Overview
Treatment estimates can be used to communicate treatment costs to animal owners before beginning procedures or when additional treatments are needed over a more extended hospital stay. Treatment estimates can be easily changed into actual invoice items.
You can also create estimate bundles to be used as templates for the most commonly used estimates. Instead of always creating a frequently used estimate from scratch, you can create a new estimate quickly by using an estimate bundle as a template.
In addition to estimate bundles, you can use an existing estimate as a template for a new one by copying an existing treatment estimate.
Settings
Note: The settings listed below are specifically related to treatment estimates. Many other settings related to invoicing and financials in general also affect treatment estimates.
Show Estimate Usage Percentually
Settings > General > Clinic location > Clinic location settings > Show estimate usage percentually
When estimates are used in consultations, it may be useful to see how the current treatment costs compare to the sum of the estimate. When this setting is selected, the percentual use of the estimate is shown on the consultation page.
Cost Estimate Limit Percentage
Settings > General > Clinic location > Consultation general info settings > Cost estimate limit percentage
With this setting, you can show a warning when the sum of the treatment items in the consultation is reaching the estimated limit. Users are alerted when less than this percentage is left in the estimate. For example, if you set the limit as 10, a warning is shown on the consultation page when the total invoice sum is over 90% of the estimate sum. To show no warning, leave the field empty.
Price and Quantity Ranges
Settings > General > Clinic location > Clinic location settings > Enable price and quantity ranges on treatment estimates
Sometimes the cost of procedures such as operations cannot be fixed before the procedure has been completed. In these cases, you can use this setting to show the cost of procedures as a range.
You can also select whether cost ranges are displayed in single or separate columns. This setting is set separately for the user interface and printouts:
User interface: Settings > General > Clinic location > Clinic location settings > Display style for estimate numeric ranges
Printouts: Settings > General > Print settings > Estimate > Display style for estimate numeric ranges
Cost Estimate Email Message
Settings > General > Print settings > Estimate > Custom text in estimate email
With this setting, you can add a customized text that is included in the email when estimates are sent by email.
Cost Estimate Agreement Text
Settings > General > Print settings > Estimate > Show agreement section on cost estimates and Estimate agreement text
With these settings, you can add an agreement section in the estimate printout (PDF).
Item Ordering on Estimates
Settings > General > Clinic location > Clinic location settings > Enable alternative item ordering on estimates and invoices
Items are normally grouped on estimates by their type, such as procedures and medicines. When this setting is selected, items are not grouped, but listed in the order they were added to the estimate. This setting also affects regular invoices.
Customizing Estimate PDFs
The appearance of bundles and individual item prices on finalized estimate PDFs is controlled by the bundle’s print settings. These settings work as follows:
Show bundle title on finalized estimate: If selected, the PDF displays only the bundle title along with the total price. If not selected, individual bundle items are shown.
Show items included in bundle on finalized estimate: This option becomes available only when the first setting is selected. If enabled, the bundle items are listed under the bundle title but without their individual prices. To display individual item prices on the PDF, ensure that neither option is selected. This will omit the bundle title and show each item as a regular price line with its unit price.
Declining Estimate Items
Settings > General > Clinic location > Clinic location settings > Enable declining estimate items
When this setting is selected, you can mark items as declined by the client on the estimate.
Client Personal ID on Estimate Printout
Settings > General > Print settings > Clinic location header information > ID number
When this setting is selected, the client's personal ID number is shown in the header information of the estimate printout. The ID number must be added to the client's profile first.
Managing Preliminary Price Estimates
Finalizing estimates: Preliminary price estimates remain unfinalized if sent by email. Finalize the estimate only when it is ready or approved. If you expect to edit it, or you are waiting for confirmation, leave it unfinalized.
Locating saved estimates: Unfinalized estimates can be found on Billing > Estimates. You can also open them from the relevant client or patient page on Billing > Estimates.
Autosave: Preliminary price estimates save as you type. If a Save button is shown, select it before you exit. Otherwise, the estimate is saved as a draft if it is not finalized.