Overview

If your clinic sells packages, you can use Cerbo to track what the patient has paid, still owes, and what they have used out of their included services. The recommended workflow is to add each individual charge in a package as an  Estimated Charge, apply payment, then convert these to regular charges as patient redeems them. This way you can see at a glance what the patient has used, and how many they have remaining in their package. 


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Details

The easiest way to track packages in Cerbo is using a Estimated Charges. If you don't have this turned on (you don't see it at the bottom of patients' yellow billing history window), please ask your account manager or contact support@cer.bo. Estimated Charges (which can be renamed to, for example, Package Charges, provide a holding tank for charges that have been purchased, but not yet redeemed.


Define your Packages

The first step is to add your packages to your Charge List as Group Charges. This makes it easier to add all of the package charges to a patient's chart when they purchase a package.

1) Add the individual charges to your charge list: Any charges that are included in the Package need to be added individually to the Charge List, if they aren't there already. Do NOT add one charge list item for full price of Package. See: Practice Charge List - Add to or Edit Master List of Charges


2) Define a Charge Group: add each individual charge n the package to a Charge Group. Go to Admin > Manage > Charge List and click the green button at the top to "Add New Charge Group":



You can specify a discount that will auto-apply to every charge in the group. See Add Discounts for how to define your available discounts. The specified discount will apply to each charge in the group, so a percentage (not dollar value) discount is generally best.


Add all of the individual charges to the charge group.


Add to Patient Chart and Track Usage


When the patient purchases a package, add the corresponding package/ group charge as estimated charges. This can be done by clicking on the + in the yellow billing block, then on +Add to Estimated Charges.


Search your charge list for the name of your Charge Group and select it to bring up the Add Estimated Charges window. 

Add an expiration date, if applicable (e.g., if there is a future date after which the charge should no longer be able to be redeemed). If you add an expiration date for the first charge in the group, you will have the option to apply the same expiration date to all charges in the group.


Scroll to the bottom of all the charges and click "Add These Charges to Patient's Account". This will put the specified charges in the patient's Estimated Charges holding tank. The balance due will NOT affect their overall account balance, but you will be able to see the total balance due on Estimated Charges at the bottom of their billing history.


Add Payment and Apply Toward Estimated Charges

If the patient is paying upfront (see below for payment plan use case), add the payment to their chart, and apply it toward their estimated charges. 


Special Use Case: "Prepaid" Packages Paid on a Payment Plan

You may offer the option for patients to pay for the treatment package over multiple installments instead of requiring upfront payment. You can automate your payment plan in Cerbo IF you are using Bluefin for integrated merchant services.


To do this, you would: 

  1. Add a single (not group) charge for the full package amount.
  2. Set up the payment plan for that charge.
  3. Edit that original package charge to be $0 (that does not nullify or cancel the payment plan). Now, as payments come in, they will go into the patient's account as a credit that is available to apply toward their package charges.
  4. Add the package group charge to the patient's estimated charges. As the patient comes in for services, staff can notice any payment plan credits on their account and apply those toward their package charges (as estimated charges OR regular charges if they have already been redeemed).


Redeem Estimated Charges as they are Used

As the patient uses the services/products in their package, staff would convert the applicable Estimated Charge(s) to regular charge(s). Generally, this would be done within the relevant encounter note by hovering over the Charges/ Payments box in the encounter note, and then on "Add FROM Estimated Charges". Check the boxes beside any charges that are being used that day, then use the Manage Checked drop down to select "Add as Charges".

 


This way, the charges (and payment) are associated with the visit note and date of service, and can be included in a superbill/ insurance invoice if desired. See: Generate Insurance Invoice (superbill) or Receipt.


Track Usage

By expanding the billing block (click the rectangle in the top right corner of the billing block), you can now see how many services/products are remaining in the package (what remains under Estimated Charges), vs. what the patient has used (what is showing in the regular portion of their billing block):


Special Use Case: Prepaid Packages and Credit Pools

Treatment plan packages may be structured to include specific products or services - 3 MD consults, 6 wellness coaching visits, and pre-set educational materials, for example - as well as a credit pool that patients could use to purchase supplements or lab kits. The specific products or services lend themselves well to tracking via Estimated Charges (Approach 2, above). 

Credit pools, in contrast, are best handled by:

  • Adding the payment for the credit pool and naming the resulting account credit appropriately by checking the "Name this credit pool" box when adding the payment, and entering, e.g., "Supplement Bank." Because you want it to have a separate name, it is useful to add any credit pool payment separately from the rest of the package purchase payment.
  • Then when it comes time to apply existing credit to charges, you will see the named credit pool as its own separate credit to apply, and can easily apply the correct credit to the applicable charges, and see how much credit remains.

Related keywords: prepaid packages