Overview
You can add a standard discount into your system, which can be assigned to charges as needed. Discounts can be percent discounts, dollar amount discounts, or some combination of both. If a combination, the dollar amount discount will apply first, with the percent discount applied to the new, lower total.
Custom or Free Text Discount Tip: Normally, defined discounts will automatically apply a fixed percentage and/or dollar value discount to a charge. However, if you want to create a "flexible" discount, which allows you to specify a variable value at the time it's applied, simply create the discount definition as normal but leave both the Discount % and the Discount dollar-value fields as "0" and "0.00" respectively). When applied, this discount will prompt you to enter the dollar value of the discount.
Related Articles
- Practice Charge List - Add to or Edit Master List of Charges
- Add a Charge to Patient Account
- Apply Discount to Multiple Charges
Details
To add a new discount, go to the Admin drop down menu, select Manage... then Discounts. This will bring up the Manage Discounts pop up. To add a new discount level, select the green +Add New Discount button.
Discount Name (text box) - the name of the discount that appears in the Discount drop down menu on the +Add a New Charge pop up.
% Discount total charge by this Percent (number) - the percentage applied to the discount. Put a zero if you will be using a dollar value discount.
Discount total charge by this dollar value (currency) - the total dollar amount discounted from the charge. Use a zero if you are discounting based on percentage.
*** If you specify BOTH a percentage and a dollar value for the discount, the dollar discount will apply first, then the percentage.
Description of this discount - a description of the discount for internal/ administrative purposes.
To edit a standard discount, select the discount from the Manage Discounts pop-up (Admin->Manage...->Discounts). Change the details and finalize by pressing the green Edit This Discount button.
Note - Discounting Charge Groups
You can create charge groups within your charge list (see Add to or Edit Master List of Charges), for example for packages that will be purchased together. And you can have a discount automatically apply to the charge group. A discount on a charge group applies individually to each charge in the group. So a percentage discount works well.
A dollar value discount on a charge group is a little more complicated, as the same discount will apply to each charge individually. So a $100 discount on a group that consists of 5 separate charges should be set up as a $20 discount. And each charge in the group would need to be at least as much as the discount. So if the charge group consists of charges of different magnitudes and/ or the dollar value discount doesn't divide easily between the component charges, then you will want to restructure the discount as a percentage.