ASCEND-HI -- RELEASED VERSION NOTES:

NOTE: Each version is listed separately below along with its enhancement and bug fix information. References are provided that show each CSR (CSR = Customer Service Request) related to a released version.

Version 2.14.11 (01/09/2007 ) - View All Updates

Here is a list of new features and enhancements

• CSR: 303 -- Request:  User wants to be able to create orders a day ahead for the next day's fill. The lot number field is configured as "required" when creating an order. If the user works with a limited on-hand inventory ("Just-in-Time" delivery), the lot for certain inventory items may be at 0 at the time the order is created.  Could the program allow the user to choose a "blank" lot number, and then when the order is dispensed the next day (after the lot number is in stock), go back and fill in the correct lot number for the order?  Resolution:  A blank selection option has been added to the drop-down menu for the Lot Number in the Order screen.  The user can eliminate the requirement that the Lot Number field be populated before the order can be submitted.  This is accomplished in the Inventory screen, under the Inventory Control tab, by un-checking the check-box titled "Require user to select lot number during order entry" for the selected inventory item.  Each inventory item can be set individually.
• CSR: 360 -- Request: Added the ability to put the patient co-pay amount onto labels. Resolution: Added the ability to put the patient co-pay amount onto labels. The patient co-pay amount per order is now stored in the Orders table (based on the amount returned by the payer during an e-billing transaction).
• CSR: 361 -- Request: Add a progress bar that displays the progress during the narcotics export process.  Resolution: Changed the narcotics export process to include a visible progress bar that allows the user to see that the work is being performed.
• This release contains changes that make the database structure compatible with planned future enhancements.
• Inventory types have been moved from a hard-coded list to a database table for easier future modifications.
• CSR: 355 -- Request: Create Inactive field for the ElectronicReceivers table and add to DLL for .NET. This is for handling future planned features and functionality of the product.  Resolution: Created Inactive field for the ElectronicReceivers table and add to DLL for .NET.
• The ability to attach the new DME (DIF) forms to a claim has been added along with the ability to electronically send the DME data in an e-bill.
• The new DME forms include: DME 09.03, DME 10.03, DME 484.03,
• The HCFA 1500 (v1.3) has been added to the available claims forms.  
• CSR: 324 -- Request: Patient copay amount is not being tracked at the Order level.  Resolution:  Added a field (CopayAmount) to the Orders table of the database to provide a place to store the patient's copay for each order.  Modified the e-billing module to populate the appropriate orders' CopayAmount field based on the copay values returned in the billing transaction.  Now, when the payer returns a patient copay value, the e-billing screen will pop up a message that asks the user if they wish to update the related orders to reflect the copay amounts. If the user selects "Yes", then the Orders table is updated, otherwise the existing values in the CopayAmount field of the related orders are left as they are.
• CSR: 292 -- Request: Need to allow a custom label to be set as the default label.  Resolution: Modified the program to handle custom labels in the same manner as normal labels are handled in terms of the default values and the check box.
• CSR: 234 -- Request: DIF forms cannot be attached in the claim screen for electronic transmission.  Resolution: DIF (DME) forms can now be attached in the claim screen for electronic transmission via the 837P format.
• Electronic billing is now available for the new DIF forms DME 09.03 DME 10.03.
• This release was made to include an enhancement to the Ascend-HI interface capabilities.  Ascend-HI can now send orders via HL7 to 3^rd party vendors.

Here is a list of things fixed

•  CSR: 302 -- Request: Discovered certain orders where the quantity on hand amounts are reporting fractions, when all of their inventory items are marked as "Dispense as whole unit."  If the inventory is marked "Dispense as whole unit," the lot number and quantity on hand amount should decrement as a whole unit.  Resolution: Upon viewing the data closely, the problem is the result of reporting waste and then later changing the quantity per dose in the order to a higher/lower value so that the new quantity per dose + waste <> whole number. 
  Example: New order is entered with 1.5 quantity per dose and one dose. 
  The program detects that the user wants to be prompted for waste and asks if .5 should be documented as wasted.  If the user answers yes, 2 units are deducted from inventory.  The user later goes into the same order and adjusts the quantity per dose to be 1.54 but leaves the waste as .5 so now there is 2.04 deducted from inventory.  It is assumed that the user wants to waste only .46 units, so they probably don't want to deduct 3 units from inventory.  So now, if the Quantity Per Dose * Fill Quantity + Waste <> Whole Number, the program asks the user how they want it handled.
• CSR: 335 -- Request:  When billing an order that is using the Medicare fee schedule as a rule in the pricing contract, the unit price is not correct when viewing the claim screen. The calculations appear to be done correctly, but the wrong unit price is being used.  Resolution:  When an order is billed using the a Medicare pricing rule, each order item is priced according to a lookup of the HCPC code in the HCPCFeeSchedules table for the State. This price is then multiplied by the percent listed in the pricing rule (under the "Bill" column of the Price Structure on the Pricing Rule screen). The Unit Price is then calculated by dividing the price by the item quantity. NOTE: If a 'minimum bill' value is active for the item, and the calculated price is less than that value, then the price is raised to that minimum value.
• CSR: 260 -- Request:  The Financial Daily Activity-Detail report shows the patient name in the field where payer name should be showing, and the heading titles for the Claim number and Payer columns do not print.  Resolution:  Modified the Crystal Report file (Financial Daily Activity - Detail.rpt) to print the name of the Payer when the PayerRef value is > 0.  Also added column headings of Claim # and Payer to the report.
• CSR: 262 -- Request: When no patient is selected, a user can still add an entry in the Image tab. This should not be allowed to happen. Resolution:  Modified the Profile form code to pop-up the Patient Selection screen when no patient is currently selected and the user attempts to link an image. If the user does not select a patient using the Patient Selection screen, a message is presented that requests that the user first select a patient.
• CSR: 332 -- Resolution: Changed the Usual and Customary (field 426-DQ) and Gross Amount Due (field 430-DU) amounts.  Since these are now calculated the same way, the Gross Amount Due field will now always be equal to the Usual and Customary field value.
• CSR: 330 -- Request: The Merge process (on claim screen) creates a new detail line on the claim that is not "connected to" a specific order. When the new HCFA 1500 (v1.3) form is printed, this results in the ordering physician NPI not printing in column 24K for that detail line. The NPI must display on printed HCFAs and be available for transmitting on electronic claim records.  Resolution:  Changed the Crystal Reports file for the HCFA 1500 (v1.3) form to check whether an NPI is being placed in the 24K column of the form.  If the field is blank (e.g., in the case of a "merged" claim line), then the NPI of the "referring provider or other source" is used (as found in block 17b of the form).
• CSR: 332 -- Request: Testing indicates that the Usual & Customary Charge field (426-DQ) and the Gross Amount Due field (430-DU) are both incorrect any amount is entered into the Delivery Fee field (in the claim screen). These two amounts were off by the amount of the Delivery Fee (as if that amount were added twice to the final total). An example: the claim currently totals $65.70; add a $15 delivery fee and the claim now totals $80.70. When a NCPDP electronic transmission record for that claim is created, the U&C and the Gross Amount Due are supposed to show $80.70; instead, both amounts are $95.70 ($15 too high).  Resolution:  Checked the coding for calculation of U&C (field 426-DQ) and Gross Amount Due (field 430-DU) amounts.  Made sure Delivery Fee is not being added a second time to the total claim amount. Usual and Customary will no longer include additional fees or other amounts. These will now only be included in the Gross Amount Due.
• The new DME 10.03 form no longer prints extra characters in the top margin of the page.
• The data entry screen for the DME 10.03 no longer auto-populates the answers to questions 3a and 3b when the user fills out or changes the HCPC Values in the first two available HCPC fields in the Section A information. 
• CSR: 288 -- Request: The "WebMD EnvoyLink" section for username and password only allows entry of 10 characters each.  Emdeon requires that the fields each accomodate up to 15 characters.  Also, the displayed label for the section should be changed from just "WebMD EnvoyLink" to something that identifies "Emdeon".  Resolution:  Modified label on the data entry screen for Options (under the "Billing" tab) to "Emdion/ WebMD EnvoyLink".  Modified the screen data entry fields to allow for up to 15 characters to be stored for username as well as for password.
• CSR: 321 -- Request: An error is displayed when an attempt to make a dialup connection fails during e-billing.  Resolution:  The code that controls the message transmission during e-billing transactions has been modified to handle the case where a failure to connect occurs.
• CSR: 313 -- Request: Per new regulations, the DME 484.03 form must be added to the list of available clinical documents..  Resolution:  Added the DME 484.03 form to the list of available clinical documents, along with the ability to attach the form to a claim and e-bill using the form's data.
• CSR: 253 -- Request: Add DME 10.03 and DME 09.03 to the list of available Clinical Documents.  Resolution:  In release 2.14.05, the user is allowed to edit the HCPC field values in questions 3a and 3b of the data entry screen for the DME 10.03 form, and these fields are no longer auto-populated from the HCPC codes entered in section A of the screen.
• CSR: 322 -- Request: When a new order is started, the physician name displayed when the form initializes is not saved when the form is saved.  Resolution: Changed order form to not improperly display a physician when initializing a new order. The form no longer displays a non-selected physician.
• CSR: 314 -- Request: A typographic error is printed on the CMN 484.2 form.  Resolution: Corrected minor typographic error in the CMN 484.2 form.
• CSR: 321 -- Request: Error occurs when e-billing uses dial-up method, and the connection fails.  Resolution: Changed e-billing form to handle failed dial-up condition.
• CSR: 294 -- Changed X12/837 electronic billing to include the "Insured Id" (instead of the Patient Id) in the NM109 field of the 2010CA loop. 

First Databank Updates

• AWP Pricing Update - 02/01/2007
• Patient Education Monographs (English) - 02/01/2007
• Patient Education Monographs (Spanish) - 02/01/2007
• Drug-Drug Interactions - 02/01/2007
• Drug-Disease Contraindications - 02/01/2007
• Drug-Food Interactions - 02/01/2007
• Duplicate Therapy Checking - 02/01/2007
• Geriatric Precautions - 02/01/2007
• Lactation Precautions - 02/01/2007
• Min/Max Adult Daily Dose - 02/01/2007
• Pediatric Precautions - 02/01/2007
• Pregnancy Precautions - 02/01/2007

NOTE: To determine the date of the First Databank files currently installed into your database, follow the steps of:

1. Click on the HELP option of the main menu of the Ascend-HI screen.  From the pull-down menu that appears, Select the 'About Ascend-HI' option to activate the ABOUT screen.
2. On the right-hand side of the ABOUT screen, the date is displayed as: 

First Databank Current as of 02/01/2007

HCPC Codes

• HCPC Codes - 11/30/2005