Form Letters

Set up the Collection Letter in the Word Processor

Create a New Document in the Word Processor by right-clicking and selecting New Document.  You may create it under the Practice Documents if it will be specific to a particular practice, or create  it under the Company Documents if it will be used by all practices.

Insert Merge fields.  From the right side of the menu bar, select Mail Merge, then View.  This will display a list on the right side of the screen with categories of fields that may be used.

Select SYSTEM, then DATE to insert the date onto the letter.

Select Account, then First Name to insert the account holder's first name onto the letter.  Continue by selecting the Account's last name, address 1, address 2, city, state, and zip for insertion into the letter.  Proceed with the letter, inserting fields as you wish.

Save the letter when you are done.

If you have several practices that need to have letters set up, you may "copy and paste" only the portion of the letter that does not contain merge fields.  If you copy the entire letter including the merge fields, the word processor will not recognize the merge fields as ones that need to have data inserted into them.  You will then end up with letters that don't have any patient information on them.  Therefore, you can copy the body of the letter from one practice to the next, but you will have to manually insert the merge fields on each letter as detailed above.

Add the Letter to the Practice Setup

Go to Setup, Followup, Form Letters.  Select NEW.  Add the Letter to the Lookup and Name fields.  Click the button next to the Document field to associate the letter in the Word Processor with this form letter.  Select the letter for the practice you are working on.  Indicate to whom this letter will be sent.  The addressee name is used to notate the ledger when the letter is sent.

To Send a Form Letter:

"Send Form Letter" from Patient Ledger

From the Activity View or Billing View of the Ledger, right-click and select Send Form Letter.  You will then be prompted as to which letter you would like to send, and whether you would like it created now or during the Closeout.

Print the Letter immediately with "Create Document Now" option

If you select Create Document Now, the letter will be created and displayed on the screen immediately in the Word Processor.  You may then proceed to print the letter.

Print the Letter after the Closeout with "Create Document in Closeout" option

If you select Create Document in Closeout, the letter will be created during the next Closeout process.  You will see a Mail Merge task and a Document Listing in the Closeout reports.  The Mail Merge task contains the letters that have been requested that need to be printed.  The Document Listing is a report showing all the different letters and the accounts getting each letter.

After the letter has been generated (which may be after the next Closeout is run) the Activity view of the ledger will display the date the letter was generated, the name of the letter,  the user who requested it,  and the addressee (which could be the account holder, patient, insurance plan, etc).   The View Form Letter option can now be used to view the letter.