Construct pricing (also known as "cap pricing" or "procedural pricing") is a billing model where a hospital is charged a single flat rate for a procedure, regardless of the exact number of components used. While Beacon typically tracks sales on an item-by-item basis, you can easily manage construct pricing by following the workflow outlined below.
Overview of the Strategy
To manage a flat procedure fee while maintaining detailed tracking of medical device consumption (Lot and UDI), you will:
Create a "Construct" Catalog Item: This represents the flat fee.
Mark the Construct as Reusable: This allows the "price" item to return to your inventory for future use after it is used in a case.
Mark used items as 'No Charge' in the Case: This ensures the individual items track usage data without adding to the billable total.
Step 1: Set up the Construct Catalog Record
First, you need a placeholder in your catalog that represents the construct price itself.
Navigate to Inventory > Catalog.
Click New Catalog Item.
Enter a name for the construct (e.g., "Total Hip Construct").
Assign the Construct Price in the pricing field. This is the flat fee the hospital will be charged.
Save the record.
Step 2: Create Reusable Construct Inventory
Next, you must create a physical "inventory" entry for this construct so it can be added to cases.
Navigate to All Inventory and click New Inventory.
Select the Manufacturer and the Catalog Number you created in Step 1.
Crucial Step: When creating the item, mark it as Reusable.
Why? Reusable items in Beacon are not deactivated upon sale. Instead, they are returned to your custody after the case is closed, allowing you to "sell" that same flat fee again in the next procedure.
Click Create.
Step 3: Recording Sales in a Case
When it is time to bill for a procedure using construct pricing, follow these steps within the Event detail screen:
A. Add the Construct Item
In the open case, click Mark Used Inventory.
Search for and select your Construct item.
Mark it as Used. This adds the flat flat-rate price to the billable total.
B. Add the Component Items
Click Mark Used Inventory again.
Select all the actual devices, implants, or disposables used in the procedure.
Enter the specific Lot Numbers and UDIs for these items to ensure regulatory compliance and accurate tracking.
Crucial Step: Before finishing, check the No Charge box for every individual component.
Why? This keeps the price of these items at $0.00 for this specific case, ensuring the hospital is only billed for the Construct item added in part A.
Summary
Billing: The Sales Order PDF will display the flat Construct price as the only billable amount.
Tracking: Your reports will still show exactly which Lots and UDIs were consumed for clinical and regulatory records.
Inventory: The individual components will be deactivated (removed from stock), while the "Construct" item will automatically return to your custody because it was marked as Reusable.