Cost Tracking System

OVERVIEW

• Sample Incident Cost form in HTML format

The FirstReport Online (FROL) Service includes an incident cost tracking system that can be enabled for all accounts except those based on OSHA only products. Once enabled, the system can be customized by an end user Master Administrator to suit their individual needs.

At its core, the incident cost tracking system is based on the simple equation A = B + C. Internal to the system, the letters of the equation have the meanings A = Total, B = Paid, C = Reserve so that the complete base equation becomes Total = Paid + Reserve.

The incident cost tracking system allows four separate costs to be tracked using the base equation and also maintains a summation of the individual costs.

Each employer for which the cost tracking system has been enabled has an associated cost profile that is used to define how cost tracking is to be implemented.

Using the cost profile, a Master Administrator can

                Specify which users will have access to the cost tracking system

                Enable the four individual costs to be tracked and specify how they are to be tracked

                Provide a description for each of the individual costs

                Provide a description for each of the three elements that make up the base equation

Even though cost profiles are created at the employer level, the system also allows a cost profile to be created at the employer group level. If a profile is created at the employer group level, then for each employer under the employer group, the Master Administrator has the option to "lock" or "unlock" the employer profile. When locked, the employer profile is synchronized to the employer group profile and cannot be edited independently. When unlocked, the employer profile can be edited independent of the employer group profile and cost tracking for the unlocked employer can be configured completely different from the employer group cost tracking.

When cost tracking has been enabled for an employer, authorized end users will have access to the following:

Incident Cost Tracking Form - this form is accessed from the individual FROL incident form by a command button at the bottom of the page. The form displays a summary of the information from the FROL incident along with the individual cost items which were enabled on the employer profile and a summation of the individual costs items. The form includes command buttons that allow the cost tracking information to be saved to the FROL database and to create a detailed incident cost tracking report or export.

Detailed Cost Tracking Report - this report is generated from the Incident Cost Tracking Form and displays all of the cost tracking information for a specific FROL incident in the greatest level of detail.

Detailed Cost Tracking Export - this export is generated from the Incident Cost Tracking Form and presents the data used to generate the detailed report in a text file format (csv).

Summary Cost Tracking Report - this report is generated via the Data Manager or Summary Report functions off the main FROL menu.

Summary Cost Tracking Report - this export is generated via the Data Manager or Summary Report functions off the main FROL menu. This report presents the data used to generate the summary report in a text file format (csv).

COST PROFILE

Cost profile data is entered on the Employer or Employer Group profile forms. If cost tracking is available for an account, then an "Enable Cost Tracking" selection list will appear at the top of the form. Depending on the option chosen in this selection list, an expandable form section will appear at the bottom of the form that displays the cost tracking configuration fields. The individual profile components are described below.

Enable Cost Tracking - this selection list has three options:

Cost Tracking Enabled - this option enables cost tracking for the employer and causes the cost tracking configuration fields to be displayed at the bottom of the form. Once enabled, the cost tracking forms and reports will be available to authorized users.

Cost Tracking Disabled - If a cost profile has been previously enabled, selecting this option will disable cost tracking. When disabled, the existing cost profile data and incident cost data will remain in the FROL database but the cost tracking forms and reports will no longer be available to authorized users. In addition, incident cost data for the disabled profile will not be included in roll-up reports. A cost profile cannot be created in a disabled state. For this scenario you must first create the profile as enabled and then disable the profile.

Not Configured - This option indicates that no cost profile or incident cost data exists. If a cost profile has been previously created, selecting this option will delete all associated incident cost data. How the cost profile data is treated in this situation depends on whether the profile is an employer profile or employer group profile. If it is an employer profile and no associated employer group profile exists, the employer profile will be deleted. If it is an employer profile and an associated employer group profile exists, the employer profile will be updated to match the employer group profile and locked. If it is an employer group profile, the employer group profile and the profiles for all employers locked to the group will be deleted. Note that if an employer group profile is deleted, any employers under that employer group that are not locked will not be affected.

Profile Locked - This option only appears on employer profile pages and is used to indicate whether the employer profile is locked to the associated employer group profile. If locked, the remaining cost profile data is not accessible because it is being controlled at the employer group level. If no associated employer group profile exists, the option to lock is not available. If unlocked, the remaining cost profile data fields will appear and the profile can be maintained independent of any employer group profile.

User Access - This option allows end user access to the cost tracking features to be set universally available or on a user specific basis. If the user specific option is selected then only those users that have the cost tracking option set on their user profile will have access to the cost tracking features.

                Cost Type - For each of the four costs that can be tracked the cost type can be set to:

Detail - Detailed cost tracking indicates that the "paid" components of that cost item are tracked on a line item basis. Each individual item is assigned a date, amount and optional reference. "Reserve" and "Total" components are always tracked on a cumulative basis.

Cumulative - Cumulative cost tracking indicates that the "paid" component of that cost item is tracked as a single value. No date or references can be assigned. "Reserve" and "Total" components are always tracked on a cumulative basis.

None - None indicates that no cost tracking will be available for that individual cost item and it will not appear on the Incident Cost Tracking Form.

Cost Description - For each of the four costs that can be tracked the Master Administrator must enter a description that will appear on the Incident Cost Tracking Form, Detailed Cost Tracking Report and Summary Cost Tracking Report. This description identifies what type of cost is being tracked (i.e. Medical, Legal, Miscellaneous, etc.).

Reserve Description, Paid Description, Total Description - These descriptions allow the Master Administrator to enter values that define the three parts of the basic equation (Total = Paid + Reserve) in terms that are suitable for their organization. These descriptions will appear on the Incident Cost Tracking Form, Detailed Cost Tracking Report and Summary Cost Tracking Report.

As with all other information on the employer and employer group profile forms, no changes to the cost profile will be recorded in the FROL database unless the profile form is saved.

Cost Profile Limitations and Restrictions

A cost profile cannot be initially created in a disabled state. Disabling only applies to an existing cost profile.

An employer profile cannot be locked if no employer group profile exists.

Once an employer profile has been unlocked, it cannot be locked again. Since an unlocked employer profile can be completely different from the associated employer group profile, the existing employer incident cost data may not be compatible with the employer group cost profile. The only way to lock an unlocked employer is to select the Not Configured option on the employer profile. This will delete all of the existing employer incident cost data and if an employer group profile exists, the employer profile will be locked to it.

Once cost tracking has been enabled for an individual cost (i.e. set to Detail or Cumulative) it cannot be reset to None. Eliminating a cost type from the profile would result in a data inconsistency in the summation fields stored in the FROL database for all existing incident cost records. If an individual cost item no longer requires tracking, the best method would be to set it to Cumulative tracking and then enter zero amounts for the Reserve and Paid components for the affected incidents.

For an individual cost, the type can be changed from Cumulative to Detail and vice versa. When changed from Detail to Cumulative all existing cost detail line item entries are deleted. When changed from Cumulative to Detail, a single cost detail line item entry is automatically created with the current date and a reminder that the item was automatically created placed in the reference field.

COST TRACKING

Once a cost profile exists for an employer, authorized users will have access to the following cost tracking features:

Incident Cost Tracking Form

The cost tracking form is accessed using the Track Cost button which appears on the Incident Selection form and at the bottom of the individual incident forms.

The form displays a summary of the incident at the top of the form. The cost data is available in the expandable Incident Cost Data heading by clicking on the "+" button.

The top most section of the cost data shows the basic cost tracking equation using the descriptions defined by the Master Administrator on the associated cost profile. Beneath that, the individual cost items that were enabled on the profile are displayed.

For each enabled cost, the Total, Paid and Reserve summation fields are displayed using the descriptions entered on the cost profile. The top "Total" summation field is always locked (i.e. read only) and cannot be directly edited. The middle "Paid" field will be locked (not directly editable) if the cost type has be set to "Detail" and will be unlocked (directly editable) is set to "Cumulative". The bottom "Reserve" field is always unlocked and directly editable.

Note that the terms Total, Paid and Reserve used in these instructions may not be displayed on the cost tracking form. What will be displayed are the terms that were defined by the Master Administrator on the cost profile.

If a cost was not enabled on the cost profile, nothing will appear on the cost tracking form. If set to Cumulative, only the three summation fields described above will appear. If set to Detail, a cost details panel will be displayed below the summation fields.

The cost tracking form includes logic that automatically adjusts the summation fields as follows:

Reserve field - When the Reserve amount is altered, the Total amount is updated to the sum of the Paid and Reserve amounts.

Paid field - When the Paid amount is increased, the Total amount stays fixed and the Reserve amount is decreased. If the Reserve amount reaches zero, the Total amount is set equal to the Paid amount. When the Paid amount is decreased, the Total amount stays fixed and the Reserve amount is increased until the Paid amount equals zero.

Total Field - the Total field is always calculated from the Paid and Reserve amounts as described above.

Cost Details

When Detail tracking has been enabled the cost detail panel will appear. In this panel, individual line item Paid amounts are displayed. The line items at the top of the panel are locked and are not directly editable. To edit an existing item simply double click in the Date, Amount or Reference field to display the line item edit panel. The Date, Amount and Reference values for the line item will appear in separate fields where they can be edited. Under the editing fields the edit command buttons will appear.

Click Delete to delete the line item. If you delete an item, any changes you make to the item in the editing panel will be ignored and the original line item as it appeared in the top part of the detail panel will be deleted, the Total, Paid and Reserve summation fields will be updated as required and the edit panel will be closed.

Click Update to record the changes made in the editing panel. The original line item as it appeared in the top part of the detail panel will be updated along with the Total, Paid and Reserve summation fields and the edit panel will be closed.

Click Close to close the editing panel without recording changes.

To add a new cost detail item, click the New Item button. The editing panel will appear with new blank line entries available. Under the editing fields the edit command buttons will appear.

Click Add to create a new line item entry in the list at the top of the details panel and record the values entered in the editing panel. The Total, Paid and Reserve summation fields will be updated and the edit panel will be closed.

Click Close to close the editing panel without recording the addition.

Cost Detail References

The cost tracking system allows you to enter a reference value for each line item. You can manually type a value or select a value from an option list. How a reference value is entered is controlled by the command button to the right of the reference field in the editing panel. When the button displays ... you can select from an option list. When the button displays *** you can manually type the reference value. Click on the button to alternate between manual and option list entry.

The values in the option list are built automatically from three sources. Hospitals and Physicians defined using the setup menu will be included in the list. In addition, other user defined entries can be created using the Build Selection Lists option on the setup menu and selecting the Cost Reference option.

Cost Tracking Limitations and Restrictions

Cost amounts are restricted to positive numbers less than 1,000,000,000. Do not include ($) or (,) characters.

Dates must be in the format M/D/YYYY and be between 1/1/1900 and 1/1/2050.

Manual References are restricted to 30 characters.

Since employer cost profiles under an employer group may be unlocked, the Track Costs button will only appear on incident selection lists created at or below the employer level.

A user that is assigned OSHA Only access on the user profile form will not be able to access the cost tracking features even if the cost tracking permission is explicitly set on their profile.

Cost tracking features are not available for any cost profile set to disabled.

COST REPORTING

Cost tracking information can be reported and exported at 2 different levels.

Cost Detail Report

Detail information can be reported/exported from the Incident Cost Tracking Form using the button at the bottom of the page. Check the box next to the button to export the data in a text file format.

The cost tracking Detail Report is generated in adobe acrobat (pdf) format and includes all of the available cost tracking information for a single incident. The cost tracking Detail Export presents the data used to generate the detail report in a text file format (csv).

For each cost the Total, Paid and Reserve summation fields are displayed along with any detailed line item entries for those cost types set to Detail. The top of the page displays summary information about the associated incident and the bottom of the page displays the cost totals.

Cost Summary Report

Summary cost information can be reported/exported using either the Data Manager function or the Summary Report function. Select Cost Summary Report from the appropriate function list to generate a printed report in adobe acrobat (pdf) format. Select Cost Summary Export to present the data used to generate the summary report in a text file format (csv).

The summary information is presented in a roll-up format that summarizes the cost data from all of the individual incidents that meet the specified search criteria. Cost data is grouped at the location and employer levels (multiple employers can be included on the same report) and values are totaled at the location, employer and report levels.

Cost Reporting Limitations and Restrictions

Only incidents that meet the search criteria defined on the Data Manager or Summary Report form are included in summary reports.

Incidents for which the associated cost profile has been disabled do not appear in reports/exports.

Summary reports generated at the employer group level will not include any data from employers that are unlocked.