge. So, when you collect new payments for past charges, those payments will belong to the receipt for the current day, not the date on which the patient incurred the charge.
Q: When I look at a patient's appointment on the scheduler I see the primary insurance's copay, but not the secondary insurances. Why?
A: The scheduler only pulls copay information from the primary insurance on the patient's chart. To see the patient's secondary insurance copay, please refer to the patient's chart.
Patient-Specific Information
Q: How do I use the deductible field?
A: Use the deductible field to record a patient’s deductible, and check the Deductible Met box when the patient reaches his or her deductible. Note: This field does not carry over to integrated billing systems, including Kareo.
Q: Can I add a payment to a discharged patient?
A: Yes. Even if you’ve already discharged a patient, you can still record an additional payment within Patient Payments.