Aligning Open Dental Reports with PbN Reports

When running the "Production and Income Reports" in Open Dental, the filter you select under "Show Insurance Write-Offs" directly impacts whether the numbers will match those in Practice by Numbers (PbN). 

There are three options for this filter:

1. Using insurance payment date: Write-offs are applied on the date the insurance payment is received.

2. Using procedure date: Write-offs are applied on the date the procedure is completed.

3. Using initial claim date for write-off estimates, insurance payment date for write-off adjustments: Write-off estimates are applied on the claim date, while adjustments (if any) are applied on the insurance payment date.

To ensure your Open Dental reports match your PbN data, it's important to use the same filter in Open Dental that is set in your PbN account. You can update the filter by navigating to Settings > General > Open Dental Insurance Write-off Date in PbN. This will ensure consistent reporting across both systems.

According to Open Dental, the "Show Insurance Write-Offs" setting determines when write-offs are applied:

• Insurance payment date: Write-offs are recorded when the insurance claim is paid.
• Procedure date: Write-offs are recorded when the procedure is completed.
• Initial claim date for estimates, insurance payment date for adjustments: The initial write-off estimate is recorded when the claim is submitted. Any differences between the estimate and the final write-off are adjusted when the insurance payment is received.

PbN recommends using the option "Using initial claim date for write-off estimates, insurance payment date for write-off adjustments." This option provides a more accurate reflection of your write-offs by:

• Capturing your initial estimate at the time the claim is submitted.
• Displaying adjustments once the final payment is received.

Here’s how it works:

• Initial Claim Date: The report reflects the original write-off estimate that was sent to the insurance company.
• After Claim Submission: Any changes to the write-off amount after claim submission will not appear in the "write-off estimate" section.
• Payment Date: Once the insurance payment is finalized, any adjustments to the write-off will appear as "write-off adjustments."

For more detailed information, you can refer to the Open Dental help page.

If you're unsure which option you're currently using in Open Dental, follow these steps:

1. Open the Production and Income Report window in Open Dental.
2. Look under the "Show Insurance Write-Offs" section.
3. Check which radio button is selected.

Please set your preferred filter in Open Dental or inform our support team of your choice, and we can configure your PbN account accordingly. Aligning these settings ensures greater consistency between Open Dental and PbN reports, giving you more accurate and reliable data for managing your practice.