Collecting copays

Visit copays are handled from a visit's Invoices page. The Invoice card shows the visit invoice and includes the visit copay collection area.

The expected copay may come from the visit's eligibility check. If eligibility does not provide a clear copay, Ona can use the service type's default or show payer copay options for you to choose from.

How do I collect a copay for a visit?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit sections, click Invoices. Choose the path based on whether you already have the money or still need the patient to pay.

1. In the Invoice card, open the copay collection dialog.
2. Confirm or enter the copay amount.
3. Choose whether to record money already received or bill the copay by invoice.
4. If you are recording money already received, choose the payment method used.
5. Submit the dialog.

After the copay is saved, the visit copay, the patient's balance, and related billing or claim records update.

Should I record a copay or issue an invoice?

Open the visit (in the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit) and click Invoices in the visit sections. Choose the copay workflow based on whether the patient has already paid.

Choice	Use it when	What happens
Record money already received	The patient paid at the desk or you are entering money already in hand.	The amount is held on the patient's account. This does not require an invoice or claim.
Bill by invoice	The patient still needs to pay by card or payment link.	Ona bills the copay through the visit's claim and opens the invoice when it is ready.

Billing by invoice depends on the visit having a claim that can be billed for the copay. If there is no claim to bill through, or the visit has already been invoiced without the copay, Ona stops the action instead of creating a conflicting bill.

For more about taking payment from an invoice, see Invoicing patients and collecting payments.

How do I collect a copay from a claim?

Open copay collection from the claim when you are already working in billing. If the claim belongs to a visit, Ona opens the visit copay dialog so the copay stays tied to that visit.

1. In the left sidebar, under Billing, click Claims, then open the claim.
2. Open copay collection.
3. Confirm or enter the copay amount.
4. Choose whether to record money already received or bill by invoice.
5. Submit the dialog.

If a claim is not tied to a visit, the claim copay dialog can only bill by invoice. In that dialog, enter the amount in Copay to collect, then select Issue invoice. If you are changing an existing copay invoice, select Update invoice.

How do I open the invoice after billing a copay?

In the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit. In the visit sections, click Invoices. The Invoice card shows Invoice, Total, Balance, Line items, and either Issued or Created. It also shows Due when the invoice has a due date.

1. Find the Invoice card.
2. Select View invoice.

The invoice opens in a detail sheet. If the visit does not have an invoice yet, the card shows No invoice yet. Team members with permission to create billing drafts may see Create draft invoice when the visit is linked to a patient.

What can't I do here?

Visit copay collection is limited in these ways:

• You cannot bill a copay by invoice when there is no claim to bill through.
• You cannot bill a copay by invoice when the visit has already been invoiced without the copay.
• You cannot record a copay as money already received without a payment method.
• Ona blocks invalid copay amounts. In the claim-only dialog, enter the amount in dollars and cents.
• If you do not have permission to make billing changes, saving the copay is blocked.
• A claim that is not tied to a visit cannot use the visit copay dialog; it can only bill the copay by invoice.

Common questions

Where does a recorded copay go?

A recorded copay is held on the patient's account. Use this for money already in hand.

What happens when I bill a copay by invoice?

Ona bills the copay through the visit's claim. When the invoice is ready, open the visit (in the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit) and take payment from the Invoice card on Invoices.

Where does the suggested copay amount come from?

Ona uses the visit's eligibility check when it can identify the copay. If eligibility does not provide one, Ona can use the service type's default.

Why did Ona show more than one possible copay?

Eligibility can return more than one payer copay row. When Ona cannot tell which one applies, choose the row that matches the visit or type the amount.

Can I collect a copay before the claim is decided?

Yes. A copay can be collected before the payer rules on the claim. The remittance reconciles the payer's actual split later.