Keywords: create contract, contract, contract setup, autopay, responsible party, insurance contract
Summary
Contracts in Cloud 9 help patients finance orthodontic treatment and manage autopayments. This article walks through the full contract setup process, whether it’s for a responsible party, insurance, or both. It covers transaction type configuration, prerequisites, and a field-by-field overview of the contract screen, including how to adjust dates and amounts and autopay after the contract starts.
Note: Contracts control autopayments in Cloud 9. Autopayments can only be set up within an active contract, and only if your practice has an integrated payment processor.
Note: This is a comprehensive, field-by-field guide to contract creation in Cloud 9. If you need a quicker read or are looking for something more specific, check out the Quick Guides at the bottom of the page. They walk through how to set up specific contract types step by step.
Contract Transaction Type Setup
Note: Skip this section if your contract transaction types are already set up.
You need the correct transaction type to start a contract. Ensure you have the 'Edit Library Items' permission from the practice. Then, go to Edit > Setup > Transaction Types in Cloud 9. For a refresher on transaction type setup, see this article: Transaction Type Setup.
When setting up a contract transaction type, select the following options in the lower section of the dialogue box:
- Check Is Contract. This will automatically select Affects Production, which is intentional.
- Check Show on Practice Summary.
- Compare with an existing contract transaction type to confirm consistency.
You will also need to attach the correct CDT code to the contract transaction type:
- Click the Transaction Codes tab.
- Click the blue + to search for and add the correct CDT code.
- If the code is not found, it can be added in Edit > Setup > Codes.
- Save the changes before exiting.
For the example we are using, it has the CDT code D8020 attached.
Pre-requisites to Creating Contracts
Before creating a contract, confirm the following are set up for the patient. Both must be in place before proceeding.
Prerequisite 1: Verify the Financially Responsible Party
- From the Home Menu, click Edit Patient.
- Click the Relationships tab.
- Confirm that True displays under the Responsible Party column for the individual responsible for payment.
Prerequisite 2: Verify Insurance (if applicable)
- From the Home Menu, click Edit Patient.
- Click the Insurance tab.
- Confirm that the insurance plan has been entered.
Accessing the Contract Screen
To add a new contract for a patient, go to the patient ledger and click the handshake icon. Then click the blue + Add button to open the contract screen.
The contract screen is divided into two main areas separated by a blue line. The upper portion contains the plan configuration fields and the lower portion contains the Responsible Party and Insurance plan details. We will work through each section below.
Understanding the Upper Portion of the Contract: Drop Down Menus
The upper portion of the contract contains four columns of fields. Work through each column from left to right.
Column 1: Plan Status, Provider, and Location
The first three fields autopopulate but should be verified before proceeding:
- Plan Status will always read New when creating a contract.
- Provider and Assigned Location pull from the Edit Patient screen. Verify these are correct.
-
Posting Location defaults to the Cloud 9 location you are currently logged into. This can be changed if needed.
Note: Provider names have a 50 character limit. Names exceeding this limit can cause issues in other areas of the software, including insurance claims.
Column 2: Charge Type, Discount, and Plan
- Click the magnifying glass next to Charge Type and select the appropriate contract transaction type.
- The Plan Description will autofill from the transaction type setup.
- To apply a discount, click the magnifying glass next to Discount, select the applicable discount, and enter the amount. Leave blank if no discount applies.
- For the Plan field, click the dropdown arrow and select the Responsible Party or insurance with a blue check mark to make them visible on the contract. Click anywhere outside the field to refresh it.
Column 3: Dates and Amounts
- Expected Start Date: The anticipated start date if not starting the contract immediately. This does not initiate the contract. Optional if starting the same day.
- Expected First Charge: The projected date of the first charge if not billing today. Optional if starting the same day.
- Treatment Fee Amount: The total contract amount.
- Discount Total: Any applied discounts.
-
Contract Subtotal: The amount after subtracting discounts from the treatment fee.
Column 4: Origin of Start, Payment Arrangement, and Totals
- Origin of Start and Payment Arrangement are primarily used by practices with the Gaidge add-on integration for custom reporting. Leave blank if your practice does not use Gaidge.
- Initial CDT Code defaults to the diagnostic code set up in Edit > Setup > Transaction Types for the transaction type of the selected contract.
-
Payment Plan Totals must match the Contract Subtotal. This field draws from the data entered in the lower portion of the contract.
This is how the contract fields look at this point for our example before moving to the lower section.
Understanding the Lower Portion of the Contract: RP and/or Insurance Plans
Lower Portion of the Contract
The lower portion of the contract contains the Responsible Party and Insurance plan details. If a patient has both an RP and insurance, both tabs must be completed.
Important: The combined total of the Plan Amount entered across the RP tab and Insurance tab must equal the Contract Subtotal from the upper section.
In our example, the patient has both a Responsible Party (Tammy Test) and insurance (Cigna Dental), so both tabs need to be completed. The Contract Subtotal for this example is $3,325.00, so the Plan Amounts entered across both tabs must add up to that total.
Responsible Party Tab
- Confirm the Plan Amount is correct for the RP. In our example, the RP Plan Amount is $1,525.00.
- Enter a Down Payment amount if applicable. In our example, a Down Payment of $500.00 has been entered.
- Enter the number of payments and select the Frequency. In our example, this is set to 12 payments at a Monthly frequency.
The combined Plan Amount of $1,525.00 for the RP and $1,800.00 for insurance equals $3,325.00, which correctly matches the Contract Subtotal and will appear in the Payment Plan Totals field in the upper section.
Note: Charge Dates, Auto Pay dates, and Auto Pay amounts cannot be edited until the contract is started.
Insurance Tab
- Confirm the Plan Amount is correct for the insurance. In our example, the Insurance Plan Amount is $1,800.00.
- The Continuation Diagnostic Code will already be attached. This is the periodic contract ADA code that displays on the claim form.
- If submitting an e-claim, make sure both the Initial and Continuation claim boxes are checked. E-claim submission requires an integration with Dental Xchange.
- Enter a down payment if one is expected.
- Enter the Initial Claim amount, number of claims, and Frequency. In our example, the Initial Claim amount is $3,325.00, the Number of Claims is 3, and the Frequency is Quarterly.
Note: The Initial Claim amount should be the full contract amount.
Starting the Contract
Once all fields are filled in on both tabs, the contract can be saved. It will remain in New status until the + Start button is selected.
Double check all fields before starting the contract. Once active, most fields above the blue line can no longer be edited. Also note that active contracts will always display as Active in the contracts screen. There is currently no option to mark a contract as Completed.
Once you click + Start, the contract becomes active and charge and claim dates can be filled in and Auto Pay can be enabled.
Changing Charge Dates, Amounts, and adding Auto Pay to a Contract
Once the contract is started, the Start button will appear grayed out and charges will post to the ledger. Dates generate based on the first expected charge date or contract start date. Here is how to make adjustments after the contract has started.
Adjusting the Number of Payments
- Update the value in the # of Payments field and click the calculator button. The contract will automatically recalculate amounts and dates based on the new number of payments.
Adjusting Dates
- Click on the date to be edited and change it to the correct date.
- Select that line as the starting point and click the Fill button (the icon with two downward pointing arrows to the left of the dates).
- In the Fill options, confirm the settings for charge dates and amounts and click Fill to finalize.
- Always save changes before exiting the contract.
Adjusting Insurance Claim Dates or Amounts After Receiving an EOB
- Change the number of claims and click Calculate to automatically update claim amounts.
- Alternatively, enter a specific date and amount and use the Fill button.
- If the charge date has already passed, move the funds from Due Now back to Future Due first before adjusting dates. See THIS ARTICLE for that process.
Note: On the Insurance tab, Form Amount is the amount entered on the claim form. Ledger Amount is the amount that will hit the insurance ledger when the charge date arrives.
Printing Payment Coupons
Aside from the Calculate button, (calculator icon), and the Fill button, (a two downward arrows icon),
on the left hand side of the contract, there is another icon for payment coupons. It looks like a dollar bill.
This feature was more popular before autopay became the norm, but it is meant to be something you can provide to a responsible party if they want to mail in their payments. This feature may not be used very much anymore, but it's still important to understand the use case of all buttons so so there is no confusion navigating the contract editor.
How To Add Autopay Payment Method and Autopay Dates
Once the contract is started, Auto Pay can be added and enabled. An integrated payment processor is required to use this feature.
- Click the Auto Pay button located just below the Responsible Party Future Due section.
- Click + Add to add a new payment method.
- Select the correct Merchant and Payment Account and choose either credit card or bank account.
Note: When entering Auto Pay in a contract, the payment method must be entered manually. Select Keyed and type in the card or bank account information. EMV cannot be used to add an autopayment method to a contract. This is by design and is expected behavior.
- Click the green Save button. The integrated payment processor dialogue box will open.
- Enter the card or bank account information and billing address. Click Save or Make Payment when finished. You will be notified if the payment method saved successfully and taken back to the Auto Pay Setup box.
- In the Auto Pay Setup box, click the Primary Payment Method dropdown and select the card or bank account just added. This step is required for Auto Pay to work correctly.
- Click OK and save your changes.
Once Auto Pay has been added and the Primary Payment Method is selected, the contract will display a checkmark in the Auto Pay field and show the last four digits of the card or bank account confirming it was added successfully.
Updating Auto Pay Amounts and Dates
After setting up Auto Pay, review the Auto Pay columns to confirm all amounts and dates are accurate. Use the same Fill and Calculate tools used for charge dates and amounts to make any needed updates. Always save after making changes.
Once that opens, there will be an option to '+Add' to add the new payment method. Click on this first and add the card or bank account information.
In the example below, the RP has informed me that they need to pay off the balance over 17 months instead of 15. To update this, I will click on the '# of Payments' field and change it to 17. Then, I will select the first line item and update both the Charge amount and Auto Pay amount to $288.24. After that, I will click the 'Fill' button. It will then give the option to fill in both the charge date and amount, as well as Auto Pay details. I will select both options since we are updating the contract with Auto Pay, and then click the 'Fill' button.
This will update the contract correctly in all columns. Make sure after making any changes to the contract to save your work.
This was a high-level overview of the contract sections, fields, and drop-downs in Cloud 9. Below are quick reference guides for specific contract types you may also review.
Contract Creation Step-by-Step Quick Guides:
Contract with a Single RP Quick Guide
Contract with an RP and Insurance Quick Guide
Contract with Split RP's Quick Guide
Contract with Split RP's and Insurance Quick Guide
Other helpful Contract articles:
How to Write Off a Contract
How to Delete a Contract
As always, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Cloud 9 Support by emailing us at cloud9support@planetdds.com, or chatting us online using the chat bubble on the lower right at https://cloud9support.planetdds.com/hc/en-us, or giving us a call during our business hours of 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST at the 1.800.394.6050 option 2.