Finalizing estimates
Finalize an estimate manually or with an electronic signature to indicate client is accepting the recommended services and fees. Finalizing an estimate will send items to the Patient Visit List (based on estimate default settings).
Before you start
Security
- Estimate
- Estimate Discounts
- Estimate Messages
- Estimate Options
- Estimate Taxes
Setup
- Billing and communication messages
- Message defaults
- Estimate messages
- Estimate and estimate address defaults
- Invoice item settings for pricing, taxes, and discounts
- Group and/or Pick items
- Pet pictures set for estimates: Workstation defaults
- Printer assignments
- Signature capture devices set up, if not using touch screen workstations.
- Travel sheet(s), if using.
Important!
- Electronically signed estimates are automatically finalized and saved to patient history with the date the estimate was created. Estimate items are sent to the Patient Visit List with the date the estimate was signed.
- Manually finalized estimates are subject to the same store setting in estimate defaults and will be deleted when the expiration date is reached.
- Only finalize an estimate once the patient is presented for treatment. This will ensure the Patient Visit List populates with items showing the current date.
Finalize an estimate
Create a new estimate or locate a saved estimate by navigating to any of the following:
- Patient Clipboard > right-click patient> Estimate
- Patient Clipboard > select patient> Estimates tab
- Patient Clipboard > Client’s Estimates tab
- Do one of the following in the Estimate # field:
- Press Tab to load the selected estimate or start a new estimate if the field is blank.
- Press F2 to select a different estimate from the Estimate List and press Tab.
- Press Ctrl + N to start a new estimate. Use this method to create separate estimates for the patient, if needed.
- Modify item or billing details, as needed. Example: Quantity, pricing, staff, revenue center, discounts, taxes, date
- Modify the Qty-Low and Qty-High as needed. The Qty-Low and Qty-High default to 1, unless the item is part of a group item.
- Change the low or high quantity, if applicable.
- You can enter a Qty-High value of 0 with a Qty-Low of 1 to create an ‘either/or’ scenario.
Example: The doctor wants to run either a chem panel A or a chem panel B.- The lower- priced panel is set with a low qty of 1 and a high qty of 0. The higher priced panel is set with a low qty of 0 and a high qty of 1.
- Both lines will transfer to the Patient Visit List based on the estimate default settings (low or high prices).
- The high / low “0 qty” items will have a zero-price associated with them. Manually remove them from the PVL to ensure accurate patient history.
- Modify Low and High pricing as needed. You may not be allowed to change the item’s pricing, based on the Allow change setting for this invoice item in Invoice Item Information. If changes are allowed, you may be required to select a price change reason.
- Change the order of items appearing on the invoice by highlighting the item ID and use the onscreen arrow buttons to move the item. Group items must be moved as a group.
- To remove an item from the estimate, highlight the item ID and press Ctrl + D. To delete an item that is part of a group, click on the Qty, and press Ctrl + D.
Finalize by electronic signature
- Do one of the following to finalize the estimate by electronic signature:
- Click OK to save changes.
- In the Save Estimate window, make any estimate option changes as needed. Example: Modify estimate messages or price printing detail.
- Select Preview/Signature and click OK to open the estimate’s Print Preview.
- Click Print > Preview to open the estimate’s Print Preview.
- Click OK to save changes.
- Click Signature.
- Have client sign and click Accept.
- Click Clear if needed to re do signature.
- Add witness signature, if using.
- Once it has been signed, the estimate is automatically finalized and saved to the patient history with the signature icon. The estimate displays the Signature icon and “FINALIZED – Signed” at the top of the Print Preview window.
- Click OK to close preview. You can also print or email the signed estimate from the window.
Finalize the estimate manually
Do the following to finalize the estimate manually, without an electronic signature.
- Click Finalize.
- In the Save Estimate window, select Save and continue.
- Make any needed changes and click OK. Example: Modify Options for price transfer and printing detail.
- A prompt for any linked special actions displays. Click Process to complete or Continue or Close to complete actions from the Patient Visit List or Invoice.
Additional information
Finalizing an estimate
- On the Patient Clipboard and estimate-related windows throughout Cornerstone, the Signature icon displays next to estimates that have been electronically signed
- Line-item dates from the estimate are updated to the finalized date when transferred to the Patient Visit List.
- All lines will transfer to the Patient Visit List, based on your estimate default settings. If using low or high quantities of 0 to create an estimate range these 0 lines should be manually removed from the PVL to ensure accurate billing and patient history.
Example: Profile A at a low quantity of 1 and a high quantity of 0 and Profile B at a low quantity of 0 and a high quantity of 1: These 0 lines should be manually removed from the PVL to ensure accurate billing and patient history.
Estimate preview window
- The options available on the estimate’s Print Preview window depend on the following:
- Estimate defaults you have enabled
- Whether or not a signature capture device is connected
- If the estimate is already finalized
- The type of PDF viewer installed on the workstation
- When manually finalizing estimates, the estimate displays as FINALIZED – Save until (date).
Printing estimates
- You can print (or reprint) a saved or finalized estimate for a client at any time.
- The estimate prints on the default printer unless you designate a different printer in Printer Assignments: File > Printer Assignment > General Reports.
- You can also use the PDF print icon in the Estimate Print Preview window to print to a different printer as needed.
- The available estimate printing options vary depending on whether you are printing a saved estimate, a finalized estimate, or a finalized estimate with an electronic signature.
Emailing estimates
- Additional attachments cannot be added when emailing an estimate.
- Attachments are stored for 360 days from the original send date.
- When you click Send, a check is run on the attachments. Any incompatible file types or PDF files less than 2 KB (i.e., blank files) will be removed and you will be notified.
Petly Plans
- Plan items with the Petly Plan discount applied to the estimate may need to be reviewed after being transferred to the Patient Visit List. Based on Petly Plans Discount default settings, the discounts may not be transferable. If they are not transferred, they must be reapplied.
Related reports
These Cornerstone reports provide information from the actions outlined in this article. Each report has its own security access under the Reports tab of the Security Setup window.
- Patient Visit List Report
- Patient Visit List By Date: End of Day reports
- Patient Visit List By Type: End of Day reports
