17 Unapproving Notes

Unapproving Notes: Overview

This course will provide an overview of the workflow for unapproving notes and the potential effects on downstream processing of billing and/or payroll. When a note is unapproved by the supervisor (or a super-user) so that the caregiver can then unsign and make edits to the note, the impact edits have on billing and payroll are typically automated (if “Notes Unapproval” functionality is enabled).

From the billing perspective, this functionality enforces that notes reconcile to billing. When edits are made that impact billing, voids and rebills are handled automatically with this functionality enabled.

From the payroll perspective, this functionality enforces that staff are paid for billable time that links directly back to the note. When edits are made that impact payroll, negative or positive time records are created automatically with this functionality enabled.

Unapproving Notes: Caregiver Perspective

For the caregiver: The note is typically created, saved and signed using a standard workflow. If changes need to be made to an unapproved note, they simply unsign the note, make edits, save and re-sign the note. The following are the steps that must be followed in order to make changes if a note has already been approved:

1. Click on the Notes desktop

2. Using the appropriate filters, locate the note that needs to be edited and double- click on it from the search grid to open.

• Helpful Hint: You can also use the “Supervisor Billing/Payroll Approval” filters to search for approved notes only.

3. Check the note flowchart to verify that the note has been approved

4. Click on the tasks tab of the note

5. Click on the Add a Subtask button

6. Assign the task to your supervisor from the “Assigned To” drop-down.

7. Enter a task description explaining that you need for your supervisor to unapprove the note.

8. Click on Save

• Helpful Hint: Once you receive confirmation that the note has been unapproved, follow the typical procedure for editing a note by un-signing, editing, and re-signing the note. Be sure to send a task back to your supervisor letting them know that you have completed the edits and re-signed the note.

Unapproving Notes: Supervisor Perspective

For the supervisor: If they are informed by either a note writer or biller that a note needs to be unapproved, they should determine if the note should be unapproved for both billing and payroll. Note: It is always required to unapprove for billing as that is the only way that the note writer can un-sign the note in order to make edits. The following are the steps that must be followed in order to unapprove a note:

1. From the Notes desktop (or using a hyperlink from a task that you may have received), open the note that needs to be unapproved.

2. Read any tasks associated with the note from the Tasks tab

3. Click on the Note tab

4. Click on the Process button

5. De-select the Approve for Billing/Approve for Payroll checkboxes (if applicable

• Helpful Hint: A determination should be made on whether or not the note should be unapproved for payroll by answering the following question: “Is it ok for the caregiver to get paid the pre-existing time on the note?” If the answer is yes, then there is no need to unapprove for payroll.

6. Enter your password.

7. Click on OK

• Helpful Hint: Be sure to send a task back to the note writer or biller letting them know that you have unapproved the note.