SimplePractice FAQs

Once you add a new client, SimplePractice will prompt you to invite the client to the Client Portal.Your client receives this welcome email:

Build a custom intake questionnaire

After clicking the link in the Welcome email, they will be directed to theClient Portal sign in page, where they're prompted to enter their email address and temporary passcode.

After entering that and logging in, they will be directed to create a permanent password for future use. Moving forward, they can use their email address and password to log into theClient Portal at any time.

They will then be directed to the Welcome page:

After clicking the Get Started button, they begin the process by viewing and agreeing to the Practice Documents.

Your Practice Documents

After electronically signing your Practice Documents you have included, they then provide their client information. You do not have to include this in your intake questionnaire as it is already part of the intake portal.

Basic Client Information

If you included the Client Demographic Form, the client will be prompted to fill in their profile information with Name and contact info, employment, relationship status, gender, birthdate, insurance info, etc...

After filling out the basic information, they will fill out the Questionnaire.

Intake Questionnarie

After filling out their demographic information and signing any practice documents, your client will complete the Intake Questionnaire (if you included it as part of their intake packet). The default questionnaire asks for information such as,

What brings you to counseling?

Goals?

Previous counseling experience

Medication info

Physician info

Any history of suicide attempts?

Relationship history

Family history

Current living situation

Health issues

Education history

Employment history

Mental and physical status

These questions are editable in your account, and you can read more here:.

Once your Client has completed the Intake, they can review and edit the information before final submission. After submitting, the Client will receive a confirmation page where they can select to Make Corrections or Submit the information:

Once they hit "Submit", your client will be directed to the Client Portal main page where your client will be able to view all the documents they have completed.

You can now add minor clients to your account with more flexibility than ever. You have the option to add multiple contacts for a minor client, grant Client Portal access to multiple individuals, send appointment reminders to both a minor client and their parent, and more.

In this guide, we'll walk through:

Adding a new minor client

Sending a new minor client intake

Client Portal from a contact's perspective

Sending documents to minors and contacts

Managing Clients & Contacts

Secure Messaging with minor clients and contacts

Notes for group practices

Note:This feature will be released to all customers soon.

Adding a new minor client

To add a new minor client, navigate to the Calendar homepage and click + Create > Create Client.

Note:See Adding a new client and navigating your Clients & Contacts list to learn about the different ways you can add a new client.

When you select Minor, you'll have the option to enter this information:

Minor client

First Name

Last Name

Email Address (Required for Client Portal access)

Phone Number (Required for Text and Voice Reminders )

Billing Type (Self-Pay or Insurance)

Location of appointments

Practice Data Export

Contact

Contact's First Name

Contact's Last Name

Note: Clicking Add Existing Client or Contact will allow you to select an existing client or contact as the Contact for this client from a search of your Clients & Contacts list.

Contact's Email Address (Required for Client Portal access)

Contact's Phone Number (Required for Text and Voice Reminders )

Contact's Relationship to Client

Parent

Legal Guardian

Family Member

Other

Note: Clicking + Contact will allow you to add and associate an additional Contacts information with this client. This is an excellent option to use for a minor who has multiple contacts that want to be involved in the minors care, including but not limited to divorced parents.

Billing Type (Self-Pay or Insurance)

Primary Clinician (only for Group Practices)

Location of appointments

Click Create & Continue

Sending a new minor client intake

Note:You can follow along with the steps for sending a new minor client intake in the video above.

If you've entered an email address for the client and you also have the Client Portal set up, you'll then see the Send Intakes options. Its divided into three steps:

Client Items

Here you can choose which Consent Documents, Questionnaires, and Profile & Credit Card Forms to send to the client and any associated contacts.

After you've made your selections for the client and any contacts, click Continue to Email.

Compose Email

Here you can customize the email that you send to the client and any associated contacts along with your practice documents.

Note: To adjust the default text of this email for your entire practice, go to My Account > Settings > Client Portal > Emails tab and click Edit on the Welcome email. For more information, please see this guide: Sending intake forms and documents to clients.

After you've reviewed and made any changes, click Continue to Review.

Review & Send

Here you can see that the client and any associated contacts will receive Client Portal access, view the Client Portal Greeting message, and confirm which items youre sharing with each person.

Client Portal from a contact's perspective

When a contact with multiple clients assigned to them logs into the Client Portal, the contact will be able to choose which clients information they want to manage at that time.

Once the contact selects the client they want to manage, theyll see the Client Portal Greeting message and can click Get Started to review, sign, and/or fill out all documentsyou'vesent them pertaining to the specific client they chose to manage.

Once the contact has attended to the documents you sent them, they can:

Go to the Appointments tab

Here the contact can:

Request a new appointment by clicking Request Now

View Upcoming appointments for the client

View Requested appointments for the client

Go to the Documents tab

Here the contact can:

Attend to any document that needs to be completed

View Completed documents, and can download them by clicking on the document title

Upload files in the My Uploads section

Go to the Billing & Payments tab

Here the contact can:

Pay the total balance on the clients account or make a payment toward the clients total balance

View, download and pay Invoices for the client

View and download Statements, Insurance Reimbursement Statements, and Account History for the client

Request Appointment

Here the contact can make the following selections to request an appointment:

Select the Service

Select the Location

Select the Date & Time

Tip: See How to set up Online Booking and Managing your Availability to learn how to set up your Client Portal for online booking.

Click Client: [Name] dropdown

Here, the contact can choose to manage another Client or Sign Out

Sending documents to minors and contacts

To share a document with a minor and/or their contact(s), follow these steps:

Go to the clients Overview page.

Scroll down to the Shared with Client section and click Share New.

Youll then have the option to select whom you want to share items with. Clicking the green arrow will deselect the person from receiving the item(s).

Once satisfied with your selection, click Continue to Share.

Managing Clients & Contacts

Clients & Contacts list

To manage your clients and contacts, click Clients from your Calendar homepage. Here you can search and sort your lists:

By Clinician (Group practice only)

By Clients, Contacts, Clients & Contacts, Recently viewed Clients, and Inactive Clients

Sort by Last name or First name

For each client or contact, you will see the clients Name, Info, Relationship, andOptions.

Managing Clients

Clicking Managefor a Clientwill extend a dropdown that includes:

View Client

This will take you to the clients Overview page

Edit client info

This will take you to the clients Client Info page

Merge with...

This will show all potential duplicate contacts for this client in your Clients & Contactslist.

Carefully review the list of potential duplicates, and select the correct profiles to merge. You will have the option to select the most updated information for each client (e.g., email address, phone number, etc.)

Important things to note about merging duplicates:

One client cannot be merged with another client - one will need to be deleted or marked inactive.

When looking to merge duplicates, you likely will want to review both the Clients & Contacts list and the Inactive Clients list. To do this, follow these steps:

Click Merge with

Then use the dropdown to go to the Inactive Client list to search for the client's name

Then select the correct profile to merge

You also have the option to mark clients/contacts as Not Duplicates.

Important: It is incredibly important to choose the correct master contact when merging duplicates because this actioncan'tbe undone. Pay close attention to whether or not certain contacts should be merged (e.g., Jamie Appleseed and Jamie Appleseed likely should be merged, but Jen Smith and Jon Smith likely should not be merged).

Make inactive

This will make the client inactive and they will only be found on the Inactive Client list.

Managing Contacts

Clicking Managefor a Contactwill extend a dropdown that includes:

View Contact

This will take you to the contacts information. Clicking Manage will give you the following options:

View/Edit Contact Info

Clicking this will allow you to view and edit the following for this contact:

First name

Middle name

Last name

Suffix

Preferred name

Relationship type

Designate the contact as the client's Emergency Contact

Phone number

Email

Address

Notes

This field allows you to add any notes about this contact.

Edit Appointment Reminders

Clicking this will allow you to enable text/voice appointment reminders and/or email appointment reminders related to their minors appointments

Manage Client Portal & Billing

Clicking this will allow you to:

Set this Contact as the responsible party for invoices, statements, and superbills associated with their minor.

Grant or revoke Client Portal access for this Contact.

If the Client Portal is enabled for this Contact, you can choose to allow this Contact to:

Request new appointments for their minor

These appointments will still need to be confirmed by the minors clinician.

Send & receive Secure Messages

Clients can only communicate with clinicians and team members who have access to their profile. Disabling will affect this Contact across SimplePractice.

Access the minors billing documents

This can include invoices, statements, and superbills.

Pay a balance with a credit card using Online Payments with Stripe.

Convert to Individual Client

You can convert this Contact to an Individual Client if you start seeing this contact as a client.

If you do convert this Contact to an Individual Client, this person will still be listed as their minors Contact.

Remove contact

If the Contact is associated with another client, clickingRemove Contactwill remove this Contact from being associated with the current client.

If the Contact is not associated with another client, clickingRemove Contactwill delete the Contact from your account.

Secure Messaging with minor clients and contacts

If you previously had a Secure Messaging conversation associated with a minor client, a transcript of the Secure Messaging history will be available to download by clinicians who have access for this client.

Note: Account Owners can still get access to this data via the .

Notes for group practices

Clinicians in group practices will only be able to view and edit information for which they have permission.

A Clinician with Basic Access is able to view a Contact's information, edit Relationship Type and Emergency Contact information, and Edit Permissions for the Contact.

A Clinician without Billing Access won't be able to see or edit Billing Responsibilities.

When aClinician with Basic Access tries to add a Contact and that Contact is a client theydon'thave access to, they will be able to see that client in the Add Contact flyout as long as that client has been set as a Contact for another client in the practice.

When you upgrade from your trial account or sign up for a paid account, you'll receive a welcome email that includes a link to sign up for a free Psychology Today listing for 6 months.This offer is only valid for customers who are brand new to Psychology Today and does not apply to existing listings.

If you're new toSimplePractice and trying to decide which of our two subscription plans is best for your practice, the Essential or Professional, this guide can help you make a decision.

Keep in mind that you're welcome to update your plan at any time by navigating to My Account > Settings > Subscription Information.

Note: To quickly view which features are offered in each subscription plan, see our pricing page.

Below you'll find a breakdown of the features that are available only on our Professional Plan and not our Essential Plan, as well as more information about switching plans:

Telehealth

Online appointment booking

Secure Messaging

Customizable note templates

Administrative notes

Booking Widget

Adding a logo

Insurance billing

Adding team members

What happens if I switch from the Professional Plan to the Essential Plan?

Note: All features available on the Professional Plan are also available on the Professional Plan for Groups.

Telehealth

Telehealth is a feature you can add on to the Professional Plan for an extra $10/month. If you're in a group practice with multiple clinician team members, the cost is $10/month per clinician. This is not available as an add-on feature on the Essential Plan.

See Telehealth FAQs to learn more.

Online appointment booking

Online appointment booking can only be enabled on the Professional Plan. The Client Portal can be set up and used on an Essential Plan account, but it can only be used for intake and billing purposes.

See How to set up Online Booking to learn more.

Secure Messaging

Secure Messaging can only be enabled on the Professional Plan.

See Getting started with Secure Messaging to learn more.

Customizable note templates

Progress note templates can only be customized on the Professional Plan. Intake form templates can be customized on both the Essential and the Professional Plans.

On the Professional Plan, you'll have full access to our entire Template Library. You'll also have the ability to edit any progress note template or create a new one from scratch.

On the Essential Plan, you'll have access to our Simple Progress Note, which is a blank text field. You'll also have access to a basic DAP and SOAP note template.

See My Notes and Forms: Creating customized client intake and progress note templates to learn more.

Administrative notes

Administrative notes is a feature that's only available on the Professional Plan.

See Using administrative notes in SimplePractice to learn more.

Booking Widget

The Booking Widget for your practice website is only available on the Professional Plan.

See What is the SimplePractice Booking Widget? to learn more.

Adding a logo

Adding your practice logo to your billing and intake documents is a feature only available on the Professional Plan.

See Adding private practice logos to documents to learn more.

Insurance billing

Electronic claim filing, claim status updates and tracking, integrated ERAs/EOBs (payment reports), automated ERA recording, and coverage reports are all features that are only available on the Professional Plan.

You can create and print or download auto-populated claim forms (CMS 1500) on the Essential Plan, but you'll have to submit these outside ofSimplePractice.

See Getting Started Guide: Insurance to learn more.

Adding team members

You can add an unlimited number of non-clinical team members, like Schedulers, Billers, and Supervisors, for free on the Professional Plan only.

You can also add multiple clinician team members to your account for an extra $29/month per clinician, on the Professional Plan only. When you add a clinician to your account, your solo Professional Plan will automatically become a Professional Plan for Groups. You must be on the monthly billing plan for the Group Professional Plan.

See How do Team Member roles work? to learn more.

What happens if I switch from the Professional Plan to the Essential Plan?

If you're on the Professional Plan and switch to the Essential, your custom progress note templates and templates from the Template Library will no longer be available for you to use. Any progress notes previously saved for clients using these templates are not affected by switching to the Essential Plan.

If you decide to switch from the Essential Plan back to the Professional Plan, the progress note templates you had previously saved will be accessible to you again.

Keep in mind that the 30-day trial is set to the Professional Plan by default.

Exporting client information is simple with our data export feature. Now you can export data for a single client, or for all of your clients at once. Currently, we only export in the vCard format (.vcf) and we are not able to export data to Excel or CSV file formats at this time.

Note: Navigate here if you're looking for your export password: Where's my data export password?

Important:Only Account Owners can export data from accounts. If you're a clinician that is part of a Group account, you'll need to contact your SimplePractice account owner to request a data export.

Exporting Data

Go to My Account > Settings. Data Export

Select Data Export on the left navigation pane asshown below:

Download options

You have 3 options for what you can download:

Export Types

Information included

Complete

Progress Notes, Psychotherapy Notes, Mental Status Exams, Diagnosis and Treatment Plans, Chart Notes, client contact information, Invoices, Statements, Superbills, Intake Questionnaire, Secure Messaging, and Stored Documents.

Sessions

Progress Notes, Psychotherapy Notes, Mental Status Exams, Diagnosis and Treatment Plans, Chart Notes, and Intake Questionnaires. This export type does not contain client contact information.

Contacts

Client contact information exported in vCard (.vcf) format for easy import into address book programs such as Gmail, Outlook, and Apple address book.

Note: We are not able to export data to Excel or CSV at this time.

On the data export page, youll also see amenu allowing you to select All Clients or a specific clients name:

You can choose to have your file password protected by selectingPassword protect file.Please note that this may not work with all browsers.If you check this box, SimplePractice will create a unique password you will use to open the file.

Note: Navigate here if you're looking for your export password: Where's my data export password?

Generating your export will take a few minutes, and you will receive an email letting you know when this file is ready to download.After you receive this email, you should return to the page where you'll see a link to download the export file to your computer.

If you selected to password protect the file, you will be prompted to enter the password. Once you gain access to the exported data, you'll notice that the export information is divided into the following folders:

Folders

Information included

Billing Documents

Invoices, Statements, and Superbills.

Contacts

Client contact information.

Medical Records

Progress Notes, Mental Status Exams, Diagnosis and Treatment Plans, and Chart Notes.

Psychotherapy Notes

Any Psychotherapy Notes you have created for each client.

Stored Documents

Any documents you have stored in each client's profile.

Note: If insurance information was included in a client's demographics information, that will also be available in the data export.

FYI:Whether you're backing up your records or cancelling your account, performing a data export is the best option at this time if you need to create or print entire records forall clients or a single client.

The SimplePractice Client Portal is an easy and secure way to engage with your clients online so that you don't have to rely on email when sharing sensitive information.

With our Client Portal, you have flexibility to:

Send intake forms to clients (both new and existing)

Share documents and files with a client

Request the client's demographic information

Collect or update credit card info

Send Statements, Superbills, or Invoices

Allow clients to make credit card payments through the portal ( Stripe Account required )

Allow clients to request appointments through SimplePracticeOnline Booking (Professional Plan)

You'll get a unique URL that links to your unique Client Portal. You can edit this link to match your name, practice name, or whatever you'd like to display to your clients.

Note:The Client Portal isenabled by default.

View your practice's Client Portal

Go toMy Account>Settings > Client Portal

Under the section Client Portal Addressyou'll see yourClient Portal Web Address (Client Portal URL). If you haven't locked the web address you can easily change it by clicking in the text field and editing it.

To lock your Client Portal Web Address, make sure you have edited the URL and then clickSave & Lock. How does Online Booking work?

Once you've locked your web address you will now see buttons toView Client PortalandCopy Link.

View Client Portal opens a new tab and takes you to your Client Portal page.

Copy Linkcopies yourClient Portal Web Address so you can paste it into an email or add it to your website.For help adding the web address to your own website, contact your website administrator.

Client Portal View

Existing clients will receive the link to your Client Portal when you invite them or if you provide them with the practice link elsewhere.

Once your client signs in, they'llbe able to:

View documents you have shared

See theirstatements, superbills, and invoices

Book/cancel their appointments online with Online Booking if you enable it (Professional Plan)

Pay for their appointments via Stripe

Note:You can adjust your client's access to the Client Portal and the features available to them in it by going to the client'sOverviewpage > View/edit client info > Client Portal tab.

What do my clients see?

Depending on whether Online Booking is enabled within your account, clients will be presented upon sign on with a homepage navigating to Appointments, Documents, and Billing & Payments.

Note:You can create a test client using your contact information to try out sharing documents and preview the intake forms you plan to send.

Important:State laws may vary. SimplePractice recommends you confirm the laws in your state before allowing a minor's parent/guardian to access the minor's portal.

For more information about Online Booking, billing automation, and sharing documents, please see these guides:

New client intake and Client Portal FAQ

How to Send Intake Forms to New Clients

How to Share Documents with Existing Clients

Download the following guides to share with your clients. These guides provide instructions on how to log into and use the Client Portal and how to get started with Telehealth.

Complete Guide to the Client Portal

Getting Started with Telehealth

If there are any other guides that you'd like to see that would be helpful resources for your clients, send us a message.

Note: Unlimited voice, text/SMS, and email reminders are included in both the Essential and Professional Plans. However, customizing reminder messages is only included in the Professional Plan. Learn more about SimplePractice pricing and plans.

Free voice, text/SMS, and email reminders are available to send to clients 24, 36, 48, or 72 hours before scheduled appointments. You can also send reminders right after creating a new appointment or right after rescheduling an existing appointment, which we call time of scheduling reminders.

You can find details on the following topics in this guide:

Setting up reminders

Setting up time of scheduling reminders

Customizing reminders

Sending reminders to clients

Important details to know

Setting up reminders

Here's how to set up client reminders:

Navigate to My Account > Settings > Client Reminders

Click the tab for the reminder type you want to enable (Email, Text, or Voice)

Click the toggle button to enable the reminder type

[email protected]

Select the number of hours before the appointment start time that you want to send reminders (24, 36, 48, or 72 hours)

Repeat these steps for any additional reminder types you want to send

Note: You can enable all three types of reminders in your settings, but clients cannot receive all three types of reminders. Clients can receive voice or text reminders, and email reminders. They cannot receive both voice and text reminders.

When you turn on reminders by switching the toggle to the on position, your reminders are enabled within your account. However, the reminders won't get sent to clients until you select to do so from each client's individual profile. See the Sending reminders to clients section below to learn how to do this.

Note:Keep in mind that reminder messages will automatically get sent 24, 36, 48, or 72 hours in advance, regardless of the day of the week or time of day that falls on. That means if your email reminders are set to get sent 24 hours in advance, for a client that has an appointment on a Tuesday at 2 PM, they will receive a reminder on Monday at 2 PM. If your email reminder is set to get sent 36 hours in advance, the client will receive their reminder on Monday at 2 AM.

Setting up time of scheduling reminders

You can choose to receive prompts to send appointment reminders to clients when you create new or reschedule appointments by clicking the toggle button found by going to My Account > Settings > Client Reminders.

The prompts will ask if you'd like to send a reminder to the client. It will give you the option to choose what kind of reminder(s) to send to them, based on the reminder types you've enabled in your settings.

Customizing reminders

Now that you've enabledclient reminders and assigned the intervals at which they will be sent, you're ready to customize the reminder message in emails, texts, and voicemails.

Note:The ability to customize appointment reminder messages is only available with the Professional Plan.

When you toggle a reminder on, the body of the reminder will appear and this is where you can edit and customize the message.

Navigate toMy Account>Settings> Client Reminders and click Editto make changes

Type in your custom message in the Message field

You can also enterMacrosin your message that will automatically pull information into the reminder message from your settings and appointment details.

Place your cursor where you want to add the macro and then select a specific macro from the dropdown options.

For example, anywhere you add the {client_first_name}macro,the client's first name will appear in the message so that the reminder is tailored to the individual client.

You can customize email, text, and voice reminders in the same way. Keep in mind that text reminders have a 500 character limit.

Sending reminders to clients

Now that you've set up your appointment reminders, you're ready to send them to clients.

For a client to receive appointment reminders, you need to first indicate that you have the client's consent to contact them.Then you can select which reminder types the client should receive.

To do this:

Navigate to a clients Overview page>Edit Details

Check the box(es) to indicate that you have the client's consent

For voice message consent, check Voice message ok

For text message consent, check Text message ok

For email consent, check Email ok

Note: If a client has already filled out the Demographics Information form as part of their intake through the Client Portal, they may have already indicated consent for email, voice, and/or text communication electronically. If so, the consent box(es) will already be checked.

Check the box for the type of reminder(s) you want to send

For text/voice reminders, check Send text/voice appointment reminders box and then select Voice or Text

For email reminders, check Send email appointment reminders and then select an email address from the dropdown to send the reminders to if the client has multiple email addresses saved on their file

Click Save Client

Now this client will begin receiving reminders before each appointment.

Important details to know

Keep in mind that if you don't have time of scheduling reminders enabled, you should make sure to create appointments for the future with enough time for the reminders to get sent. For example, if you have email reminders set to send 48 hours in advance, but you schedule the appointment one day in advance, the client will not receive a reminder because the window has already passed.

Our email appointments reminders are one-way only.The emails are sent from [email protected]. If a client replies to that email, they will receive a reply message saying "We're sorry, your email tocould not be delivered.

You can choose to send either a voice or text in addition to an email reminder (not all three). A client cannot receive both voice and text reminders.

Keep in mind that if a client allows an appointment reminder to go to voicemail, the message may be cut off depending on the cell phone provider's settings.

If a client accidentally unsubscribes from email or text appointment reminders, you can view and override this by switching the appointment reminder back on. Navigate to the client's Overview page > Edit Details to do so.It's recommended to check with the client to verify whether or not they meant to unsubscribe from the reminders to ensure that you still have their consent.

A deductible is the amount the client pays out of pocket for eligible medical services before their insurance plan starts to pay toward their medical costs.You will still need to submit claims to the payer so that they can apply the services toward the client's deductible but that is as far as your responsibility goes. The payer's processing of the claim alone implies that the client will be paying you the amount. You do not need to communicate anything back to the payer after submitting the claim.

Below youll find information about managing deductibles in your account:

Innetwork providers

Out of network providers

How do deductibles work if I'm receiving Payment Reports?

In-network providers

Option 1:Your client will only pay you the contracted or allowable amount the insurance should have paid you

Note:This is the most common way we see our customers working with deductibles.

Example:

Your rate is $150 Deductible not met Client pays you only the contracted/allowable rate of $95, and you write off $55.

In this scenario, you will need to enter an insurance payment in order to record the $55 write-off. The insurance payment will be for $0.

Here's how:

Click Add Insurance Payment (the usual way to add an insurance payment).

Update the amount that you wish to charge the client ($95) in theCo-pay field.Don't worry if your client already paid you this copay amount. SimplePractice will only charge them the difference.

Now click the "reload" arrows to complete the write-off amount.(**Very important step**)

Do the same for any other session where the $0 payment applies.

Click Save

Click Client's Nameto return to the client's profile.

Click Billing

Now that you've told SimplePractice that insurance is paying $0, we need to create the invoice to bill the client for the difference that they owe. Click Uninvoiced.

Click OK

Make any edits to the invoice (i.e. add a description that highlights the reason for this new invoice.)

Click Save

You can now add a payment or click "x" toClose

You'll see the $0 insurance payment and the updated client balance.That's it. You're done.

InsurancetoSelf-Pay

If you will write off a portion of the client's session fee when the deductible isn't met, there are the steps you need!Go to the client's billing details page.

Note: After yousave your $0 payment, you'll see the following warning message at the top of your screen: "The insurance payment has a total amount of $0..." Sinceyou intended to add a $0 insurance payment, you can ignore the message.

When you return to your client's Billing page, you'll see that your $0 payment was applied to your appointments. You should see the co-pay of $95 + $0 Insurance in green + $55 Write-off, as shown below.

You can now create an invoice for your client for the $95 your client is responsible for paying.

Out-of-network providers

Option 2:Since you're an out-of-network provider, you're not bound by a contracted or allowable amount by the payer and your clients pay you your full appointment fee when the deductibleisn'tmet.

Example:

Your rate is $150 Deductible not met Client pays you $150.

In this case, you will need to:

Change theBilling type for each individual appointment from.

Now the full appointment fee is the client's responsibility.

How do deductibles work if I'm receiving Payment Reports?

If you receive online Payment Reports from the payers, SimplePracticewill send you a report with the claim marked Deductible.

Note: If you receive a payment report for a claim that was applied to the client's deductible,SimplePractice won't automatically record the $0 insurance payment.You still need to create a manual insurance payment using the information on the Payment Report so thatyou can enter the correct write-off amount.

When you receive insurance payments for claims thatyou'vefiled, you can manually assign the payments to appointments. This is a great way to keep track of which claims have been paid when you are not enrolled in electronic payment reports.

Before adding a payment, check the following settings:

Make sure the client's Billing Type is set to Insurance. If you havent set your clients Billing Type yet, check out this article before continuing: Setting up your clients' profiles.

Check that your client's appointments are recognized as insurance billable appointments. There are a few ways to check this:

When the appointment is set to Insurance, it will display the client owes amount and the Insurance payer's portion. Missing appointments when adding an insurance payment

You can also view this, hovering under the client owes amount and clickingEdit. This will display the billing type for the appointment:

Or you can view this by clicking the clients appointment on the Calendar homepage:

Adding the insurance payment

Use the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) you received to manually add insurance payments to appointments. Here are the steps to follow:

Go to the the client'sOverview page and then navigate to theirBilling tab.

Click Add Insurance Payment.

On the Add Paymentpage, the client's Primary insurance will automatically be selected in the Payer dropdown menu. If the payment is from the secondary insurance or a previous insurance payer the client had, you can manually select the correct payer from the searchablePayerlist.

Enter the Payment Date and Payment Method.

Next, set the Date Range that includes the appointment(s) associated with the payment. If no appointments display, this article will explain why and how to proceed: Appointments missing from an insurance payment.

Select the client(s).

In the Amount field, enter the total insurance payment amount.

In the Insurance paid field, enter the insurance payment amount for each individual appointment.

Click the blue arrows to calculate the Write-off, and then click Save.

The insurance payment has now been added to the appointment. When you return to the clients Billing page, youll see the insurance payment and the write-off applied. The claims status will also update to Paid.

Additional insurance resources:

Deleting or editing an insurance payment

Why does my insurance payment have an unallocated amount?

Payment reports (ERAs)

Checking a claim status: The different phases of an insurance claim

Payment reports are our version of an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA). This means you'll receive one of these helpful reports from the payer every time a claim is finalized and in this article, you will learn best practices for understanding the payment report you receive. Learning to read payment reports will be useful when adding/editing insurance payments, learning about your client's deductible, or learning about why a claim was denied. Once the payment report comes in, you'll be able to view the report in theClaim Details of the claim you've submitted, under thePayment Overviewsection.

Note: For more information on ERAs and how to enroll, please review this guide: Payment reports (ERAs)

Scenario 1: Paid

In this scenario, the claim has been successfully processed by the payer and paid. When the payment report comes in, an insurance payment is automatically created, allocating the labeled amounts and updating the claim to the paid status. If you need to manually add or edit an insurance payment, please review this guide: Adding an insurance payment.

Tip: Client Responsibility + Insurance Paid + Write-off = Total session fee (billed amount)

What do I do if my claim is denied?

Scenario 2: Deductible

In this scenario, the client has not met their deductible and a payment report has come in updating the claim status toDeductible. When viewing the payment report, you'll see theDeductible Amount. Thisis the amount the payer would have paid if the client had met their deductible. This amount is now the client's responsibility and will be applied to their deductible. Please review this guide for more information: How to bill clients that have not met their deductible.

Tip: Client Responsibility + $0 Insurance Paid + Write-off = Billed amount (this will update the claim to Paid)

Scenario 3: Denied

In this scenario, the payer has denied payment for the submitted claim. It is always recommended to reach out to the payer directly regarding claim denials because the information shared with our clearinghouse can be very limited. When speaking with a representative, you'll want to reference the claim using the member's ID and the dates of service to get additional details on what caused the denial and how to correct the claim. Sometimes, payment reports will have exact reasons to the cause of the denial that can be seen by hovering your cursor over the?as shown in the image below:

For more information on denied claims, please review this guide:

Here are the answers to several frequently asked questions about the SimplePractice mobile app available on iOS and Android devices:

What devices are supported by the SimplePractice mobile app?

What can be done on the app?

Can I expect the same level of security on the SimplePractice mobile app as on the web app?

Can I perform a security check for mySimplePractice mobile app?

Can I use Dark Mode for my iPhone?

Why is the app so slow on my iPhone?

The calendar in the appisn'tupdating when a client cancels.

If I delete the app, will I lose all my data?

Can I see earlier progress notes on the app?

Can billers/schedulers use the app?

Can I upload Member ID cards on the app?

Is there an app for iPad?

Can I use a stylus to write notes on the mobile app?

What happens to my schedule when I'm traveling?

What devices are supported by the SimplePractice mobile app?

We have 2 versions of the app: one for iPhones and one for Android mobile devices.

For iPhone:Use at least iOS 12.

Check if your iOS device is compatible

Here is a list of iOS 12 compatible devices

Here is a list of iOS 13 compatible devices

For Android:Use at least Android 7.0.

Check if your Android device is compatible

SimplePractice supports the most recent releases of iOS and Android. Apple and Google do not support all devices in each software update and will periodically discontinue support for older devices. Accordingly, SimplePractice also discontinues support for older devices. To guarantee that you have the best SimplePractice experience, we highly recommend that you purchase recent models of these devices.

If you are not sure what iPhone device you currently own, please follow Apple's guide on identifying your device: Identify your iPhone Model.

What can be done on the app?

The SimplePractice mobile app gives you access to many features that can help you with the day-to-day of your practice. There are some, features, however, that can only be accessed from the web version.

Here are the main differences:

Feature

Can do with the mobile app & the SimplePractice web app

Can onlydo onthe SimplePractice web app

See all past progress notes

x

See some past progress notes

x

See my calendar

x

See my team's calendar

x

Write a note using the standard DAP or SOAP format, and use "load previous" feature

x

Write a note using a customized Structured Note

x

Write anAdministrative Note

x

Send a Secure Message to a client

x

Send aSecure Message to a team member

x

Schedule an appointment

x

Delete or edit a clients appointment

x

Add a clients credit card information

x

Add a client payment via Stripe

x

Update a clients contact information

x

Update a clients billing information

x

Lock a note

x

Send an intake packet to a new client

x

Take a picture of a clients insurance card

x

Upload an image of a clients ID card to their account

x

Reset a clients password for the Client Portal

x

Dismiss reminders

x

Manual appointment reminders

x

Use AirPrint

x

Tip:To learn how to use the SimplePractice mobile app for iPhones, please see: Getting started with the SimplePractice mobile app for iOS.

Can I expect the same level of security on the SimplePractice mobile app as on the web app?

Absolutely! To learn about all of the steps we take to ensure the security of your data, please see the information found here: SimplePractice Trust and Security.

Can I perform a security check for my SimplePractice mobile app?

The iOS and Android versions of the SimplePractice mobile app allow users to perform a Security Checkup. The Security Checkup provides additional details on how to improve the security of your device based on:

OS version

SimplePractice mobile app version

Touch ID or Face ID (iOS) or Fingerprint ID (Android)

Screen Lock

Jailbroken device (iOS) or Phone Security check (Android)

Note:You can see what the Security Checkup looks like here: SimplePractice mobile app troubleshooting.

Can I use Dark Mode for my iPhone?

TheSimplePractice mobile app for iOS is available in Dark Mode. This will automatically reflect on your iPhone based on your device's settings.

Why is the app so slow on my iPhone?

Slow app? Here's what to try first:

Clear the app cache: Swipe left to open the right sidebar.

TapSettings, thenClear Cache.

TapSettings, thenSync.

Tap Settings, thenSecurity Checkup to check if your SimplePractice app and iOS are up to date.

Here are some other things to check:

Make sure you are using the most updated version of the app

Find the app in the app store and see if an update is available

Make sure that the iOS version is current

Make sure that you have at least 1GB of available storage

Make sure that you have a reliable connection to WiFi or Cellular data

If the problem persists, please contact our Customer Success team.

The calendar in the appisn'tupdating when a client cancels.

Here's what to try first to fix this issue:

Manually synchronize the latest changes: Swipe left to open the right sidebar. Tap Sync your account.

Clear the app cache: Swipe left to open the right sidebar. Tap Settings, then Clear Cache.

Check if your app and iOS are up to date. Tap Settings, thenSecurity Checkup.

Here are some other things to check:

Make sure you are using the most updated version of the app

Find the app in the app store and see if an update is available

Make sure that the iOS version is current

Make sure that you have at least 1GB of available storage

Make sure that you have a reliable connection to WiFi or Cellular data

If the problem persists, please contact our Customer Success team.

If I delete the app, will I lose all my data?

No, when you delete the app, no data or information will be lost.

Can I see earlier progress notes on the app?

With the app, you will only be able to see notes for the past 30 days. Notes older than 30 days can only be viewed from the SimplePractice website.

Can billers/schedulers use the app?

No, the app is intended for clinicians only.

Can I upload Member ID cards on the app?

Yes, you can take a picture with your mobile device and upload it on the Client Info screen.

Is there an app for iPad?

No, we do not currently offer an app for the iPad. However, you can open a safari browser on your iPad and use SimplePractice by navigating directly to: https://secure.simplepractice.com.

Can I use a stylus to write notes on the mobile app?

Yes, by using a Google Handwriting Input or any other third-party keyboard on Android and by using third-party keyboards.

Note: In order to protect your privacy, please make sure your third-party keyboard doesnt have a full access to your data. How to check that on iOS: 1. Go to Settings> General> Keyboard> Keyboards> [Name of keyboard]. 2. Allow Full Access (should be switched off). Unfortunately, there is no way to determine how third-party keyboard uses your input data.

What happens to my schedule when I'm traveling?

You have the option to select a default time zone for your mobile app. You can either lock your practice location time zone for mobile app use, or you can turn this feature off so that the mobile app matches your device settings.

You can navigate to your mobile app Settings to select yourPractice time zone or the Device time zone.

Note: To learn more about setting your practice time zone, see Setting your practice time zone.

This article will show you how to set up your Google Calendar Sync for the first time. For more info on how the 2-Way Sync works, click here.

How to Sync with Google Calendar:

Important: First make sure to delete any current syncs that you have added to your Google calendar before following the steps below. You can learn how to do so here: Delete a 1-way Synced Calendar

Click My Account >Settings> Calendar under Practice Settings.

SelectCalendar Sync to turn on.

Select your preferred Name Format from thedropdown menu, then click Save.This will affect how names display on your external calendars.

ClickConnect Google Calendaras shown below.

Next, you'll see apop-up message. Click Log Into Google.

You'll next see the Google login page. If you're currently logged into your Google account, you'll see your account listed.

If you don't want to use the account listed, click onAdd Account.

If you're not logged in, you'll see a Google login screen where you can type in your Google Account Email and Password to sign in.

7. ClickAllow.Google will ask youto give access toSimplePractice to sync your calendar. Depending on your Google settings, you may see more items in this list.

Note: This step is necessary to make sure your connection is secure.

8. You'll returnto theSimplePractice Calendar Settings page, where you'll see the message that SimplePractice is connected to your Google Calendar!

9. Open your Google Calendar.If your SimplePractice appointments don't appear right away in Google, just refresh the page. You'll notice thatSimplePractice has been added to your list of Calendars in the My calendars section as shown below.

How to remove the 2-way sync

You can remove the sync either inSimplePractice or directly from your Google calendar. Here's how:

InSimplePractice

Just follow step 1 (above) andclick on theRedDisconnect Google Calendarbutton.

In Google Calendar

In your My Calendars list, click the arrow icon to the right of the words SimplePractice to open menu options for your calendar.

Click Calendar settings from the list of options.

Click Permanently delete this calendar at the bottom of the page.

Select Yesto confirm, and then clickDelete for everyone as shown below.

Note:After disconnecting in SimplePractice or deleting in Google, your connection will immediately break and all of yourSimplePractice appointments will no longer appear in Google. You'll also receive an email confirming the disconnection.

Note: Download a PDF version of this guide here.

Getting started with the insurance process in SimplePractice doesn't have to feel overwhelming! This article will break down the basic insurance process in SimplePractice, so you're equipped with the tools to start filing claims and managing insurance right away, even during your free trial.

Sections

Setting up your profile - Solo practice

Setting up your profile - Group practice

Setting up your clients profiles

Enrollments

Creating and submit claims

Tracking your claims

Reviewing automated accounting / Adding insurance payments

1. Setting up your profile - Solo practice

First, make sureyou'veentered the following information into your SimplePractice profile.

Personal NPI

Go to My Account > Settings > Basic Info > Clinical Info > enter your personal NPI here.

Practice Information

Go to My Account > Settings > Practice Details.

Enter your practice name, phone number, address, and multiple office locations, if necessary.

Organization NPI (if any)

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing Services > enter your organization NPI here. If you don't have a group or organization NPI, leave this blank and Save.

Tax ID or SSN#

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing Services > Tax ID or SS# > enter your Tax ID here.

If youre using a SSN, enter it in this format: XXX-XX-XXXX.

If youre using an EIN, enter it in this format XX-XXXXXXX.

here

Taxonomy Code

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Insurance > and edit the taxonomy code so that you have the correct one on file.

See How do I find my taxonomy code? if youre unsure about what your taxonomy code is.

Billing Address

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Insurance > and enter the correct billing address (or the address where youd like the insurance payers to send insurance payments). Make sure the Individual option is selected unless you are billing as an organization.

Note: If your billing address is different from the address where you perform your services, make sure you also turn on the Service Facility Location (Box 32) option.

2. Setting up your profile - Group practices

Personal NPI

Go to My Account > Settings > Basic Info > Clinical Info >enter your personal NPI there. For your group practice, make sure every clinician in your account completes this step.

Practice Information

Go to My Account > Settings > Practice Details. Make sure you fill out your practice name, phone number, address, and multiple office locations (if necessary).

Organization NPI

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing and Services>and enter your organization NPI here.

Tax ID or SSN#

My Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Tax Id or SS# > enter your Tax Id here.

If youre using a SSN, enter it in this format XXX-XX-XXXX. If youre using an EIN, enter it in this format XX-XXXXXXX (group practices will usually have an EIN).

Taxonomy Code

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Insurance > edit the taxonomy code so that you have the correct one on file.

Note: If youre unsure what your taxonomy code is, go to www.npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov and run a search using your NPI so you can find it. The use taxonomy code for your group NPI.

Billing Address

Go to My Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Insurance > enter the correct billing address or the address where youd like the payers to send you insurance payments.

Make sure the Individual option is selected unless you are billing as an organization.

Note: If your billing address is different from the address where you perform your services, make sure you also turn on the Service Facility Location (Box 32) option, as shown below.

3. Setting up your clients profiles

Make sure every insurance client has all of the information below in their profile.

First and Last name, as shown on their insurance member ID card

Phone number

Address

Birth Date

Gender

Billing Type. Client's Billing Type must be set to Insurance. Here's how:

Go to the Billing and Insurance settings page.

Select Insurance as the Billing Type.

The client's insurance information

Insurance Company

Member ID. Do not include any spaces or dashes in this field.

Clients relationship to insured

If the client is under someone elses plan, make sure you select the option that applies. Make sure you enter the information for the primary insured in this section

FYI: We highly recommended uploading clients insurance member ID cards.

How to attach an image of a client's insurance ID card

Go to the client's Overview page.

Click on Edit client info next to the client's name.

Click on the Billing and Insurance tab.

Scroll down to the client's Insurance info. If you haven't added insurance information for the client, click on the + Insurance button to add the client's insurance information.

At the bottom of the Insurance Information, you will see a box that says Front of Insurance Card with a blue document icon.

Click on Browse to upload a copy of the ID card or drag the file to this box.

You can upload either JPEG or PDF files. If you upload PDF files youwon'thave a preview option but youll still be able to view the file by clicking on it.

4. Enrollments

Some insurance payers require you to submit an enrollment in order to file insurance claims electronically via SimplePractice. Enrolling in claim filing is not the same as being paneled with the payer or getting credentialed. Enrollments simply let payers know that you will be using SimplePractice to file claims and receive Payment Reports (also known as EOBs or ERAs).

There are two types of enrollments:

Claim Filing, and

Payment Reports.

Claim Filing Enrollment

If the payer you're working with requires a Claim Filing Enrollment, you won't be able to file claims in SimplePractice until your enrollment has been accepted. We recommend that you continue to file your claims directly with the payer until your enrollment is accepted.

Payment Reports enrollment

If youre working with a payer that doesnt require a Claim Filing Enrollment, you can start filing claims with them right away! Youdon'tneed to wait for the Payment Reports Enrollment to be accepted. Until your Payment Reports enrollment is accepted, the payer will continue to send you EOBs outside of SimplePractice but this shouldnt stop you from filing claims.

Submit your enrollments

After you have entered your clients' insurance information into their profiles, you'll be able to submit your enrollments for any payers that require you to do so.

To enroll: Go to My Account > Settings > Insurance Providers > Enrollments > +Enroll.

Important: Make sure the information in the enrollment form matches what the payer has on file for you. If it doesnt, the payer will reject your enrollment. After you submit your enrollment, youll see its status change to Submitted. We will email you when your enrollment has been completed or if there are any other steps needed from you in order to complete this process.

What do the enrollment statuses mean?

Not Required - This is great news! It means you are not required to enroll for claim filing and can start submitting claims right away through SimplePractice, even in your free trial.

+Enroll - This means that you will need to enroll with this payer for electronic claim filing (or Payment Reports). Simply click the +Enroll button and fill out a quick application to start the process. Our clearinghouse will take it from there and you'll be notified as soon as the enrollment is accepted.

Document Required - The payer requires that you complete additional information for the enrollment to process. Follow the instructions provided in the PDF and complete the steps.

PR's Not Supported - This payer does not provide the option to receive Payment Reports through SimplePractice. You can continue to manually add any insurance payments that you receive.

No Clients on File - You must have at least one client using the payer in order to enroll. Please add the insurance company to that client's profile and then return to this page to enroll.

Paid Account Required - In addition to at least one client using that insurance payer, you must be on a paid account with SimplePractice in order to enroll. During your free trial, you can submit any claims electronically where enrollment is not required. Once you sign up for a paid account, you can then submit your enrollment right away!

Note: Remember that even if you are waiting for an enrollment to be accepted, you can still use SimplePractice to create, print, and then submit claims by mail to avoid any delay in payment.

5. Creating and submitting claims

Once your Claim Filing Enrollments are accepted (or ifthey'renot needed), youre ready to begin filing claims. Follow these steps:

Add at least one session to your calendar for your insurance client.

Add a diagnosis code to your clients profile.

Note: You can add multiple diagnoses if needed.

Create a claimFrom your clients Billing page, click the +Create button and select the Claim/CMS 1500 option.Submit the Claim The claim is created in Edit mode, so you can make adjustments if necessary. Most of the time, youwon'tneed to make any edits so click Submit.

6. Tracking your claims

Now thatyou'vesubmitted your claim, you can easily track its status as it goes from "Prepared" to "Paid".

Here's how to check your claim status:

Go to Billing > Insurance > Claims.

Note: You'll also receive an email each time a claim status is updated.

7. Reviewing automated accounting / Adding insurance payments

Insurance payments can be entered manually and automatically.

If you have submitted a Payment Reports (PR) Enrollment and the enrollment was accepted, the payments will be entered automatically for you.

If your Payment Reports (PR) enrollment has not been accepted (or if the payer doesnt provide PRs) you can enter your payments manually.

If Payment Reports enrollment has been accepted:

Our system will completely automate the bookkeeping for claims with this payer. We take information from the payment reports and automatically record the insurance payment in your account and apply the correct amount to each clients profile.

If Payment Reports enrollment hasnt been accepted (or if the payer doesnt provide PRs):

You can add the insurance payments easily! You will need the (Explanation Of Benefits) EOB you received from the insurance payer to ensure youre doing this accurately.

You can enter an insurance payment in two places in SimplePractice:

From a clients Billing page. Here's how: Go to a clients Billing page and click the blue Add Insurance Payment button.

From the insurance billing page. Here's how: Go to Billing > Insurance > Add Payment.

Once you are on the Add Payment page:

Enter the Check or Wire number.

Select the Date Range that includes the sessions associated with the payment.

Set the Payment Date that's on the check/wire.

Enter the Amount of the check.

Allocating the payment

Using the EOB sent with your payment, enter:

The amount paid for each session in the Ins. Paid field.

If the EOB indicates that the client owes something different from what you charged, enter in the client's responsibility for each session in the Co-pay field. The clients Co-Insurance goes here as well.

If the amount paid by the client and the amount paid by insurance is less than the total amount you billed, you can enter the difference as a Write-off. This indicates that you will not be receiving additional reimbursements from insurance.

Click Save.

Important: Once you have allocated the entire payment, the Unallocated amount should always equal $0.

Once you have allocated the entire payment, the Unallocated amount should always equal $0.

If you have an Unallocated amount > greater than $0, you did not allocate the full amount of the check/wire to all of the sessions the payment was intended to cover. If that happens, edit the payment and review the EOB once again.

If you have a negative Unallocated amount, you allocated more than you should have. Go back and make sureyou'veallocated the exact amount of the check/wire.

Congratulations you just went over the entire claim filing and accounting process through SimplePractice!

Note: Download a PDF version of this guide .

We've priced SimplePractice so that we can offer the best prices for all of our customers. We currently offer two plans:

Essential plan: $39/mo

Professional plan: $49/mo

You'll be billed month-to-month at the monthly rate for your plan.

Tip: For details on the differences between the Essential and Professional plans, visit our Pricing Page.

If you're interested in receiving free credits you can use towards yourSimplePractice subscription fee, see Refer-a-Friend: SimplePractice referral program.

You can also refer to Does SimplePractice have any discounts or current promotions? to find more information about promotions forSimplePractice customers.

Group plans

To start a SimplePractice for Groups plan, simply add team members.

Discover new Progress Note and Intake Form templates in our Template Library.Quickly add any template from here, and customize it as you see fit. Below, you'll find a complete list of theProgress Note and Intake Form templates we currently have available.

Progress Note Templates

ABA Initial Session Note

Acupuncture SOAP Note

ADIME Basic Note

ADIME Note

Articulation Goal Tracker

Bedside Swallow Evaluation New Template

Biopsychosocial Assessment

Biopsychosocial Assessment & SOAP

Chiropractic SOAP Note

Counseling Progress Note

DAP Note

Detailed Speech Language Pathology Note

Discharge Summary Note

Eagala Equine Specialist Note

Eagala Mentoring Process - Session Journal

Eagala Session Progression Note

EMDR Therapy Case Conceptualization Note

EMDR Therapy Treatment Summary Note

Expanded Dietary Analysis of the H.A.N.D.S. on Assessment

For more information visit: www.IFNAcademy.com

Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test - Results

Family Progress Note

Gilman HIPAA Progress Note

Group Therapy Progress Note

Group Therapy Progress Note II

H.A.N.D.S. on - A Clinical Nutrition Assessment Tool

For more information visit: www.IFNAcademy.com

Initial Clinical Mental Health Assessment and Treatment Plan

Initial Detailed Visit - Acupuncture

Lactation Consult Evalutation

LEAP First Consultation

Mental Status Note

Neck Pain Disability Index Questionnaire

Nutrition Progress Note

Oral Mechanism Examination

Patient Safety Plan

Pediatric Stuttering Assessment Results

Physical Therapy Initial Evaluation

Progress Note - Lactation Consultant

School Readiness Assessment Results

Receptive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test

SOAP Note

Standard Progress Note

Suicide Risk Assessment

Suicide Risk Assessment & DAP

Suicide Risk Assessment & SOAP

Test of Adolescent and Adult Language- 4th Edition (TOAL-4)

Treatment Plan & Goals Note

Treatment Review Note

Intake Form Templates

ABA Child Intake Form

Acupuncture Intake Form

Adolescent Intake Questionnaire

Adoptive Family Intake - Lactation Consultant

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire

Automobile Accident Intake

Chiropractic Intake Form

Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS)

Couple Therapy Policy: Limited Secrets Policy

Couples Counseling Initial Intake Form

DASS 21

Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)

Dissociative Experience Scale (DES-II)

Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)

EAT 26

Eating Assessment Tool (EAT 10)

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

Feeding History and Infant Behavior

Follow-Up LEAP Symptom Survey

Food Journal Week 1

GAD

In Case of an Emergency - Telehealth

Initial LEAP Patient Consult Form

Initial LEAP Symptom Survey

Intake Form - Lactation Consultant

Intake Questionnaire - Long Version

Massage Therapy Intake Form

Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)

My Symptom Questionnaire (MySQ)

For more information visit: www.IFNAcademy.com

Nutrition Assessment - IFNA

For more information visit: www.IFNAcademy.com

Nutrition Intake Form

Nutrition Intake with pediatric add-on

Nutrition intake - pediatric add-on

Occupational Therapy Child Intake Form

Pain Assessment Intake Form

Pediatric Stuttering History

PHQ-2

PHQ-9

PHQ-9 - En Espaol

Physical Therapy Intake Form

Release of Information

Release of Information - En Espaol

Release of Information - Short

Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)

Speech Language AdultIntake Form

Speech Language ChildIntake Form

Speech Pathology Areas of Involvement

Standard Intake Questionnaire - En Espaol

Standard Intake Questionnaire Template

Substance Abuse Intake Form

The CRAFFT Questionnaire (version 2.1)

Note:If you do not see the exact template you'd like to use, feel free to make a copy to adju st to your liking or create your own.

This guide details how to change the time zone for your practice and it includes important information to note about changing the time zone for your account.

Changing or setting the time zone

Important information about time zones in SimplePractice

Changing or setting the time zone

Here's how to change or set the time zone for your practice:

Go to My Account > Settings > Practice Details, click the Time Zone dropdown, and select the correct time zone for your practice.

Important information about time zones in SimplePractice

Here are important things to note about time zones in your account:

Daylight Saving Time will automatically change in SimplePractice.

You can select one time zone for your practice. This setting is at the practice level, so clinicians can't select different time zones for themselves.

If you're using the mobile app, you have the option to either lock your practice time zone or turn this feature off. If you turn the feature off, the SimplePractice mobile app time zone will match your device settings.

In your SimplePractice mobile app, you can navigate to your Settings to keep your mobile app in your Practice time zone or to change it to the Device time zone.

The web version does not change time zones based on your location. If you're traveling and you want to view your schedule in your practice time zone, you can log into your account through a browser rather than the mobile app.

By definition, a write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something. When billing, a write-off is the difference between your total session fee and the amount that you are actually paid. In SimplePractice, we give you the tools you need to easily track the amount that is written-off for each session.

There are two types of write-offs you can track inSimplePractice:

Sessions set with theBilling-Type:Self-Pay, which is used for clients who are paying out-of-pocket.

Sessions set with theBilling-Type:Insurance, which is used for clients who bill through insurance.

Entering write-offs for clients paying out-of-pocket

When your clients pay for your services out of pocket, you may choose to offer a discounted rate--in which case, you can calculate the write-off amount.To do so, you can:

Go to the clients billing details page.

Locate the session you would like to apply a write-off.Hover your cursor over the session fee to display an Edit link. Click on this link. Note:If theEditlink does not appear, this session is already on an invoice or superbill. Delete these items and youll be able to access the Edit link.

Enter the amount of the session fee you want to write-off, as shown below. Add Insurance Payment

Click Save.

Tip: As shown below, you can verify that the write-off was applied after entering.

Note: The write-off amount you enter will reduce the portion of the session fee that your client is responsible to pay, causing the clients overall balance to decrease.

Entering write-offs for insurance clients

When billing insurance companies for reimbursement, it is likely that your contracted rate will be lower than your advertised session fee. In order to track the write-off amount, you can:

Go to the page

Enter the write-off for each one of the sessions that require it from this page. You can either type in the amount in the write-off box or use the circle of arrows so the system auto-populates it for you.

Click Save.

You will know that the write-off was entered successfully because you will see it on the client's billing page like so:

Important:If you do not calculate the write-off amount when adding an insurance payment, the associated insurance claim will not update to "Paid"

Note:If you are enrolled for Payment Reports, the write-off amount will already be calculated in the automated insurance payment.

This Getting Started section will provide all the necessary resources to help build the foundations for running a successful private practice. By familiarizing yourself with the many features we offer, you'll be able to efficiently flow through our platform. Setting yourself up for success now can ultimately mean that you have more time to spend with clients.

Below you'll see the recommended walkthrough for a new SimplePractice user experience, starting from the trial and ending with a fully-fledged account that you've customized to best meet your needs.

Switching and Data Imports

Clients and their Portal

Intakes, Forms, and Templates

Calendar and Scheduling

Client Billing

Analytics

Insurance

Group Practice

Requirements

Pricing

Support

Tip: If you do not see something on this list, use the search bar to conveniently search all 500+ of our guides.

Switching and Data Imports

How to Switch to SimplePractice

Clients and their Portal

Client Portal overview

Setting up the Client Portal

Adding a new client and navigating your Clients and Contact list

Intakes, Forms, and Templates

Creating customized client intake and progress note templates

How to use the Template Library

Where to find your Practice Documents

New client intake and Client Portal FAQ

Calendar and Scheduling

Scheduling, editing, and deleting appointments

Managing your availability

Customizing the calendar view and printing your schedule

Setting up your 2-way sync with Google Calendar

How to use Secure Messaging with clients

How do I offer Telehealth appointments?

Client Billing

Setting up your billing and automations

What are Invoices, Statements, and Superbills?

Getting started with Online Payments in SimplePractice

Checking the billing and documentation status for appointments

How to share billing documents with clients

Analytics

Insights and reports for your private practice

Insurance

Getting Started guide: Insurance

Setting up insurance billing for your client

How do I submit an enrollment to file claims or receive payment reports

Out-of-network electronic claim filing

Group Practice

How do I know a group practice is right for me?

Getting started as a group practice

Team members: clinician access levels

Navigating your Group Practice calendar

Group practice FAQs

Requirements

Will SimplePractice work for me?

What are the minimum requirements for successfully using SimplePractice?

Pricing

SimplePractice pricing

How much does it cost to bill insurance?

Support

How can I get help from your team?

Logging in to SimplePractice and submitting help requests

Using the SimplePractice Community Forum

Live classes and video guides

Tip:You can also visit SimplePractice Learning,our Continuing Education marketplace, by going toMy Account > Continuing Education. SimplePractice Learning is focused on creating and sourcing engaging and relevant courses for behavioral health professionals.

Uploading a client's insurance card

Note:You can download a PDF version of this guide here.

Related guides:

Getting started with insurance billing

Adding an insurance payment

Setting up insurance billing for your client

Deleting or editing an insurance payment

If you have a client whose uses insurance to pay for some sessions, but pay out-of-pocket for other sessions, you still want to setthe clients overall billing type to Insurance on the client's Billing & Insurance tab.

For any client whos insurance company will pay you, set her billing type to Insurance. You can read more about it here: Setting up billing for an insurance client.

Onceyou'vechanged the clients billing type, all future recurring sessions willautomatically update to reflect the new billing type.

Now thatyou'vechanged the clients overall billing type, schedule all the clients sessions as you normally would. When a session comes along where the client is responsible for 100% of the fee, change that individual sessions billing type to Self-Pay.

Changing the Billing Type, Co-Pay, or Cash Write-off at the Session Level

You can read more about changing the billing type for an individual session here: .

When you change the individual sessions billing type to Self-Pay, the total fee for that session will be applied to the clients balance. No portion of the fee from that session will be applied to the clients insurance providers balance.

The Payment Overview is the fastest way to identify and fix any payment errors made onsessions for your insurance clients.

Here is the process:

Go toBilling > Insurance.

Select the Payments tab.

Click the payment you want to investigate, as shown below.

Click the blue "i" next to the "Ins. Paid" column, as shown below.

Payment statuses

The Payment Overview will show you which sessions on this payment have any errors in them. The status for each session will let you know if you need to make any corrections.

The status can include "Good," "Write-off too high", "Payment missing" and "Duplicate Payments recorded."

What do these statuses mean?

Goodstatus means that you have entered the payments correctly and there are no discrepancies with the payments related to this session.

Write-off too highstatus means that the insurance write-off amount exceeds the expected write off. For example, let's say your session fee is $100, your client has a $20 co-pay, and the insurance is responsible for $60. The expected write-off for that session would be $20 and any amount over that would trigger this status.

Payment missingstatus means that the payments entered from both the client and insurance company are not enough to cover the full fee of that session.

Duplicate payments recordedstatus means that the amount paid for this session, by either the client or the insurance company, exceeds the fee for the session.

You can easily edit or delete cash, check, and credit card payments to reflect the correct billing information for your clients.

Note: If you would like to delete or refunda Stripe credit card payment, see this guide: Charging, refunding, and setting up AutoPay for clients with your Stripe account.

Editing and deleting a payment

To delete a payment for a client, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the client's Billing tab:

2. Hover over the dollar amount for the payment that you would like to change to see the options to 'Edit' and 'Delete' appear:

Edit will allow you to edit the payment type, amount, and the date of the payment.

Delete will prompt you to confirm that you would like to delete the payment.

In this section, we will walk you through how to enter information about you & your practice. Here are the 3 main sections:

Basic Info

Practice Details

Billing and Services settings

1. Basic Info

Here's how to access the Basic Info section:

Log into your SimplePractice account.

Click My Account (drop-down located in the upper left corner).

Settings > Basic Info

The Basic Info section contains two the following 2 subsections.

Personal Info. This section includes the information you entered when you signed up. Youwon'tneed to update anything here right now.

Clinical Info. This is where you will enter your License information and NPI number. This information will display on your documentation as well as superbills and CMS1500 forms. Its important to enter this information correctly so youdon'trun into any issues if you plan to file claims.

2. Practice Details

Now were ready to enter in all the details about your practice. Theres just 4 quick things youll want to add here.

Your Practice Name will display on billing documents and in the Client Portal.

Practice Email is the email address your clients will see as a reply to email address when they receive messages from you. Leave this blank if youdon'twant clients to see your email address.

Enter in your Phone Number as well in order for clients to be able to call you.

Add your address in the Office section.

Note: Make sure to click Save to save any changesyou'vemade.

3. Billing and Services settings

Now this section might appear to be a bit overwhelming, but in this guide, were just going to focus on the basics to get your started.

First, lets start on the Settings tab in the Billing and Services section. Youll want to add you Tax ID or SS# here for billing documents and claims.

Next, youll set up Invoice Settings. We recommend keeping this on Daily even if youdon'tgive your clients an invoice because the system needs invoices to know what you are billing the client.

After that, click the Services tab to edit services codes and add any other service codes you plan to use. Theres more settings in the Billing section that youll be able to go over later, but for now youre ready to go with the basics!

To delete an appointment click on the appointmentfrom the calendar page.

On the calendar flyout that opens up, you'll see a little trash icon in the lower left. Click this to delete the session.

If there is an Invoice, Superbill, Psychotherapy Note, and/or Progress Note attached to that session, you will not be able to delete it until all of those items are deleted. You will get a pop-up window letting you know the reason(s) why you can't delete the session.

Click the links provided to open and delete those items, and then return to the calendar to delete the session.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is a payer with unique claim filing rules, so we've put together a comprehensive guide that will help you determine which payer to submit your claims to when your client is covered by a BCBS plan.

Always file out-of-state BCBS claims to your local BCBS Plan

The general rule of thumb is to always file electronic claims to your local BCBS payer. This means that although you may have a client with out-of-state coverage, you will need to submit their claims to your local BCBS in order for them to be successfully processed.

Example:Your client is covered by BCBS of Hawaii, but your practice is located in California - where you are credentialed. The claim must be submitted to your local BCBS of California for processing.

Note:If a claim is submitted to an out-of-state payer, it may remain in a purgatory "accepted" state. However, it will ultimately receive a rejection since the out-of-state BCBS will not have your credentials (Tax ID/NPI) listed in their provider database.

When a claim is submitted to your local BCBS, they have an internal electronic claim routing system which transmits the claims directly to the appropriate sector for processing based off of the client's member ID number and alpha-prefix.

Submitting to your local BCBS

In order to have a claim sent to your local BCBS payer electronically, you will need to add the local payer to your client's Billing and Insurance Info settings as their primary insurer prior to the creation of the claim:

Selecting the appropriate Payer ID for Excellus BCBS plans

FEP Plans

The same is true if you're trying to file claims to the Federal Employee assistance Program (FEP). You will want to be sure to file your FEP claims to your local BCBS payer as well.

Important: There are two exceptions to this rule. If your client has an FEP plan through the states Michigan or Connecticut, use the payer IDs MIFEP andC2BLS respectively.

FAQ

Q. How do I determine who my local BCBS payer is if there is more than one BCBS in my state?

A. You will want to ensure that you are submitting claims to whichever BCBS sector you are credentialed/paneled with. If you have any questions about this, reach out to the payer directly by calling their Provider Services number and request more information about where your claims need to be submitted. Our team can help with selecting the appropriate Payer ID once you know which sector you're credentialed with.

Q. I understand I should only file BCBS claims to the local branch, but what about enrollments?

A. You will only need to submit enrollments to your local BCBS payers. There is no need for you to enroll with other out-of-state BCBS payers. This is true for Payment Reports, as well. Out-of-state BCBS plans can send ERAs to your SimplePractice account through an active enrollment connection with your local BCBS.

Q. What payer ID do I use for Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield?

A. This particular BCBS plan will be determined based on your location, so we've put together another guide to help with:.

Superbills can be customized so that the provider, practice, client, or the primary insured individual can be reimbursed from the insurance payer.

Note: See Creating superbills to learn how to create a superbill.

The following steps can show you how to change the Make payments to field on superbills:

Navigate to the client's Overview page

Click Edit details > Billing and Insurance tab

Select the individual you want in the For Superbills, send Payment to dropdown

Click Save Client

If your client is a minor or dependent, make sure to select the appropriate option for Who is the Primary Insured? and enter the Primary Insured's information.

The selection from theFor Superbills, send Payment todropdown will appear at the bottom of the superbill in the Make payments tofield.

For many payers, you can start submitting electronic claims through SimplePractice quickly. However, some payers will require that you submit an enrollment and wait for them to accept it before you're able to start submitting claims.

Here is a summary of the steps of the enrollment process:

Determine if your insurance payers require enrollment

Enter payer information into your client's profile

Complete required enrollments

Step 1: Determine which payers require enrollment

You can quickly and easily locate the insurance payers you work with and assess if they will require you to enroll to submit claims electronically.

Note: Payment reports, if available from a payer, will always require enrollment.

Go to My Account > Settings > Insurance Payers.

In the text field, begin typing your payer's name to locate your payer. What should I do if my enrollment was accepted, but I can't file claims?

Keep in mind that many insurance payers may be listed under a single payer, so don't worry if there is a large grouping of names with your payer.

Note:The Insurance Payers list only shows the first 50 payers on the list. You most likely will need to use the search option to find the correct payer.

Check the Claim Filing Enrollment and Payment Report Enrollment columns to determine if enrollment will be required.

Here are the designations you may see:

Not Required:Enrollment is not required for this payer. Go ahead and start submitting claims right away!

Paid Account Required:This means that enrollment IS required, but you are not yet on a paid account with SimplePractice. Upgrade in order to initiate the enrollment process.

No Clients on File:You are on a paid account, but have not yet entered this payer into any of your client profiles. Enrollment requires a paid account and at least one client using the payer in order to enroll.

PR's Not Supported:Payment reports are not available for this payer. You will receive paper EOB's.

+Enroll:Click on the +enroll button in order to complete the simple application form to your payer. We handle the rest!

Step 2: Enter payer information into your client's profile

Now that you have assessed your payers' enrollment requirements, you can enter your client insurance information into their profiles if you haven't already done so.

Go to Client Profile > View/edit client info >Billing & Insurance tab.Enter your payers either by payer ID (from step 1) or by typing in the keywords for the payer.

Step 3. Complete required enrollments

Now that you are have entered client information, you need to go back to your settings and enroll for the payers that require enrollment.

Go to My Account > Settings > Insurance Payers > Enrollments tab. Any payers that you have entered into clients' profiles will now appear in this list. Check the statuses in the Claim Filing Enrollment and Payment Report Enrollment columns to see which payers you can enroll with.

Click the +Enroll link where available.

Fill out the required fields.

Create an electronic signature by holding down your mouse button and creating your signature or by writing with your finger on a tablet.

When finished, click Submit/Update Payer Enrollment. This will submit your request to enroll claimfiling, payment reports, or both.

You'll see this confirmation message:

Once your enrollment request is submitted

You can view allyourenrollments and enrollment request statuses on the Enrollments tab.

Typically, it takes between 1-8 weeks for insurance payers to process your enrollment request. Medicare, Medicaid, and some other payers can take up to 8+ weeks.

Note:We've created a searchable table for the average enrollment approval timesfor the most common enrollments we see, and you can reference it here: Average payer enrollment approval times.

We will email you when your enrollment has been completed or if there are any other steps needed from you in order to complete this process.

Important: If you receive a notice from the payer stating that they've accepted your enrollment, please share it with our team, this will help speed up the process. Sometimes the payers will update the clinicians but not the clearinghouse.

You'll also see the status change from Submitted to Accepted in the Enrollment section of the practice settings. When this happens, you're ready to file claims through SimplePractice!

Note: The PTAN field, as shown below, is only required for Medicare enrollment.

For additional information on insurance enrollments, check out the following articles:

Enrollment FAQs

Note: The full version of this feature is only available with the Professional Plan. Learn more about SimplePractice's pricing and plans.

With SimplePractice's My Notes and Forms, you can easily design and edit your intake forms and progress notes.These tools are great for creating custom forms, assessments, questionnaires, etc.

This article will guide you through the process of how to create a custom form. For information about how to use the Template Library, please see this walkthrough: How to use the Template Library.

Topics covered in this article:

Creating a custom form template

Creating a new custom form based on an existing form

How to name your custom note or form

How to customize your note or form

How to edit a question

How to move a question

How to require a question

How to delete a question

Question types

Texts & dividers

How to print a custom note or form

Creating a custom form template

The My Notes & Forms tab is sectioned into Progress Notes and Intake Forms that are alphabetized to better organize the templates housed here.

Note: For Essential customers, you will only see Intake Forms in this tab.

You can create a new custom template from scratch, select one from the Template Library using +Add to access a preloaded template for editing, or you can modify an existing form in this section. Here's how to create a new form from scratch:

Log into your SimplePractice account.

Click My Account >Settings > Notes and Forms.

Click Create New Template, as shown below, to create a new intake from scratch.

Notes and Forms

Creating a new custom form based on an existing form

Select the form that you want to use as the basis for a new custom form.

Click the copy icon located in the same row of the one you wish to copy as shown above. A new form will be created with the name Copy of [NAME OF ORIGINAL FORM].

How to name your custom note or form

Enter a descriptive name in the name field.

Set the form:for Progress Notesorfor Intake Formsin the field next to the name field.

FYI: The following information applies to creating both custom Intake Forms and Progress Notes. Althoughthe steps below focus on customizing Intake Forms, you can use the same process to customize your Progress Note templates (except for including an eSignature).

How to customize your note or form

Adding a new question type or form element is the first step to customizing your form.Heres how:

Click the blueAdd newbutton at the bottom of the page.

Choose a question type or form element as shown below.

Enter the question text.

Depending on the question type you've chosen, you can then provide the response options. To do so, click+Answerto add the responses you would like to present to the client. (Note this does not apply to Long Answer, Short Answer, Date Field, or eSignature question types.)

Enter your first response in the Answer text field.

Repeat steps 4 & 5 until you have added all responses for a given question.

SelectAllow one line of responseorAllow multi-line responsetoSingle Choice or Multiple Choice question types to allow a client to add additional information for a specific response.

Note:The eSignature question type option is only available for Intake Forms.

How to edit a question

Click on the question link to open it for editing.

Change the text in the question field. You can also change the question type here as well.

Click Save.

How to move a question

When building a form, you may need to rearrange the order in which the questions appear.Heres how:

Click and hold the order icon next to the question you wish to move.

Drag the icon up or down to move the question to a new location.

How to require a question

You can indicate that a field is required for the client to submit the form by checking the Require answer box. The Client Portal will prevent clients from submitting until they fill out those required fields.

How to delete a question

Click on the question link to open it for editing.

Click the trash icon to delete the question. This action cannot be undone so make sure to delete questions carefully.

Question types

SimplePractice offers several types of questions to choose from, including:

Long Answer

Short Answer

Single Choice

Multiple Choice

Dropdown

Date Field

eSignature

The following table provides details about each question type:

Question Types

Description

Long Answer

Use this question type for more open-ended questions that may result in responses of a few sentences or paragraphs.

Short Answer

This question type gives clients a single-line text input area for shorter responses.

Single Choice (Radio Buttons)

This type is used for questions that allow only one response.

Multiple Choice (Checkboxes)

This question type allows clients to select more than one response.

Dropdown

Dropdown questions are used for single-select questions, similar to the Single Choice (Radio Buttons) question type. The primary difference is that the Dropdown question type takes up much less space.

Date Field

This question type gives clients a date picker calendar to select a date.

eSignature

The eSignature question type is only available for Intake forms. This question type allows you to require a clients electronic signature.

Text & dividers

SimplePractice also provides you with the option to add form elements. There are three form elements to choose from:

Paragraph Text

Section Header

Section Break

The following table provides details about each form element:

Text & Dividers

Description

Paragraph Text

This form element gives you the ability to add instructions for clients.

Section Header

This form element gives you the ability to create bolded section headers for your custom note or form.

Section Break

This form element lets you add a line to divide different sections of your custom note or form.

How to print a custom note or form

If you would like to print a copy of a note or form you've created, follow these steps:

Go to My Account > Settings >

Click the eye icon associated with the note or form you'd like to print to access its Preview mode

In Preview mode, click the Print button in the top right corner

Then send it to your printer, or save it as a PDF

We hate to see you leave SimplePractice. If you're having trouble with something or there's a feature you want but it seems we don't have, click here so we can help.

If you're set on cancelling, you'll need to cancel your own account. We can't cancel your account for you because of thesecurity policies outlined in our Terms of Service.

We highly recommend requesting a data export before you cancel because your data will be completely deleted upon cancellation. We are not able to recover your data, so be sure to check your data export before cancelling.

To cancel:

Go toMy Account>Settings.

Click Subscription information.

Then choose "Want to cancel your account?"

You'll be prompted to select a cancellation reason and to type Cancel My Account in the text box and select the Confirm button. This phrase is case sensitive and needs to be typed in exactly as shown or the Confirm button will not work.

Important: Once you do this, all your account information is permanently deleted and we can't recover it.

SimplePractice has created a number of free customizable letter templates to help save you time. Here's a list of some we've created:

Sample Collection Letter to Client

Sample Letter to Colleagues Seeking Referrals

Treatment Termination Due to Lack of Progress

Premature Discontinuation of Therapy Sample Letter To Client

Letter Prescribing an Emotional Support Animal

Sample Letter to Airline Emotional Support Animal for Flight

Timely Filing Appeals Letter to Insurance Payer

Head over to our blog to access and download your free copy: Fill-in-the-Blank Letter Templates for Your Private Practice.

There is a way to do this, however the platform does not have a feature specifically built to send an email to all clients at once. We've chosen not to build this in large part because this would create a significant risk of accidental HIPAA breach or accidental use.

Note:For more information about all of the ways we work hard to keep your clients' data safe, please see this guide: SimplePractice Trust & Security.

There are some customers who are sending bulk emails to clients outside of SimplePractice. Using the Data Export tool, you have the option to export client contact information in bulk in the vCard format (.vcf). You can find step-by-step instructions on how to do this in this walkthrough: Data export: Exporting client information. You can then arrange the data as you need into a spreadsheet and use a mail merge function. If you choose to do this, please be mindful of where and how you share information via email with clients.

While we are looking at offering more options to support our customers in the future, we do currently offer several ways for you to connect with a live SimplePractice Customer Success team member. Currently, in addition to email support we offer:

Recurring online classes every day throughout the week

Multiple scheduled Question & Answer sessions each week with a live support team member

One-on-one video calls that you schedule during a time convenient for you

Phone support by reservation

Live Chat

When we get emails that could be more quickly solved "in person", we do offer live video calls regularly. We really like this solution because video calls allow you and us to see what's in the account at the same time, live chat through the issue, and often we can work through things on average in about 15-30 minutes depending on the complexity of the issue. This takes a lot of guessing and potential miscommunication out of the equation when working to dig into an issue. You can always work with a specialist to determine if a screen share is a good step towards dealing with an issue.

Related articles:

Logging in to SimplePractice and submitting help requests

Using the SimplePractice Community Forum

To help you stay on top of your business, SimplePractice gives you the option of receiving two different email notifications:

Daily Agenda Email

Evening Summary Email

To adjust which emails you receive, go to My Account > Settings > Notifications and click the checkbox next to the email(s) you would like to receive:

AutoPay

Note: Both the Daily Agenda Email and the Evening Summary Email are automatically enabled when you start your SimplePractice account.

Daily Agenda Email

The Daily Agenda Email is sent each morning and contains:

Today's Schedule

Reminders

New Insurance Adjustment

Create a Progress Note

Balance Due

Payments

Invoices

Evening Summary Email

The Evening Summary Email is sent each evening and contains:

A summary of the client appointments held that day

A list of daily amounts if the client is enrolled

Sometimes an insurance payer will require that you re-submit a claim with corrections when it has been rejected or denied. This can easily be done by following these steps:

From your Calendar homepage go to Billing > Insurance > Claims tab.

Open the claim that needs to be corrected and resubmitted.

Click Edit to Resubmit.

Next click Edit & Resubmit New Claim when this option appears. Payer Claim # vs. Clearinghouse Reference #

You can now edit the claim and make the necessary corrections.

Next, scroll down to box 22 and make sure that the Resubmission option is checked.

Finally, youll input the Payer Control Number in the Original Ref. No. field. The Payer Control Number is assigned directly by the Insurance Payer. This number will auto-populate to this field if a Payer Control Number has been received by SimplePractice. If a Payer Control Number has not been received, please input the original claim number that can be found on the EOB you received from the payer.

Note: The Payer Control Number can be found by clicking Payment Overview. For additional information please refer to this article: .

If you are adding a new client to SimplePractice and that client already has a balanceor credit, you can easily add this amount to his or her account.

You can create an Initial Balance invoice using our Products feature:

1. Just add the balance amount to your Settings > Billing and Services > Products page.

add your balance to this invoice as a Product

2. Then, create a blank invoice and .

3. Your Initial Balance will now be represented by an invoice, which you can choose to pay directly, orat a later time.

It will also be clear exactly when that balance is paid, because the invoice will be markedPAID.

Original Claim

An original claim is a claim that has not been submitted and processed by an insurance payer. The insurance payer will recognize the claim as an original submission/brand new claim.

Corrected Claim

A corrected claim tells the payer that you've sent the claim to them before, but that you'd like it to be re-adjudicated. This can mean that you are sending them information that was not indicated previously on the claim or that you think they processed the original claim incorrectly. Filing a corrected claim, helps reduce the potential for a claim to deny as a duplicate.

How do I submit a corrected claim?

Open the original claim.

Click Edit to Resubmit.

Make the necessary corrections.

Next, mark box 22 as Resubmission and enter the original Payer Claim#. The Payer Claim# can be found at the top of the claim or by contacting the insurance payer directly.

Click Save at the top of the claim and Submit.

Tip:It's always best to call the payer to confirm that they will accept a corrected claim. Some payers do not accept corrected claims and want the claim's corrections sent as an original/brand new claim. Filingcorrected claims according to the payer's unique instructions will make sure that the payer can identify the original claim, understand the corrections made, and make sure that the resubmitted claim is not denied as a duplicate.

Voiding/cancelling a claim submitted in error

If you submitted a claim in error and have contacted the insurance company but they are unable to cancel the claim over the phone for you, you should ask if you can void the claim using a Corrected Claim. If you can do this, follow the steps to submit a corrected claim above.

Below you'll find answers to all of the frequently asked questions we've seen about making the switch to SimplePractice.

How do I start the Switching process?

What if my EHR is not on the list of exporting instructions?

What client information can I import into SimplePractice?

How do I submit my client list to the Switching Team for import?

How much does importing data cost?

How do I import past progress notes and documents?

Can I import billing and appointment history for my clients?

How will I be able to gather the remainder of my clients' demographic information?

Where do I find the Mass Document Request link?

Will the Mass Document Request be sent automatically upon import to all clients listed in the Switching template?

What if Idon'twant to send the Mass Document Request, or I only want to send it to some clients from the uploaded client list?

Can I use the Mass Document Request button at a later date?

Can I send Mass Document Request to clients that were not imported but rather added manually to my client list?

What if I change my mind about who I want to send the mass intake to?

How many clients can I import?

How long does the import process take?

How do I start the Switching process?

SimplePractice has made switching from another EHR easier than ever, and it only takes 3 straightforward steps. Our Switching Team is here to guide you along the way and to make sure theres a smooth transition into your new SimplePractice account. You can learn all about the Switching process in this guide: How to Switch to SimplePractice. If you have any questions, you can contact our Switching Team.

What if my EHR is not on the list of exporting instructions?

We have put together a list of common EHRs and the client demographics exporting instructions here.If you don't see your EHR on this list, we suggest contacting your current EHR's Support Team directly to gather exporting instructions. Once you have your client data exported, you can proceed to Step 2 in our Switching process.

What client information can I import into SimplePractice?

You can see exactly which information we can import for you during the Switching process in the Switching template:

Excel data switching template

CSV data switching template

In case you're looking to import information beyond what the Switching template offers, contact our Switching Team.

How do I submit my client list to the Switching Team for import?

To securely submit your client list for import, please store your client list under Jamie Appleseeds Stored Documents section. We ask that you do not send your client list to us as an email attachment as this is not a secure way of sharing your clients' data. When you have uploaded the client list under Jamie Appleseeds Stored section in your SimplePractice account, please contact our Switching Team to let us know that we can begin your import.

How much does importing data cost?

Our Switching process, including importing your client list, is completely free of charge. You can contact our Switching team to learn more.

How do I import past progress notes and documents?

We offer two HIPAA-compliant ways for you to store and access clients past progress notes and documents in your SimplePractice account:Option 1: Keep an archive of all of your client notes by creating a ZIP file of all of your notes thatyou'veexported from your previous EHR. Upload this ZIP file into the Business Documents section of your account. This option is best if youdon'tplan to access these notes regularly.Option 2: Keep an archive for each individual client that youll potentially access more frequently by creating a ZIP file of the notes for each client. Upload the correct file to the Stored Documents box in the clients profile.

You can learn more on creating a zip file and combining multiple PDF files into one by reviewing the optional Step 4 in our Switching process.

Can I import billing and appointment history for my clients?

At this time, we are not able to import appointment and billing history for your clients. However, this is something that you're able to enter manually. You have the option to enter all of the past appointments in your calendar, and enter and backdate any payments made in the past towards these appointments.

How will I be able to gather the remainder of my clients' demographic information?

SimplePractice has made the switching process simpler and faster than ever by only importing client demographic information shown in the Switching template. The remaining client demographic information is collected directly from your clients using the Mass Document Request tool, which is Step 3 in the Switching process. Your clients will receive an email invitation to the Client Portal, and their information will be saved to their client Overview page once they complete and submit the Demographic form via their portal.

Where do I find the Mass Document Request link?

The link to the Mass Document Request button is provided by our Switching Team upon completion of your client list import. One of the Switching coaches will reach out to you directly to let you know that your client list has been imported and they will provide you with the Mass Document Request button link along with instructions on how to use it.

In case you lose the email with the link that was provided to you, you can recover it by contacting our Switching Team and requesting they provide you with the Mass Document Request link again.

Will the Mass Document Request be sent automatically upon import to all clients listed in the Switching template?

The Mass Document Request will not be sent automatically upon uploading your client list. If you included a valid email address and marked Yes in the Send Client Intake column of the Switching template, you'll be able to manually send the Mass Document Request to your clients. This step is completed by you, and our Switching Team will reach out to you with further instructions along with a link to access the Mass Document Request button after your import has been completed.

What if Idon'twant to send the Mass Document Request, or I only want to send it to some clients from the uploaded client list?

The Mass Document Request is not required,but it is recommended. You can choose to not use this feature simply by skipping Step 3 of the Switching process. This means you will need to enter each clients information manually or send the Demographic form to each client individually.

If you wish to use the Mass Document Request button only for specific clients, you will want to indicate Yesin the Send Client Intakecolumn for clients that you do want to send the Mass Document Request toand for the clients that you do not want to send Mass Document Request to mark Noin theSend Client Intakecolumn associated with them. For the clients that you'll be sending the Mass Document Request to, you need to make sure that you include a valid email address in the Switching template when submitting it for import.

Can I use the Mass Document Request button at a later date?

The Mass Document Request button does not expire, and you can choose to use it at any time. However, this is a 1 time button and a non-reversible action, so you'll want to make sure that you prepare all of the Practice Documents prior to using the Mass Document Request button.

Can I send the Mass Document Request to clients that were not imported but rather added manually to my client list?

You will not be able to send the Mass Document Request to manually added clients as this feature is currently only available for the imported client list. You'll need to send a Document Request to each individual client that was manually added separately.

What if I change my mind about who I want to send the mass intake to?

You can make changes in each clients chart individually prior to using the Mass Document Request. If you marked Yes in the Send Client Intake column when you submitted the list for import, you can change this manually to Noon the Client Info page for that specific client by un-checkingOK to send email checkbox.

send our Switching Team a message letting us know that you've completed this

This will update the clients consent to receiving emails from you toNo and the Mass Document Request will not be sent to that specific client.

How many clients can I import?

In case you have more than 500 clients in your Switching template, we suggest that you only import your Active Clients to avoid unnecessary clutter in your client list. You can always add your inactive clients manually at a later date and hold onto their records in your personal archive until then.

How long does the import process take?

Once you securely store your import template and, your client list import will be completed in 1-2 business days.

The average claim processing time will vary from payer to payer. You may see certain insurers paying in a matter of days, while others could take a few weeks. However, if you ever notice that you have not received a status update on a claim in over 30 days, or if you notice a delay in the average processing time for that insurer,we recommend reaching out to the payer directly to request more information on the claim's current status.

When a claim has been in the "Accepted" state for a prolonged amount of time or for more than 30 days, this can indicate that there was an issue with the claim that does not make it eligible for reimbursement. However, the amount of information that the payers share will vary, so our clearinghouse isn't always notified of a rejection or denial.

Note:Keep in mind that when filing claims electronically, the claim will go through processing by several parties. At each of these transmission points, the amount of information each party shares with our clearinghouse, and in turn SimplePractice, will vary. For a visual representation of the journey that your electronic claim submission will take, please refer to the following infographic: How do I get paid for insurance claims?

In cases like this, if you notice that you have not received a status update in several weeks after submitting a claim, or if the claim has reached the "Accepted" state but has not been assigned a payer claim number, you will want to reach out to the payer directly by calling their Provider Services number.During this call, we recommend:

Requesting to speak directly with a live representative

Referencing the claim using:

The member ID number (exactly as it is listed on the claim submission)

The dates of service listed on the claim

Taking note of the call details (including the representative's name, the call reference number, and the number called)

Important:The payer will not be able to locate a claim if it is referenced by the Clearinghouse Reference ID number.

I called the payer and they have no record of receiving the claim. They said "it might be a clearinghouse issue." Was the claim successfully transmitted to the payer?

While there can be rare instances of network-wide issues that prevent the transmission of electronic claims, our clearinghouse has reliable connections with all payers that they work with and are aware of any events that could cause claims not to be successfully submitted.

Note: The "Accepted" status is only sent once the claim has successfully entered the adjudication process.

So, if the payer's rep is not able to locate the claim(s) based on the clients member ID or DOS, it is likely that either:

The claim was submitted to the incorrect Payer ID for the client's insurance plan:This would cause the payer not to receive the electronic submission.

If there's ever any question of where your claims should be submitted, you can reach out to our Customer Success team, and we will be happy to provide the appropriate Payer ID number.

The insured's information listed on the claim was not found in the payer's member database:This could've resulted in an immediate rejection, in which case, the claim never entered the payer's claims database.

We recommend following up with the payer to ensure that the client's benefits plan was active for the DOS on the claim, and that they are eligible for coverage based on the services rendered. You can also check if any of the client's demographic information needs to be updated.

If you've confirmed that the client's plan was active for the billed dates of service, that all of their demographic information was entered correctly on the claim submission, and that the Payer ID number was correct for their insurance plan, and the payer is still unable to locate the claim submission, please take note of the relevant call details. This includes:

The representative's name

The call reference number

The number called

Then, if you write in to our Customer Success team and include all of the call details, our clearinghouse will be able to follow up with the representative to sort out why the payer sent the "Accepted" status, but shows no record of the claim.

Note:Please be aware that without the provider's party reaching out first, the payer will only share very limited information with our team at the clearinghouse.

SimplePracticeallows you to inactivate clients that you are not actively seeing. The inactive status for a client is an excellent option for showing that she or he has been discharged. Making a client inactive will allow you to keep the client data in your account in case you choose to reactivate the client in the future. Additionally, inactive clients will not show up in your client list.

Here's how to make a client inactive:

Log into your SimplePractice account.

Go to the Client Overview page for the client you wish to inactivate.

ClickView/edit client info.

On the Client Info tab, deselect Activeas shown below. Client Portal

ClickSave.

You can access inactive clients by selecting the Clients link in the navigation bar on the leftand then selecting the Inactive link on the main Clients page on the top right.

Note:If you prefer to delete a client (this removes all of their data), this article will show you how.

Here's how to make a client active from the inactive state:

Log into your SimplePractice account.

Go to the Clients page for the client you wish to inactivate.

Click the dropdown menu and select to view Inactive Clients.

On the Inactive Client list, select the inactive client that you wish to make active.

From the currently inactive client's Overview page, clickView/edit client info.

To mark the client active, click theActivebox and press save.

Note:Inactive Clients can still accessyourand they will not come up when attempting to search for them using the Search Client feature:

You can use the SimplePractice website from your iPad or Android tablet. Many of our current members choose to do this for the convenience of running their practice while away from the office computer.

To make the site fasterto access from a tablet, just create a shortcut to SimplePractice.com from your tablet's home screen (aka desktop). Here's how:

On iPad:

1) Open Safari andgo to the SimplePractice login page: https://secure.simplepractice.com

2) Create a shortcut by tapping the Share icon in the upper left corner of Safari.

3) Then tap Add to Home Screen.

This will create a SimplePractice icon on your Home Screenthat will take you to SimplePractice with just one tap.

On Android:

1) Open your browser and go tothe SimplePractice login page: https://secure.simplepractice.com

2)Tapthe Menubutton - On manyAndroid devices its the three vertical dots at the top of your screen.

3) Tap the Star symbol.

4) Select the Folder where you want to save this Bookmark and tap Save.

5) Tap the Menu button again and tap Bookmarks.

6) Locate the SimplePractice.com Bookmark you just created and press and hold on it to display a new menu.

7) Tap "Add to Home Screen."

Your new SimplePractice.com shortcut is now right on your home screenalongside your other apps. Anytime you want to access SimplePractice, just tap this shortcut and you'll be taken directly to your account.

You can use the content below to share with clients before their first Telehealth appointment.

Tip: Want this content in a beautifully designed handout you can share with clients today? Here's the PDF version of the content below.

______________________________________________________________________________

Getting started with Telehealth - Client handout

This guide includes basic tips and instructions on how to join a video appointment, as well as some FAQs to make your first video call a success.

To prepare, please review the following information before your first video appointment. You may still have questions, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

In this article:

What is Telehealth?

What equipment do I need?

The day of the call

Using a desktop or laptop computer

Using a smartphone or tablet

Tips for success

FAQs

What should I do if I didnt get the reminder with the link?

What is SimplePractice?

What can I do to do improve the quality of the connection?

How should I prepare my space for a Telehealth appointment?

Is Telehealth private?

Will the appointments be recorded?

What is Telehealth?

Through audio and video over the internet, you can meet with your clinician on-the-go from your desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device ( iOS or Android) - it's your choice!

Telehealth allows us to connect anywhere with secure and convenient appointments that save you time and hassle. There's no need to deal with traffic when you can schedule and attend your appointments directly from a laptop or mobile device.

What equipment do I need?

To participate in Telehealth appointments from your home, you will need one of the following devices:

Desktop computer with a webcam, speakers, a 2.5 GHz processor, and 4 GB of RAMOR

Laptop computer with built-in webcam and speakers,a 2.5 GHz processor, and 4 GB of RAM OR

Tablet device with built-in webcam and speakers, OR

Smartphone withat least iOS 10 or Android 6.0(Note: To use a smartphone, you must first download Telehealth by SimplePractice - available for iOS or Android in the app store.)

You will also need an internet connection that is at least 10mbps. For optimal results, a reliable, high-speed internet connection with a bandwidth of at least 10 mbps will minimize connection issues and provide the best quality.

Note: We recommend using the Pre-call Tool to check your internet connection.

The day of the call

Using a desktop or laptop computer

If you plan to use a desktop or laptop, there is nothing to download prior to your appointment. Here are the steps to join:

Approximately 10 minutes before your appointment, you'll receive an email appointment reminder.

Note: If you have already consented to receiving text and/or email reminders, you will continue to receive them for Telehealth appointments as well. For new clients, make sure you have provided your email and or mobile phone number so that I can enable email or text reminders.

Click the unique link embedded in the reminder. You may have to copy and paste the link into your web browser if clicking the link does not work. Your video call screen will now open in a new tab.

If I have already joined the call, you will see my face on the screen. If I have not, you will see yourself, as shown below.

internet speed test

You will also see the Welcome prompt. Click Play test sound to test the your camera and microphone settings.

When you are ready, click Join Video Call. This will take you straight into the video call.

Tip:For information about enabling camera and microphone access, please see: How to enable camera and microphone access for Telehealth.

Using a smartphone or tablet

If you plan to use a mobile device, here are the steps to join:

Download Telehealth by SimplePractice (for iOS or Android ) in the app store. Approximately 10 minutes before your appointment, you should receive an email appointment reminder.

Open the reminder email on your device and click the unique link. This will open the Telehealth by SimplePractice app.

If I have already joined the call, you will see my face on the screen. If I have not, you will see yourself.

When you are ready, click Join Video Call. This will take you straight into the video call.

Note: There may be a slight delay for me to join the appointment if I am finishing with a previous appointment. Please be patient and I will join momentarily.

Tips for success

I recommend joining the video appointment a few minutes early to test your settings.

If you can connect to the Internet, but are having trouble joining the video, you can use our recommended Pre-call Tool.

To use a smartphone to join a video chat, you must first download the Telehealth by SimplePractice app available in the app store for iOS or Android.

If you need to cancel or have questions about the appointment, please contact me.

FAQs

What should I do if I didnt get the reminder with the link?

Contact me if you did not get the link so I can send it to you via email or secure messaging.

What is SimplePractice?

SimplePractice, LLC is my practice management software for scheduling, case management, and Telehealth, and therapy notes. SimplePractice, LLC, uses a HIPAA compliant software so your information will be securely kept.

What can I do to do improve the quality of the connection?

If you live in an area with slow internet, this can really affect the speed of your connection. Here are some basic steps that can improve the overall quality:

Use wired Ethernet instead of wifi whenever possible. Wifi will work, but you may experience a lag and interference, which can make your video and audio choppy. If you experience a lag or interference while using Wifi, we recommend moving closer to your router. However, wired internet will give you a much smoother, more consistent experience.

Test your internet connection speed. Google provides an easy way to test your internet connection directly from the google homepage. Simply search: . Click the blue button that says Run Speed Test. If it is under 10mbps and youre using wifi, try using a wired internet connection or restarting your router.

Close other programs. If you have several programs running in the background, closing them will almost certainly improve the quality. Also, make sure youre not downloading any large files.

If you are unable to connect, please contact me as soon as possible to see if I can help you troubleshoot.

How should I prepare my space for a Telehealth appointment?

Identify a suitable room that is quiet, private, and free of distractions.

To keep background noise to a minimum, make sure to close any doors, shut windows, turn off the television, and keep loud pets in another room if possible. Consider hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on the door to avoid interruptions.

Is Telehealth private?

Just like a face-to-face appointment, your Telehealth visit will be private and confidential.

Will the appointments be recorded?

None of our appointments will ever be recorded or stored.

Reports (formerly Insights) provides data and organizes information to help you run your business better. These reports include data related to topics such as Overall Income by Month, Text & Voice Reminders Sent, Unpaid Insurance Appointments, and Income Received by Clinician. Click Reports on your Calendar homepage to view your practice analytics.

Here you'll find:

Projected Income for This Month

Income from Last Month

Income year-to-date

AnIncome by Monthgraph that shows your practices growth trends over time. If you take insurance, you can sort this data by Client Payments and Insurance Payments.

Client Payments: Card processing in SimplePractice

Practice Reports organized into three categories:

Client Reports

Appointment Status

Outstanding Balances

Attendance

Invoices

Unpaid Invoices

Emails Sent

Text & Voice Reminders Sent

Insurance Reports

Unpaid Insurance Appointments

Claim Aging

Claims Filed

Electronic Payment Reports

Insurance Processing Fees

Coverage Reports

Practice Income Reports

Overall Income by Month

Income Charged by Clinician (group practices only)

Income Received by Clinician (group practice only)

(Year) Tax Report

Payout reports ( Online Payments must be enabled)

Card Transactions report ( Online Payments must be enabled)

Referral Sources report

Note:Each report can be downloaded as a CSV or Excel file, allowing you to easily review or print as needed.

Important: The income-related reports do not include Stripe fees.

Projected Income for This Month

Projected Income for This Month is a dollar amount estimate for the expected revenue for a given month. This estimate combines both:

The client and insurance payments already collected in the month

The single appointment rates for all appointments scheduled for the remainder of the month

Here's what the formula looks like:

(Client payments + Insurance payments recorded in the month to date)1 + (Fees for future non-cancelled appointments for the rest of the month)

1Once an appointment has passed and remains unpaid, it's no longer included in the Projected Income until the appointment fee is paid.

Note: Please remember that these are just estimates based off of the information entered into your account and averages related to insurance. Additionally, only Account Owners or Clinicians with Administrator Access can view Projected Income for This Month.

Income from Last Month

Income from Last Monthshows how much income was recorded in SimplePractice for the previous month. If a payment was recorded last month, that means it's included in this number, regardless of when the appointment occurred. The number of appointments shown here denotes the number of appointments you received income from in the last month. Those can be appointments with the statuses show, no show, and/or late cancelled.

Income year-to-date

This is the total sum of all the payments you've received in the current year.The number of appointments shown here denotes the number of appointments you received income from in the last year. Those can be appointments with the statuses show, no show, and/or late cancelled.

CLIENT REPORTS

Appointment Status

The Appointment Status Report details the financial status of every appointment in your practice. This report allows you to see the billing history for a client and to easily identify billing discrepancies so that you can make the corrections you need.

Outstanding Balances

This is an overview of the balance information for both the client and the client's insurance company. Note that the insurance payments on this report only include the insurance payments allocated to the client's appointments. You can filter this report by date, and you can also choose to view clientsWith Balance,Show Details, and/orInclude Insurance.

Attendance

This report is organized by client based on appointment status: Show, Cancelled, Late Cancelled, No Show.

Invoices

This report shows the status of every invoice in your account. You can sort this report by date range and by invoice status:Paid or Credit,Unpaid, orPast Due.

Unpaid Invoices

This is an aging report of cash owed by clients, excluding insurance money owed.

Emails Sent

This report gives you a record of emails that are sent from SimplePractice's system for the last 30 days.Emails include: invitations to clients to complete the intake, your schedule for today, self-scheduling invitations (Professional Plan), enrollment updates, insurance claim updates, and subscription-related emails (e.g., invoices and payments for your account).

Text & Voice Reminders Sent

This report keeps a record of the reminders sent to your clients in the last 30 days. You can refer to this report to check to see if a reminder was sent to a client. For more information about appointment reminders, see these guide: How to set up appointment reminders and Making sense of client reminder statuses.

INSURANCE REPORTS

Unpaid Insurance Appointments

This report shows a list of unpaid insurance appointments for each client listed by date.

Claim Aging

The Claim Aging report is an aging report on money owed from insurance companies, and it's sorted by insurance provider.

Unbilled:This is the sum of the appointment fees that have not been included on a superbill or on a CMS claim form.

Total Charges:This is the sum of all insurance claims, both electronic and printed CMS 1500 claims.

Due 30 Days:This is the sum of all unpaid claims for appointments that were created more than 30 days ago.

Due 60 Days:This is the sum of all unpaid claims for appointments that were created more than 60 days ago.

Balance Due:This tells you the entire balance due for all claims created for this payer.

Claims Filed

This report shows a list of all insurance claims that have been filed electronically through SimplePractice for a selected date range.

Electronic Payment Reports

This report shows a list of all payment reports (electronic EOBs) received through SimplePractice for a selected date range.

Insurance Processing Fees

This report shows a list of charges incurred from electronic claim filing. Claims on the pay-as-you-go plan cost $.25/claim and can hold up to 6 appointments per client per claim. For more information about our claims packages, refer to this guide: How much does it cost to bill insurance through SimplePractice?

Coverage Reports

This report shows a list of all insurance coverage reports generated via SimplePractice in a selected date range.

PRACTICE INCOME REPORTS

Overall Income by Month

This report details your monthly total income from clients and insurance companies received during a given month regardless of when the services for those payments occurred.

Note:If you would like to generate a report detailing end of year totals, you can export this report as a CSV or Excel file and then manipulate the data to best serve your accounting or reporting needs.

Income Charged by Clinician (group practices only)

This report shows the total amount of invoices for the selected time period. The report will show a total of invoiced and uninvoiced amounts. This will be helpful to ensure all appointments are invoiced and to keep up with the total amounts billed by each clinician.

Income Received by Clinician (group practice only)

The Income Received by Clinician report shows the total amount of payments received by the clinician for a Pay Period. You also have the ability to create Pay Period Snapshots and view Adjustments. To learn more about this report, please see this guide: Payments Received by Clinician report & Past Pay Periods Snapshots.

(Year) Tax Report

When you click(Year) Tax Report, you'll see a green banner appear letting you know that we're compiling your report and that we'll email you letting you know when it's ready. When you receive the email, it will contain a link to download your tax report. This link will expire after 24 hours. Once your report has downloaded, it should look similar to this:

Payout reports

Payout reports detail all of the credit card charges processed through your account. You can see the following details pertaining to each charge:

Date of the charge

Status of the charge

If theStatusisFailed, hover over thei information icon to learn the details of the failure.

The Bank/Card used for the charge

The Description of the charge

The Arrival

This is the date your payout will arrive in your bank account. For pending or in transit payouts, this date is the expected date.

The Amount of the charge

Card Transactions report

ClickingView Transactions will take you to theCard Transactions reportthat details:

TheDate of the charge

TheClient charged

The Typeof transaction

TheStatus of the charge

TheFee associated with the transaction

TheAmount

Note:You can also navigate to yourCard Transactionsfrom your Calendar homepage by clickingBilling > Card Transactions.

For the selected period of time, you can also view the financial breakdownin the banner that includes the following:

Net: The amount that you earned minus processing fees

Gross Amount: The amount that you earned before fees

Fees: The processing fees associated with the payout (2.95% + $0.30 for eachsuccessfultransaction)

ClickingView details will allow you to view the Transaction Details:

ThePayout IDassociated with the transaction

TheArrival

The Description of the charge

If theStatusisFailed, the Failure message will be listed

The Amount

You also have the option to exportthis report by clicking theExport button from the Transactions report. Once you do that, we'll send you an email when the file is ready for you to download.

To download the file, you'll go toMy Account > Settings > Data Exports and click the correct file.

Tip: To set up StripeOnline Payments in your account, navigate toMy Account > Settings > Billing and Services > Online Payments and follow the steps found in this guide:.

Referral Sources report

The Referral Sources report details where referrals came from and the Total Revenue attributed to those sources.Total Revenue is the lifetime revenue from clients that have a referral specific source associated with them.

This report also allows you to manage your referral sources. ClickingManage Sources will allow you to remove sources from your list.

You also have the option to export the Referral Sources report as an Excel or CSV file.

Note:Each role has access to this report except forSchedulers,Supervisors, andClinicians with Basic Access. OnlyAdministratorswill have access to theTotal Revenuecolumn and toManage Sources.

Tip:You can add a referral source for a client by going to the client'sOverviewpage >Edit Details. There, scroll down to findtheReferred bysection and add in the information.

Note:We plan to continue to build out the data visualization items and reports on this page to provide you with more visibility into the inner workings of your practice.

For every client appointment, you can add a progress note and a psychotherapy note from the Session Details page.

Below, you can learn more about...

Progress & psychotherapy notes

Adding a note

How to write your progress and psychotherapy notes

How to edit or delete an existing note

Printing a note

Progress & psychotherapy notes

Progress Notesare tied to the Medical Record of a Client. If you are required to share client records with other professionals or insurance companies, the progress note for each appointment will be included when you print out the note.

Psychotherapy notesare not tied to the Medical Record of the Client and do not need to be shared with others except if your records are subpoenaed. To lock and sign a progress note, click Lock this note. If you are pre-licensed under supervision, you have the option to Sign & Share with your Supervisor. You will know the note is locked because you will see a message like this one: customized notes templates

Adding a note

Notes are added on the Session Details page. You can access this page from the calendar, appointment flyout window, or from the client's chart.

Option 1.

Click the note icon on the appointment while on the Week view of the calendar.

Option 2.

Click the appointment from the Calendar page.

Click the Add Note link.

Option 3.

Navigate to the client's Overview page.

Click Add Progress Note.

How to write your progress and psychotherapy notes

Once you are on the Progress Note page, simply start typing into the blank box provided.

If you are on the Essential Plan, you will be able to select a Simple Progress note (blank) or populate the note field with a SOAP or DAP note.

On the Professional Plan, you can select from your list of . We have provided a note template as an example.

Click Load Previous Noteto load (and edit) the previous Progress note. This will pull forward your previous appointment's Progress note for this client, as shown below.

Once on the Session Details page, type your Progress and/or Psychotherapy notes in the appropriate fields.

Click Save.

Note:1. When a clinician's specialty is set to anything other than Behavioral Health Therapist or Substance Abuse Counselor all reference to Psychotherapy Notes on sessions she or he is assigned to will not be available as this is not typically a field that they would need. 2. If a clinician with a specialty other thanBehavioral Health Therapist or Substance Abuse Counselor has previously saved a Psychotherapy note for a client, she or he will still have access to this field. 3. If a clinician's specialty is changed to Behavioral Health Therapist or Substance Abuse Counselor, the Psychotherapy note field and "add psychotherapy note" link will start displaying for all of this clinician's client sessions (both past and future).

How to edit or delete an existing note

Editing a Note

Here's how to edit an existing note:

Hover your cursor over a note to display Edit, as shown below.

Click Edit.

Make any changes you like, then click Save.

Deleting a Note

Here's how to delete an existing note:

Hover your cursor over a note to displayDelete.

Click Delete to permanently delete the note.

Note: Be careful, there is no way to recover a deleted note.We cannot recover a note you have deleted.

Printing a note

Here's how to print a note:

Once you've saved a Progress Note or a Psychotherapy Note for a client, you will see that you now have the option to print.

ClickPrint, choose which document(s) you would like to print, and then press the Print button once more to be taken to the options for printing.

Typically, the intake forms are completed online through the Client Portal. However, we understand that not all clients use email. In those cases, you can use a paper form (see below) to collect this information, but it will require a few additional steps to get the information needed into the Client Portal.

Follow the steps below to make sure that you collect and enter all the necessary information for the client. If you do not need to print the entire intake packet, you can skip to the form(s) you need below.

In this article:

Printing the entire intake packet

Printing a blank Intake form

Printing practice documents

Printing a blank payment authorization form

Printing a blank client demographic form

Storing the completed documents in the clients SimplePractice profile

Printing the entire intake packet

The intake forms/documents most customers ask clients to fill out before their first appointment include:

Intake form (Why are you seeking treatment, etc.)

Practice documents (Notice of Privacy Practices, Informed Consent, etc.)

Credit card authorization form

Demographic form (general contact & insurance info.)

Note: Here is a printable version of the entire intake packet [via Google docs]. You will be prompted to "Make a Copy" in order to edit.

Important: Please read before you print the 12 page document. You will need to add your practice name, address, and logo (or delete the placeholders) on page 1, and add a few additional details on pages 11 and 12. Also, the document is intended for behavioral health practices, so you may need to make additional changes to make it relevant to your practice.

Printing a blank Intake form

If you have created a custom intake form, here is how to print it out:

Go to My Account > Settings > Notes and Forms.

Select the intake you want to print.

Click the eye icon next to the template name to open the preview.

Click Print (in the upper right corner) to open the standard Print dialog window.

Select your printer and click Print.

Printing practice documents

In addition to the Intake form, you will want to print out the practice documents (e.g., Notice of Privacy Practices, Informed Consent, etc.) for your client to sign.

Heres how:

Go to My Account > Settings > Client Portal.

Select Shared Documents and Files.

Click View > Print for each document, and this will open the standard Print dialog window.

Select your printer and click Print.

Printing a blank payment authorization form

To add payment information into the clients profile, you will need to do one of the following:

Have the client sign a paper copy of the Credit Card Authorization Form. Here is a template with only the credit card authorization questions [via Google docs] that you can copy and personalize.You will be prompted to "Make a Copy" in order to edit.

Ask the client for the card they intend to use and enter the card directly into the clients Overview page.

Printing a blank client demographic form

To get the clients demographic information into the portal, you will have to do one of the following:

Provide a paper version (here is a template with only the demographic questions [via Google docs] you can copy and personalize) of the demographic form to the client to fill out (and manually enter this into the clients Overview page),

Ask the client the questions and type the responses directly into the clients profile in the portal,

Use your (the clinicians) email to log in to the Client Portal as the client, and then ask the client to fill out the forms on a computer in your office.

Storing the completed documents in the clients SimplePractice profile

Once your client completes the forms, youll need upload copies to the clients Overview page. You can either scan the documents, or take a picture with your smartphone and email them to yourself. Heres instructions on how to do both:

Scan documents:

Scan each page.

Save the scanned pages to your computer.

Click Store New Document to store the pictures directly in the clients SimplePractice profile, as shown below.

Storing client documents

Use the mobile app to securely take and store pictures:

On the mobile app, go to the client's Overview page.

ClickStored.

Click the+.

Select eitherTake photo orPick a file.

Take a picture of each page or upload the correct file from your device.

Click Ok.

The image(s) will now be saved in the client'sStored Documents section.

Note: For additional details to store client documents, heres our guide: .

If you set the clients appointment fee incorrectly or you decide to change the fee for your client, you may need todelete and recreate invoices for these appointments.

For example: lets say you have an appointment for $100 and create an invoice for the $100 appointment. The invoice will display $100 due for the appointment.

But what if you meant to charge the client $80 for this appointment? If you edit the appointment fee and change it to $80, the invoicewon'tautomatically change to $100.

The system thinks you are making an adjustment so it creates an adjustment invoicewith a $20 credit. This way, the system will reflect that the client only owes $80. These additional invoices can beconfusing if you didnt mean to bill that way.

How to fix this

Lets walk through the correct steps, which will leave you with a cleaner billing page.For the appointment thatisn'tbilled correctly you can chooseone of two options:

Option 1. You are correcting the invoice because it shows the incorrectfee and you only intend to billthe client $80. **THIS IS MOST TYPICAL**

In this case, you shoulddelete the incorrect invoice. Head to the clients billing overview page, then click on the invoice listed next to the appointment in the appointment line.

This will open the invoice, then click on the red Delete button in the top right corner.

Next, hover over the appointment that you want to change. Click on Edit under the appointment fee.

Edit the appointment fee (from $100 to $80). Click on Save.

Then create a new invoice for the client. You can either click "uninvoiced" in the at-a-glance section or use the +Create button at the top of the page.

Option 2. You want to create an adjustment invoice and youdon'twant to delete the original invoice. In this case, you canedit the appointment fee and let the system create the adjustment invoice. You'll see two invoices for the appointment: An initial invoice and an adjustment invoice.

In this case, you just want to edit the appointment fee. Head to the clients billing overview page, then hover over the appointment that you want to change. Click on Edit under the appointment fee.

Edit the appointment fee. Click on Save.

The system will automatically generate an adjustment invoice listed in theuninvoiced section of your at-a-glance. If you have invoices set to be created automatically, this adjustment invoice will be generated overnight. Otherwise, you can create it manually by clicking on "uninvoiced" in the at-a-glance section.

You will then see theinitial invoice and an adjustment invoice in line with the appointment.

To manage your SimplePractice subscription, you can navigate to My Account > Settings > Subscription Information. On this page, you can:

Edit or cancel your Subscription Plan

Enable or disable Telehealth for your account

View your SimplePractice Invoices

View your Insurance Filing information and choose or change your Insurance Package

security measures

Note:SimplePractice acceptsVisa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club cards for subscription fees.

To access your subscription invoices, navigate toMy Account > Settings > Subscription Information> Invoices.

On the Invoices page, you can view all of your subscription invoices from previous months. Click View Invoice to open a past invoice.

Invoices will show you the details of your charges with a description of what you were charged for. You can also download or print invoices by clicking the icons at the top.

If you need to cancel your account, you can follow these steps:

Export your data to keep your records after leaving SimplePractice. Make sure you have the data export saved and accessible before you proceed to cancel your SimplePractice account.

Navigate toMy Account > Settings > Subscription Information and clickWant to cancel your account?

Note:There is not an option to suspend an account or put an account on holddue to the we have to observe.

Below, you'll find answers to the frequently asked questions we've seen about Wiley Treatment Planners in SimplePractice:

How long will Wiley be free?

How much will Wiley cost once the trial period is over?

Do I have to turn Wiley on to be able to access it?

I have a group practice, will I have the option of paying for Wiley for some of my clinicians and not others?

Will you be integrating Wiley for Progress Notes?

Can I edit the Wiley treatment plan?

Why can't I find the right presenting problem I need?

Why is the Wiley treatment plan option unavailable after I enter a diagnosis code for my client?

Which Wiley Treatment Planners will I have access to?

Note:To learn more about using Wiley Treatment Planners, see this guide: Using Wiley Treatment Planners.

How long will Wiley be free?

You will be able to have unlimited access to Wiley from now until January 1, 2020. At that time, you may choose whether or not youd like to continue using the feature for a fee.

How much will Wiley cost once the trial period is over?

$15/month per clinician.

Do I have to turn Wiley on to be able to access it?

No, it is already fully accessible during the Wiley free trial. Once the free trial has ended, you'll have the option to enable/disable Wiley Treatment Planners.

I have a group practice, will I have the option of paying for Wiley for some of my clinicians and not others?

Yes, youll be able to pay for Wiley only for the clinicians that use it.

Will you be integrating Wiley for Progress Notes?

Were looking for feedback from our customer community to understand challenges this feature would solve.To contribute to our understanding, please share information about your workflow using WileyPractice Planners here: Wiley Treatment Planners Integration.

Can I edit the Wiley treatment plan?

Yes, you can edit any field of the Wiley treatment plan information once youComplete and Save the plan. To make any necessary adjustments, pressEdit from theOverview page.

Why can't I find the right presenting problem that I need?

The list of presenting problems only includes the presenting problems outlined in the Wiley Treatment Planner selected. If you do not see the correct presenting problem listed, make sure that you've selected the correct Treatment Planner.

Why is the Wiley treatment plan option unavailable after I enter a diagnosis code for my client?

The +Wiley option will only be available for those diagnoses that have Wiley data associated with them. Additionally, if you select one diagnosis that does have Wiley data and a second diagnosis that does not have Wiley data, the +Wiley option will not be available to use. You will need to create a Basic or Advanced treatment plan instead.

Which Wiley Treatment Planners will I have access to?

You will have access to the latest editions of the 32 Treatment Planners Wiley has available. Heres the complete list:

Author

Treatment Planner

Perkinson

The Addiction Treatment Planner: Includes DSM-5 Updates, 5th Edition

Jongsma

The Adolescent Psychotherapy Treatment Planner: IncludesDSM-5 Updates, 5th Edition

Jongsma

The Behavioral Medicine Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Child Psychotherapy Treatment Planner: Includes DSM-5Updates, 5th Edition

Jongsma

The College Student Counseling Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner: Includes DSM-5 Updates, 5th Edition

Jongsma

The Complete Women's Psychotherapy Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Continuum of Care Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates

O'Leary

The Couples Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Kolski

The Crisis Counseling and Traumatic Events Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Jongsma

The Employee Assistance Treatment Planner

Dattilio

The Family Therapy Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Evosevich

The Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Group Therapy Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates,3rd Edition

Jongsma

The Intellectual and Developmental Disability Treatment Planner, with DSM 5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Jongsma

The Juvenile Justice and Residential Care Treatment Planner, with DSM 5 Updates

Frazer

The Older Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, with DSM5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Jongsma

The Parenting Skills Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates

Jongsma

The Personality Disorders Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Probation and Parole Treatment Planner, with DSM 5 Updates

Jongsma

The Psychopharmacology Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Rehabilitation Psychology Treatment Planner

Knapp

The School Counseling and School Social Work TreatmentPlanner, with DSM-5 Updates, 2nd Edition

Jongsma

The Severe and Persistent Mental Illness Treatment Planner,2nd Edition

Jongsma

The Sexual Abuse Victim and Sexual Offender Treatment Planner, with DSM 5 Updates

Jongsma

The Social Work and Human Services Treatment Planner, withDSM 5 Updates

Jongsma

The Special Education Treatment Planner

Jongsma

The Suicide and Homicide Risk Assessment and PreventionTreatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates

Moore

The Veterans and Active Duty Military PsychotherapyTreatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates

Thisis the view of the Credit Card Informationform that your client will see when filling out their intake. You can send this form with the client intake if you've set up a Stripe Online Payments Stripe Online Payments account.

download this guide

Tip: If you'd like to see how clients make credit card payments in your Client Portal, . We recommend that you share it with your clients.

Below, you'll find detailed information about managing appointments in SimplePractice. You can learn about:

Scheduling a new appointment

Editing or deleting an existing appointment

Managing client information changes for future appointments

Scheduling a new appointment

Here's how to add a new appointment:

Click +Createat the top of the page, then selectCreate Appointment.(You can also justclick directly on the calendar.)

From theNew Appointmentflyout window, select an existing clientor click+ New Client.

Set thedate,time,durationfor the appointment.

Setting the clinician.If you have multiple clinicians, yourappointment will default to the primary clinician assigned to this client. To switch the appointment to a different clinician: click Change, then select the clinician from the dropdown list.

Service code.Confirm that the service code and rate are correct. To make change. click Edit next to the appointment fee.

Set the appointment type (individual or couple).

ClickDone.

Note: The clinician assigned to this appointment will also receive payment for this appointment.

recreate

Editing or deleting an existing appointment

Toedit existing appointments, follow these steps:

From theCalendarpage, click on theappointmentto view the details.

Edit any of the appointment information and clickDone.

If the appointment is part of a recurring series, you will be asked if your changes should be applied to just the one appointment you are editing or to all appointments in the series.

Tip: If you are part of a group practice and need to change the clinician associated with a client's appointment, you will need to delete the appointment and recreate it with the correct details and assigned clinician.

To delete an appointment, select the appointment and click the trash icon.

Tip:For more information about adjusting or printing your calendar, see this guide: Customizing the calendar view and printing your schedule.

Note: We don't have an option to cancel multiple appointments at once for different clients. Each appointment will need to be canceled individually from the calendar flyout. A best practice we've seen clinicians use is sending a Secure Message to communicate these appointment cancelations with your clients.

Managing client information changes for future appointments

If a client's billing or insurance information changes, updating the information in the client's Billing and Insurance tab will not automatically update the client's future appointments. To have the updated information reflected for future appointments, delete all existing appointments including all recurring appointments and them on the calendar.