Release 3.5.1

• Payment API error responses now return the correct HTTP status code for the underlying failure, such as 400, 401, 403, 404, or 422, instead of a generic 500. Integrators can now tell client errors apart from server errors, and the error response body is unchanged.

• Strictly’s Developer Portal has been completely redesigned, with reorganized API documentation that makes it easier to find endpoints, parameters, and examples. API changes are now published to the portal automatically, so the documentation always reflects the latest version of the API. The new portal is available at api2.paywithzero.net.

• We have made several technical and usability improvements. These enhancements have been carefully designed and tested to improve our platform's overall performance, reliability, and user experience.

✅  Practice Manager Enhancer (PME)

• Appointments left open at the end of the day are now updated automatically every night. Appointments from the previous day that are still in Scheduled status are automatically moved to No Show, and those in other open statuses, such as In Progress, are moved to Completed.

• Access to the Practice Manager Enhancer (PME) is now controlled through dedicated PME roles and permissions, which determine the modules and actions available to each user. Users must have a PME role assigned to access the Practice Manager Enhancer. To assign a PME role, go to Merchant Portal > Users, select the desired user, and add the appropriate PME role under “Roles”.

• Patients can now check in directly from the Patient Portal starting one hour before a confirmed appointment. They simply click a “I’m here — check in” button, and the appointment is automatically updated to Checked In status in the Practice Manager Enhancer, allowing staff to easily see when a patient has arrived.

• Refunds for payments applied to multiple claims now let staff choose which claim or claims to refund. Payments applied to a single claim go straight to the refund, as before.

• Practices can now set provider availability in bulk using the new Set availability feature on the Provider availability screen. Staff pick one or more providers, the days of the week, one or more timeframes, and a date range, then choose whether to overwrite existing hours or only fill empty days. 

• Multiple enhancements have been introduced to the Patient Flow screen, expanding the actions available to staff. From here, users can perform actions such as Send Confirmation, Send Appointment Reminder, Request Google Review, and more.

• The Appointments calendar view can now group appointments by provider as well as by location. It also shows a time label for every 10-minute increment

• Fields in created forms can now be linked directly to the patient chart. In the Form Builder, a “Link to patient” toggle allows each question to be mapped to a corresponding patient chart field, such as last name, date of birth, or insurance member ID. Only fields compatible with the question type are available for selection. When a field is linked, the information entered in the form is automatically synced with the patient chart, either filling in missing information or updating existing data.

• Practices can now assign forms to patients through the new Documents tab in the View Patient panel. Patients are notified via email and SMS and can complete their forms directly in the Patient Portal. Alternatively, staff can assist patients in completing them at the office. Fields linked to the patient chart are automatically prefilled, and any new or updated information is synced with the chart upon submission. Completed documents can also be downloaded as PDFs.

• Procedures can now be configured with the providers who perform them and a minimum required time. The updates can be performed under Settings > Procedures. When booking an appointment in the Practice Manager Enhancer or the Patient Portal, only providers able to perform the selected procedures are offered. The appointment duration and available time slots reflect the combined minimum time of the selected procedures, which defaults to 30 minutes per procedure when not configured, and the provider availability. 

• Procedures now show their price when creating or editing an appointment, synced from the practice management system. Practices can add or edit prices for custom procedures from Settings > Procedures. 

• Practices using VerifyTX can now run real-time insurance eligibility checks from the Patients page or Patient Flow. Staff can confirm the plan name, member ID, and payer ID, which are prefilled from the patient chart, and quickly verify whether the patient has active coverage. To use this feature, practices must first create an account and manage their subscription directly with VerifyTX. Once the account is set up, obtain the Facility ID, Client ID, and Client Secret from VerifyTX and complete the configuration in Settings > Eligibility & Insurance Verification within the PME.

•  Completing an appointment in the Practice Manager Enhancer now updates the appointment in OpenDental and Sikka, so completed appointments no longer show as scheduled in the PMS. This applies to appointments completed from the patient flow, through the API, and by the nightly end-of-day update. Future-dated appointments can't be marked as completed.