Run an estimate, step by step

The panel works in three steps, shown along the top: Plan read, Treatment and Estimate. Back and Next at the bottom move between them, and you can tap a finished step to go back to it.

1. Open the side panel. Under Open the patient's insurer portal, choose the patient's insurer and press its Open button. The portal opens in a new tab. Insurers your office works with are listed first.
2. Log in as you always do and open the patient's benefits page. If the portal has a separate claims or history page, keep it handy.
3. Press Read this page in the panel.
4. The first time you read a page from an insurer, the panel asks Is your office in network with that insurer. Answer once; it's saved for the whole office.
5. Under What does the patient need?, tap one of the Most common services, or type any service or code: crown 30, deep cleaning or D2740 #14. Matches show as you type. If nothing fits, choose as your own service.
6. The first time you use a service, the panel asks What do you charge for it, and the tooth if it's done on one tooth. Press Add to the estimate. Next time it's one tap.
7. Plan covers, under the services, shows the percentages, what's left of the yearly maximum and the deductible. Waiting periods and limits opens the rest.
8. Press See estimate. Patient pays about is in large type, with what insurance should pay and the total. Each line says how its number was reached, and plan rules that change the number are listed right under it.
9. Press Copy for chart to paste the breakdown into the chart, or Give to patient to print a handout or send a link.

To change something, press Edit to go back to the treatment, or the pencil beside a line to change its price. Each estimate gets a short code, such as E-7K4Q, that rides along with every copy. See estimate codes.

When you're done, press Next patient, or just open the next patient and read again.

Your own portal links

Your insurer isn't in the list? Choose Add your own portal at the bottom of it, type the insurer's name and the portal's web address, and say whether you're in network. It's saved for every computer in your office and shows at the top of the list.

Recent estimates

Under Read this page, Recent estimates lists the last week's estimates made on that computer, newest first, with the services, the plan, the reference code and what the patient pays. Tap one to copy it for the chart, print the handout or send the link again. No patient names are kept, so find a patient's estimate by the reference in their chart. Signing out clears the list.