Unreadable Type

 

An Unreadable record is created when remittance or a check is received by athenahealth on your behalf and those documents have image flaws that prevent the correct interpretation of the information provided. Unreadable remittance records are often zero-dollar correspondence items, but they can also represent dollar amounts if a full or partial EOB is not readable.

 

In these scenarios, all readable payments are posted per the EOB, and the remaining amount is accounted for in the Unreadable remittance record. This type of remittance record can result from payer errors with EOB generation, lockbox errors regarding damaged or unreadable check images due to poor fax quality, or cut-off copies associated with a BYOLB template.

 

 

If the remittance record is assigned to athenahealth, athenahealth attempts to obtain a legible EOB. You do not need to work this remittance record at this time. We are working to resolve it for you.

 

If you have the clear EOB at your office, you can upload the EOB directly to the record.

 

If the obscure EOB is associated with a BYOLB template and our attempt to obtain a clearer version of the document is unsuccessful, athenahealth will return the record to you for review. Use your resources to obtain a legible copy of the EOB and then take one of these actions for resolution of this record:

• Use the Submit Remittance tab on the Manage Remittance page to forward the EOB to athenahealth as correspondence.
• Use a $0.00 BYOLB template, referencing this remittance record in Section III of the BYOLB template, and return the record to athenahealth for posting.

If the EOB was sent to athenahealth from your non-athenahealth lockbox service, please contact that lockbox and have the items forwarded to your athenahealth P.O. Box address. Alternatively, you can take one of these actions:

• Obtain the original remittance and use the Submit Remittance tab on the Manage Remittance page to forward the EOB to athenahealth as correspondence.
• Use a $0.00 BYOLB template, referencing this remittance record in Section III of the BYOLB template, and return the record to athenahealth for posting.

Occasionally, you may be able to obtain the posting information from the payer without an EOB. In these cases, locate the claim in athenaOne and return the record to athenahealth using the Find Matching Charge Tool on the Remittance Record page. Provide the required posting information, such as claim numbers (if multiple), copay, deductible, and contractual amounts per charge line/claim.

 

Keep in mind that these records can be the full payment amount or a partial payment amount, depending on the integrity of the original remittance. If your record represents a portion of the original payment, please determine which portion of the EOB to forward to athenahealth. If a full EOB is uploaded to athenaOne for a partial payment amount, it could result in the overpayment of claims that were posted in the original batch.

 

 

Before you upload any EOB to athenaOne, convert the EOBs to the .pdf or .tif format. If you plan to upload multiple EOBs, create one .pdf or .tif file that includes all the EOBs and includes a detailed deposit slip — that is, an itemized list of all checks in the batch with the total amount (as shown on the BYOLB Remittance Template).

Note: Including a deposit slip in the electronic file decreases the chance of errors during the posting process (manual touches are greatly reduced).

1. Display the Manage Remittance page: On the Main Menu, click Financials. Under PAYMENTS, click Remittance.
2. Click the Submit Remittance tab.
3. Remittance Type — Select Explanation of Benefits (EOB) (paper).
4. Bank deposit type — Select Correspondence.
5. Deposit date — Enter the date on which the credit card was processed.
6. Deposit location — Select the location where the deposit was made.
7. Bank account — Select the bank account into which the deposit was made.
   This field may already contain a value, based on the selection you made in the Deposit location field.
8. Attachment — Click Choose File. Locate the file to upload, select it, and click Open.
   After the file is uploaded, a preview of the file appears. The links at the top and bottom of the preview pane allow you to navigate within the document.
9. Review the uploaded file to make sure it is readable.
10. To accept the file, click Accept PDF at the bottom of the preview pane; to reject it and upload another version, click Discard PDF.
    Note: After you accept a .pdf, you can preview it again by clicking the Preview button. You can still discard the .pdf by clicking Clear upload.
11. Click Submit.
    After the submission is uploaded, a confirmation message ("Uploaded Successfully") appears at the top of the page.

1. Display the Find Unpostables page: On the Main Menu, click Financials. Under PAYMENTS, click Unpostables. In the left menu, under UNPOSTABLE REMITTANCE, click Find Unpostables.
2. Unpostable status — Select OPEN.
3. Responsible party — Select Practice.
4. Unpostable type — Select Unreadable.
5. Click Generate Worklist.
   The Unpostables Worklist appears in the Task Bar.

Display the unpostable record

6. From the worklist in the Task Bar, click the Unreadable bar to expand the worklist.
7. Click the linked unpostable ID number for the remittance record/unpostable in the worklist.
   The Remittance Record page appears in the Workspace.

In the Status section

8. Review the notes provided by athenahealth.
9. Take the required action described in the notes.
10. Under Select an action to resolve or reassign record, select the Update status and reassign record option.
11. Update status — Select Check and/or EOB Copy Forwarded to athenahealth for Posting.
12. Note — Enter detailed information about the actions you've taken.
13. Click Submit.

1. Display the Find Unpostables page: On the Main Menu, click Financials. Under PAYMENTS, click Unpostables. In the left menu, under UNPOSTABLE REMITTANCE, click Find Unpostables.
2. Unpostable status — Select OPEN.
3. Responsible party — Select Practice.
4. Unpostable type — Select Unreadable.
5. Click Generate Worklist.
   The Unpostables Worklist appears in the Task Bar.

Display the unpostable record

6. From the worklist in the Task Bar, click the Unreadable bar to expand the worklist.
7. Click the linked unpostable ID number for the remittance record/unpostable in the worklist.
   The Remittance Record page appears in the Workspace.

In the Status section

8. Under Select an action to resolve or reassign record, select the Find matching charges option.

9. Click the Find matching charge link.
   The Match Unpostable to Charge page opens in a new window.
10. Enter the patient information in the search fields (for example, claim ID, patient ID, etc.).
11. Click Find. The search results appear below the Find button.
12. Select the patient. The Possible Charges section appears.
    Note: Charges highlighted in yellow have the highest probability of a match.
13. Select the appropriate charge for the patient.

Add optional instructions and save the updated unpostable

14. If additional instructions are required, select the Add a note or instructions option to display the Note field, and enter a detailed note.
    For example, you may want to specify that only a subset of the unpostable value should be posted to that charge or that multiple claims/patients should be posted with the record amount.
15. Click Select under the charge. The charge or patient that you selected appears in the Unpostable Update box.
16. Click Submit.

After you match the Unreadable record to a claim, athenaOne takes one of the following actions:

• athenaOne zeroes out and closes the unpostable with the event "Match Identified and Posted."
• athenaOne opens a new corrections payment batch in which the payment posts to the selected charge or patient. The notes on the unpostable specify the payment batch, for example, "Unpostable will be processed in ERA Batch: ____, Corrections Payment Batch: ____."
• athenaOne queues the batch for posting. The payment batch remains out of balance until it is posted and closed. athenaOne imports the images from the unpostable into the new payment batch for viewing when the batch is closed and the payment posts. The notes in the new payment batch reference the unpostable from which the payment batch is being processed: "Corrections batch for unpostable ____."
  
  Note: If the unpostable does not meet the criteria, the unpostable returns to athenahealth for manual review and posting.
  

1. Create an electronic (.pdf or .tif) version of the missing EOB.
2. Display the Find Unpostables page: On the Main Menu, click Financials. Under PAYMENTS, click Unpostables. In the left menu, under UNPOSTABLE REMITTANCE, click Find Unpostables.
3. Unpostable status — Select OPEN.
4. Responsible party — Select Practice.
5. Unpostable type — Select Unreadable.
6. Click Generate Worklist.
   The Unpostables Worklist appears in the Task Bar.

Display the unpostable record

7. From the worklist in the Task Bar, click the Unreadable bar to expand the worklist.
8. Click the linked unpostable ID number for the remittance record/unpostable in the worklist.
   The Remittance Record page appears in the Workspace.

In the Status section

9. Under Select an action to resolve or reassign record, select the Upload missing EOB option.
   Additional fields appear.

10. Click Choose File and select the file that you created on your computer or network.
11. Click Upload & Preview EOB.
    The file opens in the preview window. You can navigate through pages, rotate, and zoom to review.
12. Review the check number/identifier and the check amount to ensure that the EOB matches the check or EFT information associated with the record.
13. Click Submit EOB for Processing. If you selected the wrong file by mistake, click Cancel/Discard EOB to start over.
    athenaOne creates a corrections payment batch and closes the remittance record.
    The record history now includes two new notes, indicating that you uploaded the remittance (including a link to view the EOB) and the new correction payment batch (with a link to the payment batch).