Credits and refunds

A credit is money your clinic holds beyond what is owed. Open Credit balances under Payments in the Billing panel of the main menu. The list shows four kinds:

• Unapplied patient payment: patient money not yet applied to a charge;
• Patient overpayment: a charge where the patient paid more than they owed;
• Unapplied payer payment: payer money not yet applied;
• Payer overpayment: a charge where a payer paid more than it owed.

Each row shows the patient, the payer, the charge or payment it came from, the amount and how many days it has been on the books. Filter by kind or payer, or pick patients in the patient panel.

Apply a patient credit#

When the patient still owes on other charges, choose Apply to Balances on an unapplied patient payment. The money goes to the oldest balances first.

Apply a payer credit#

An unapplied payer payment entered by hand is applied from the payment itself: open it and choose Apply Payment to post the remaining EOB lines (see Insurance payments).

Payer overpayments#

Some payers expect an overpayment back within a set time. For government payers NeatPractice shows the deadline, 60 days from when the overpayment was found, and flags it at 30 days, at 50 days and once it is overdue. Choose Decide to record what happens: wait for the payer to take it back on a later remittance, refund it, or close it. An overpayment nobody has decided yet opens with no decision chosen, so pick one before you save. Clearing the note and saving removes it.

Request a refund#

Choose Request Refund on a credit, enter the amount and the reason. The refund goes to the patient for a patient credit and to the payer for a payer credit. You need permission to manage refunds.

Approve and issue refunds#

Every refund needs approval before it is paid. On the Refunds page under Payments in the Billing panel:

1. someone with permission to approve chooses Approve;
2. once the check is written or the card refund is run, choose Issue and enter the method, the check number and the date. The credit is used up.

Issuing a refund to a patient saves a refund receipt in the patient's chart documents and emails it to the responsible party or patient as a secure link, the same way as payment receipts. The Status column shows where the receipt stands; choose Email Receipt on an issued patient refund to send it again.

Void cancels a refund with a reason. Voiding an issued refund puts the money back as a credit. Both Issue and Void show who the refund goes to, the amount, the reason and the credit it comes from before you confirm.