Important Information

Practitioners are added to the Bluechip database via BC Secure, a user-restricted and password-protected application external to Bluechip itself.

Typically, only Practitioners or Practice Managers have access to BC Secure, due to the high permission level required.

Before running BC Secure, ensure all users are logged out of Bluechip, and it is closed on all computers.

It is recommended that you perform a backup prior to making any changes in BC Secure.

Be aware that the number of active practitioner records you can add to BC Secure is limited by your practice’s Bluechip licence.

The recording and setup of new practitioner records involves a number of steps in both BC Secure and the Bluechip database. Alternatively, contact MedicalDirector Customer Service for assistance, as they are available to assist you with this.

Stage 1a: Adding a New Practitioner to BC Secure

Overview

A practitioner record must be added to BC Secure first, to record the Practitioner’s licence details (name and provider numbers). This is required first, for the practitioner to exist in the Bluechip database.

From within BC Secure you also define a variety of system settings for the practitioner, used throughout Bluechip.

It is imperative that the following steps are completed in BC Secure:

Adding a New Practitioner

Adding a Location(s) for a New Practitioner

Setting Permissions for the New Practitioner (refer to the User Permissions table if required)

Procedure

To access BC Secure, from within Bluechip, select BC Tools > Utilities > BC Secure. You will be prompted that Bluechip must exit.

 

The Select Database window appears. Select your desired (live) database.

 

Click  OK The Login window appears.

 

Log into BC Secure using your Username and Password (your Bluechip login). When the BC Secure window appears, select the Practitioners menu.

 

Click   The Practitioner Licence Details window appears.

 

Enter the Practitioner’s licenced full name, which will automatically populate the User ID initials (initials become the User Name for the Bluechip login).

Record one or more Provider Numbers. Separate multiple provider numbers with a comma.

Indicate the number of Rooms (the required number of provider numbers / locations).

Ensure the details are correct, and then click OK  The practitioner is now active.

Stage 1b: Recording a Location for a New Practitioner

Overview

After creating the practitioner record in BC Secure is created, the Rooms prompt will confirm the number of rooms entered in the Practitioner setup. A location and bank account details are required for each room and provider number entered for the Practitioner.

Procedure

From the Practitioners menu, select the practitioner you wish to configure settings for.

Within the Rooms section, click New  A new room is created for you, complete with default settings.

 

Change the Location from ‘Default’ to the location you wish.

Record an abbreviation for the location.

Select the appropriate Provide No. from the associated drop-down menu. If the Practitioner’s provider number is not available from the drop down menu, it is because it was not recorded when you created the practitioner record. Edit the Practitioner’s setup now, to add provider number and room.

 

Locate the Bank Account field, and click the associated src="../../images/Button-Elipses-Bluechip.png" alt="" style="border: none; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; height: auto;" border="0" /> button. The Bank Accounts window appears.

 

To associate a bank account with this practitioner, either;

Select an existing bank account from the window, and click OK

Click New to create a new bank account.

 

The Bank Account Details window appears. Enter the Account Name, Bank, Branch, BSB, and Account No.

Merchant Details are only required if a Practice uses a TRYO payment system.

Click OK to confirm. You will be returned to the Bank Accounts window, with the new bank account pre-selected for you. Click OK  to select the account. You will be returned to the main BC Secure window, where the new bank account now appears, associated with the selected room.

 

Enter the Practitioner’s LSPN number if required, and then click  to save. Note: LSPN number is required for all diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology sites.

Exit BC Secure.

Stage 1c: Setting a New Practitioner’s Permissions

Overview

Permission levels are required to be configured for all users within Bluechip. These determine access to certain functions and modules. Bluechip provides pre-defined set of permissions that can be selected from the Permission Template drop-down menu, or by customising a selection of permissions by enabling/disabling various check boxes.

Procedure

From the Permissions menu, select the practitioner you wish to configure permissions for.

Either;

Select a pre-defined set of permissions via the Permission Template drop-down menu, or

Create a customised permission set by selecting permission check boxes as required.

 

Click  to save.

Refer to the User Permission Table below. This will assist you to determine permission access for users.

 

BC Secure User Permissions Table

BC Secure User Permissions
Enable login	Enables the staff member to login to the system. If this permission is not checked, the user is informed that their login has been disabled.
General
View patients	Allows the user to view patient records.
Edit patient details/referrals	Allows the user to edit patient details.
View patient notes	When disabled, the Patient Notes menu option does not appear in the Patient Explorer.
Edit patient notes	Allows the user to type in the notes window.
Print to screen/file	Provides the option when printing, to direct the output to the screen or to be saved as a file.
Mark Patient as Deceased	Allows you to indicate the patient is deceased, and record the date on which this occurred.
Activate/Inactivate Patient	Allows you to indicate that a patient record is active/inactive. A user who has permission to flag a patient record as inactive, inherits the permission to delete the record also.
Accounting
View accounts	Enables the Accounts menu item in the margin menu of the Patient Explorer, from which you can manage a patient's accounts.
Create invoices/receipts	Allows the user to create invoices and issue receipts. When disabled, a user can still access account details and print labels. Invoices / Receipts cannot be printed unless the user has been provided with the ability to access Low Level Financial Reports. This permission is granted via BC Secure.
Adjust invoices/unbanked receipts	Allows adjustment of un-banked receipts
Reverse invoices/unbanked receipts	Allows the reversal of an invoice.
Reverse banked receipts	Allows the reversal of banked receipts.
Amend invoice referral	Allows amendments to an invoice without adjusting it. Typically, referrals can be amended (amend invoice) and the service item description (amend invoice item) can be amended, but not the service date. The Amend button is controlled by activating the permission here.
Manage Split Receipts	A split receipt is where a single payment is made for separate services made by different practitioners. Separate invoices may have been issued, but the patient pays for service using one payment (using the Add Items button during receipting). This permission also controls Bank Transfers. This occurs when payments are transferred between practitioners with separate bank accounts, without changing patient accounts For example, a patient prepays for planning and management of a pregnancy, and another practitioner within the practice (part of the Bluechip system) assists with elements of the treatment or takes over treatment for a period of time. A Bank Transfer would allow for payment of those elements or period of time to be resolved between the practitioners without adjusting and reissuing invoices and receipts.
Receipt debt collection items	Removes the Debt Collection option from the payment method types when creating a new receipt.
Write-offs/credit refunds	Allows the user to perform a write-off. Allocate/Credit refunds allow a prepayment amount to be refunded to the patient or allocate the credit payment against an outstanding invoice.
Allocated payment refunds	Allows a payment that has been allocated to an invoice to be refunded. As it is a refund, it is assumed that banking has been finalised. Changes here will be reflected in the Refunds history tab and the Refunds section of the Banking. The invoice reverts to an outstanding amount.
Receipt batches	Batches can be created and sent without this permission. However, a user cannot open the batch in order to receipt the batch. This permission does not affect Viewing, Reprinting the Summary or Changing the Batch No.
Adjust/finalise deactivated practs	When a practitioner is deactivated, no new business can be conducted on their behalf. This permission only allows adjustments of previously-issued invoices and receipts, new receipts for existing invoices and the finalisation of banking for these practitioners.
Electronic Claims Deletion	When ticked, this allows the user to delete claims in the Medicare window for Medicare Online claims, and within the Easyclaim window for Bulk Bill claims.
Banking
View/edit banking	Controls visibility of, and access to the Banking window within the Practice Explorer.
View banking history	This permission cannot be used without the above permission granted. From the Banking window (with this permission granted) users can access past bank deposit slips and EFTPOS settlements.
Appointments
Add/Edit Appointments	Allows the user to add or edit appointments.
Cancel appointments	Allows the user to cancel appointments.
Delete appointments	Allows the user to delete appointments.
Reports Note that selecting a higher report permissions level does not grant permissions for lower-level reports.
Low level financial reports	In addition to the reports that can be printed for this level, the user can print Invoices, Receipts and Bookings.
Medium level financial reports	See Report Permission Matrix for details.
High level financial reports	The user can print Bank deposit slips, EFTPOS statements and Past bank account settlements in addition to those items listed in the Report Permission Matrix.
Management level financial reports	See Report Permission Matrix for details.
BC reporter	Grants log-on rights to Bluechip Reporter in order to run non-standard reports.
Setup
BC Secure	Grants access to BC Secure.
Change practice setup	With the exception of the Practitioner Details section under the Setup menu within Bluechip, all other items are locked.
Change billing setup (fee lists)	Allows users to access the Service Item List to upgrade Health Fund fees, edit the Miscellaneous items list and change the Practitioner's fees in the Practitioner Details.
Change WP setup	Allows the user to access the Word Processing templates and Recall templates from the setup menu. From there the user can change default titles, manage templates, export letters, and import RTF files.
Change appointments setup	Allows the user to change the appearance of the Appointment Book.
Change general setup	Allows users to access User Preferences under the setup menu.
Change BC Backup setup	Controls access to the backup facility in Bluechip.
Change SMS setup	Grants the practice access to register for and configure SMS reminders.
Backdate Setup
Manage month close-off	Allows the user to close off months to restrict backdating of transactions. This may be particularly useful in maintaining accuracy for financial/tax reporting. Month Close-off is found under Setup > Practice.
Backdate invoices/receipts	The backdating functionality affects Issue Dates (not Service Dates). An invoice can record the actual service date in the past, but can only be issued on the current date (to which the computer is set). Granting the Backdate permission allows backdating of the Issue Date. As receipting doesn't require service dates, a receipt can only be issued on the current date when this permission in rescinded.
Forward-date invoices	Prevents users from creating and issuing invoices to a future date. Service items may appear to be set to a future date, but Bluechip will warn you that one or more items in the invoice have service dates set in the future, and that these items may be rejected by Medicare. Selecting this permission will allow the user to issue the invoice at a future date.
Correspondence
Add Correspondence	Grants permission to create new letters.
Edit Correspondence	Grants permission to edit new letters.
Delete Correspondence	Grants permission to delete letters.

Stage 2a: Configuring the New Practitioner in Bluechip

Overview

After adding the new practitioner to BC Secure, their record becomes available to Bluechip itself, where further configuration is now required.

It is imperative that you complete the following:

Practitioner Details: Class Usage and Options; determine classes and fee lists for billing purposes

Fees: customised/managed per practitioner or class

General: select default class and service types

Appointments: appointment book setup

Permissions: setup banking and earning permissions

Templates: setup letterhead templates for each location

Practitioner Details Configuration - Overview

Practitioner Details configuration covers a number of steps, defining how the system determines classes, fee lists, appointment book, and further banking and earning permissions to suit the practice and practitioner requirements.

Practitioner Details Configuration - Procedure

In Bluechip, select Setup > Practitioner > Practitioner Details. The Practitioner Setup window appears.

 

Select the practitioner you wish to configure settings for. By default, the Class Usage tab is selected.

Select all the Classes you wish this practitioner to bill for.

Select the Class Options tab.

Select the class you wish to configure.

Highlight each class in turn, and via the Applicable Service Item List, select the fee list(s) to be associated with the class. In the example below, we have indicated that we want to use the Medicare fee list (service item list) with the HICO Bulk Bill class.

Each Class can have multiple fee lists associated with it.

Repeat this for each Class you wish to use with this practitioner

 

Select the Fees tab.

Select the class you wish to configure. In our example, we have selected the Private class.

In the Filter Items field, enter a service item number to modify. In our example, we have entered “10”. This filters the list of service items to show all items that begin with “10”.

In the Fee field, enter the practitioner’s private fee for the selected service item. In our example, we have entered “$150.00”.

To save changes, click onto the item number within the list.

Repeat steps a-d for each service item requiring a private fee.

Note: Fees can be based on the Medicare Benefit Schedule, the Medicare Benefit Schedule Rebate, the AMA fee, or they can be set arbitrarily by the practitioner.

 

Select the General tab.

Via the Default Class for New Account drop- down list, select the Practitioner’s default class for new patient accounts.

Select one or more check boxes to indicate the Service Type categories associated with the practitioner. These categories will be available for selection when issuing an invoice.

 

Access the Appointments tab. Define Appointment Types by entering a Description, Abbreviation, and Usual Length (duration in minutes).

 

A Practitioner’s plan must be configured. Click   The Plan Configuration window appears.

Enter the Plan Start Date.

Indicate the number of Weeks per Cycle (each plan is based on one or more week-long schedules or ‘cycles’). In the example below, we have indicated that Plan 1 consists of a 2-week cycle.

Enter the working hours in the Start, Finish and Offset times for each day. If your cycle consists of multiple weeks, ensure you select the week you want to edit. In the example below, we are displaying Week 1 of 2.

Allocation AM and PM Locations for each day if required.

Define time slots for each day if required

The Holidays button allows you to mark closed periods, or modify the working hours for a specific day for a specific practitioner.

Note: If you require further information on Practitioner Appointment Book setup, refer to Appointment Settings.

 

Select the Permissions tab. The current practitioner automatically has access to their banking and earnings. Selecting the check boxes for each user enables Banking and Earnings Permissions for this practitioner.

 

Once setup of all the practitioner tabs is complete, click OK to save.

Stage 2b: Template Configuration

Template Configuration - Overview

Letterhead templates govern the actual letterhead that appears on invoices, receipts, estimates, statements and transaction listings (financial documents).

Bluechip billing is based on a per-practitioner Location (or Room) basis; there must be a separate letterhead template for each location for the practitioner. A new practitioner requires letterhead templates to be created in Bluechip for each location for billing.

Template Configuration - Procedure

In Bluechip, select Setup > Templates > Letterheads. The Letterhead Setup window appears, displaying all your current templates.

 

Rather than creating a new template, it is recommended that you copy an existing letterhead template, and amend it with the new Practitioner’s details. Select an existing template, and click

The Edit Letterhead Template window appears. Modify the Template Name and Default Title to suit the new Practitioner’s details. Select the new practitioner from the Practitioner drop-down menu. Click OK

 

To open the template either double-click it, or select it and click Edit

Ensure not to edit the [LH][ELH] fields, or the body of the document. You may, however, make other changes to the letterhead for the practitioner.

 

Click   and then Exit the template. Repeat this process for each different location.