Answers to Your Recent Questions

Step-by-step answer to tracking co-pays collected vs. expected in eClinicalWorks (eCW):

📋 Goal:

Create a report that compares:

Co-pays collected at the front desk
vs.
Co-pays that should have been collected based on insurance rules.

Step 1: Access the Correct Reporting Area

Log into eClinicalWorks.
Go to the Reports menu (top toolbar).
Navigate to Billing → Financial Reports.

Step 2: Identify the Best Reports

There isn't one built-in "co-pay comparison" report — you have to combine or customize a couple of existing ones.

Use these two reports together:

Report Purpose Daily Payment Reconciliation Report Shows payments collected at the front desk per day (including co-pays). Co-Pay Due Report Shows expected co-pay amounts based on insurance settings for each patient encounter.

Step 3: Run the Daily Payment Reconciliation Report (for Actual Collections)

In Financial Reports, open Daily Payment Reconciliation.
Set your filters:
- Date Range: Select the day(s) you want to review.
- Provider or Location: Narrow down if needed.
- Payment Method: Focus on Cash, Check, Credit Card, or Patient payments.
Click Generate Report.
Export the results (Excel recommended) for easier analysis.

✅ This shows you exactly what the front desk collected.

Step 4: Run the Co-Pay Due Report (for Expected Co-Pays)

Go back to Financial Reports.
Open Co-Pay Due Report.
Set filters:
- Date of Service Range: Same as Step 3.
- Provider or Location: Match your selections for consistency.
Click Generate Report.
Export the results to Excel.

✅ This shows you what co-pays were expected based on visit and insurance rules.

Step 5: Compare the Two Reports

Open both Excel files side-by-side.
Focus on Patient Name, Date of Service, and Co-Pay Amounts.
Create a simple spreadsheet like this:

Patient Date Expected Co-Pay Actual Collected Difference John Doe 04/24/2025 $20 $15 -$5 Jane Smith 04/24/2025 $30 $30 $0

Highlight discrepancies:
- Negative difference = under-collected.
- Positive difference = over-collected.

Step 6: Tips & Best Practices

🔹 Post all co-pays at check-in/check-out: Ensure front desk staff are trained to always collect and post under "Co-Pay" or "Patient Responsibility."

🔹 Check insurance setup regularly: Make sure co-pay amounts are entered correctly under each patient's insurance policy in eCW. Mistakes here = wrong expectations.

🔹 Create Front Desk Checklists: Include steps like "Verify Insurance," "Collect Co-Pay," and "Confirm Payment Type."

🔹 Daily Front Desk Reconciliation: Have front desk staff print the Daily Payment Reconciliation Report at end-of-day and sign off on totals.

🔹 Weekly Supervisor Review: A billing supervisor should compare actual collections vs. expected co-pays weekly to catch patterns.

🔹 Flag Frequent Under-Collections: Some insurances (like Medicaid) may have $0 copays. Identify these separately so your front desk doesn't waste time chasing non-existent payments.

✅ Quick Summary:

Task Tool Outcome Find payments collected Daily Payment Reconciliation Actual co-pays collected. Find payments expected Co-Pay Due Report Co-pays that should have been collected. Compare Manual Excel comparison Identify gaps and fix process issues.

How to Save a Custom Report Filter in eClinicalWorks (for Co-Pay Tracking)

Step 1: Open the Report

Go to Reports → Billing → Financial Reports.
Open the Co-Pay Due Report first.

Step 2: Set Your Filters

Date Range: Select a recent full week (example: Monday–Sunday).
Location: Set your clinic if you have multiple sites.
Provider: Set to All (unless you want to track by provider).
Insurance Types: You can leave this open unless you want only certain plans (like Commercial only).

✅ Make sure you configure the filters exactly the way you want to see them every time.

Step 3: Save the Filter

Look at the top toolbar of the report window.
Find the Save Filter or Save Template option (depends slightly on your eCW version).
Click Save.
Name it something clear like:
- Weekly Co-Pay Due
- or Front Desk Expected Collections

🔵 Tip: You can usually add a short description too (example: “Shows expected patient co-pays for week ending Sunday”).

Step 4: Now Save Another Filter for the Actual Collections

Repeat the same process for the Daily Payment Reconciliation Report:
- Open it.
- Set it up for the weekly date range.
- Focus only on Patient Payments (cash, card, check).
- Save it.
- Name it something like:
  - Weekly Payments Collected
  - or Front Desk Actual Collections

Step 5: Running the Saved Filters Weekly

Now every Monday (or whenever you want):

Go to Reports → Billing → Financial Reports.
Open Co-Pay Due Report.
Instead of re-entering filters manually, select your saved filter from the dropdown.
Run it → Export it (Excel).
Open Daily Payment Reconciliation Report.
Select your saved filter → Run it → Export it (Excel).

✅ Now you have both reports ready to compare in just a few clicks.

Bonus Step: Make it EVEN Faster

If you have access to eCW's Report Scheduler (some versions do):

You can schedule these reports to email you automatically each Monday morning.
No manual running at all!
You just get the Excel file attached in your inbox.
✅ Why This Helps
BenefitWhy It MattersSaves TimeYou don’t have to manually select settings each week.ConsistencyAlways runs the same filters = better accuracy.FocusFront desk staff can clearly see what they missed.AccountabilityEasy to track staff performance and collections effectiveness.