Vbill User Manual. For Forensic and Medical Experts (05/24/2012)

Transcription

1 Vbill User Manual For Forensic and Medical Experts (05/24/2012)

2 Introduction Vbill is a World Wide Web (Web) based billing system, developed by the Committee for Public Counsel Services, for Massachusetts State/CPCS Vendors who provide non-legal services to indigent persons. System Requirements/Information To use Vbill you must have access to a computer (PC or MAC) with an Internet Service Provider and a Web browser. The web address for the Vbill web site is: The Vbill system was designed to take advantage of modern Web technologies. So that Vbill will run efficiently, CPCS recommends that you use either Internet Explorer 6.x or greater or Firefox 2.x or greater. The use of other web browsers or an older version of the recommended browsers may cause unanticipated errors in the Vbill system. The Vbill system requires that cookies and JavaScript be enabled in your browser in order to function properly (in most browsers cookies and JavaScript are enabled by default). Cookies can be enabled specifically for the Vbill web site by including as a Safe Site. Please consult online help in your browser for more assistance with enabling cookies and JavaScript. Vbill is a secure application; however, the pages that you visit within Vbill remain in the browser s memory until you close the web browser window. To avoid navigation errors and to maintain the security of your billing information you should make sure to logout of Vbill and close (or exit) the browser window after using Vbill. Vbill is a menu driven system. While logged into Vbill, please limit or avoid the use of your browser s back or forward buttons. Using the back or forward buttons can cause unanticipated errors in the Vbill system. The Vbill system is optimized for a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. It is advisable to adjust your monitor s settings to this resolution before logging into Vbill. You may change the resolution to the original settings after logging out of Vbill. Please consult your computer s online help or your monitor s Owner s Manual for assistance. You will often receive information from CPCS by . We use a general use addresses: donotreply@publiccounsel.net. In order to receive an from this address, please make sure to add this address as a safe user or safe sender in the program that you use to receive s. If you have a Spam filter installed on your computer you will need to turn off your Spam filter for this address. Please do not correspond with CPCS using this address as your will go unread. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 1

3 Table of Contents Vbill Security and Registration... 3 Login Procedure... 4 Login Procedure... 4 Navigating Vbill... 5 Vbill Notices Page... 6 Vbill Invoice List Page... 7 Vbill Invoice Page... 9 Add and enter an invoice... 9 Invoice Detail Page...11 Services...12 Mileage...13 Expenses...13 Submitting an Invoice...14 Monthly Billing...14 Submitting to a Bar Advocate or CPCS employed attorney...14 Submitting to Other Attorney...15 Manuals and Forms...16 Vendor Information Page...17 Manage Employees...19 Glossary of Terms...23 Appendix...24 I.I) Summary for Entering a Vbill for Forensic and Medical Experts...24 I.II) Summary for Submitting a Vbill for Forensic and Medical Experts...25 Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 2

4 Vbill Security and Registration CPCS Vbill Access Agreement Every State Vendor who submits vouchers through the Vbill system must first complete a Vbill Access Agreement form and mail it to CPCS. 1. CPCS will enter your Vbill Access Agreement form into our billing system. 2. You will receive an to the address noted on the form. The will include a verification link and a temporary password, which will allow you to access the Vbill web site. 3. Click once on the link in the . Your web browser will go to the web site indicated by the link and your address will be verified in our system. 4. Your browser will automatically be re-directed to the Vbill Login page. Registration To register your Vbill account and set up your PassKey, do the following: 1. Enter your Login ID and click the Login button. Your Login ID is the address that you provided on the Vbill Access Agreement form. 2. In the CPCS Vbill Password field, enter the temporary password exactly as it appears in the that you received and click the Login button. 3. Select a PassKey image and click the Complete Selection button. a. Enter a word or phrase to describe the selected PassKey image. b. Select three different challenge questions and provide a unique answer for each. c. Click the Submit button. d. Review your PassKey information, make any changes, and click the Done button. (You should print this page and store it in a safe place for future reference.) 4. Vbill will display the Vendor Information page. You will need to enter a new password that you can easily remember. a. Enter the password from the in the Enter old field. b. Enter your new password in the Enter new password field. A password must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least one number (1, 2, 3, etc), one of the following special characters (!@#$%&*_-), and one upper and lower case letter. c. Re-enter your new password in the Confirm new password field and click the Update button. d. Vbill will display the Vendor Information page. Go to page 19 of this manual for further information regarding the Vendor Information page. e. You are now logged into Vbill. Continue reading this manual for further instructions. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 3

5 Login Procedure After you have completed your Vbill account setup and registration you will only need to do the following each time you log into Vbill. 1. Go to the Vbill web site, 2. Enter your Login ID and click the Login button. 3. Vbill will ask you one of the security PassKey questions that you selected during your initial login. 4. Enter your answer to the displayed security question. a. Your answer must match exactly to the answer that you provided for this question during your account setup and registration. If you answer the question incorrectly more than three consecutive times Vbill will lock your account. If your account is locked you must contact the Vbill Security helpline at between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) for assistance and further instructions. i. If you access Vbill from the same computer then you may register it. If you register the computer the security question will not appear in the future when you login using this PC (in the future you will automatically proceed to step 5). To register the computer click on This is a personal computer. Register it. ii. If you are accessing Vbill from a public computer then it is recommended that you not register the computer. You will be asked one of the security questions every time that you log onto Vbill from an unregistered public computer. 5. Click the Submit button. 6. Vbill will display the PassKey image and the description that you provided during setup and registration. If you recognize the image and its description then continue. Otherwise, contact the Vbill Security helpline at between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) for assistance and further instructions. 7. Enter your password. a. If you enter your password incorrectly more than three consecutive times your account will be locked. Contact the Vbill Security helpline at between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) for assistance and further instructions. b. If you do not remember your password, click on Forget password? i. Enter your Massachusetts State Vendor Code. 1. If you do not remember your Vendor Code then close the browser window and contact the Vbill Security helpline at between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) for assistance and further instructions. 2. If you enter an incorrect Vendor Code more than three consecutive times your account will be locked. Contact the Vbill Security helpline at between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays) for assistance and further instructions. ii. Vbill will ask you one of the security PassKey questions that you selected during your initial login. 1. Enter your answer to the security question. 2. Your answer must match exactly to the answer that you provided for this question during your initial login. If you answer the question incorrectly more than three consecutive times Vbill will lock your account. iii. Vbill will allow you to enter a new password. 8. Click the Login button. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 4

6 Navigating Vbill Vbill is a menu driven system. At the top of each page are navigation buttons that you may click on to navigate to the various pages within Vbill, as well as a button to log out of Vbill. Invoice List Clicking this button will display the Invoice List page. The Invoice List page displays all of the invoices that you are preparing and also have submitted to CPCS. Go to page 7 for further information on the Invoice List page. Input Invoices Clicking this button will display the Vbill Invoice page. This page is where you enter and submit a new invoice for services provided, mileage, and incurred out-of-pocket expenses. Go to page 10 for further information on the Vbill Invoice page. Manuals & Forms This page will allow you to download this manual and forms relevant to the Vbill and Massachusetts State Vendor system. Manage My Info Clicking this button will display the Vendor Information page. You may modify some of your contact information, Employee, and Vbill security settings on this page. Go to page 19 for further information on the Vendor Information page. Notices Clicking this button will display the Vbill Notices page. Go to page 6 for further information on the Vbill Notices page. Logout of Vbill Click this button to log out of Vbill. The Vbill Login page will be displayed. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 5

7 I) Vbill Notices Page (Example I-1) The primary methods of communication between CPCS and State Vendors will be by Vbill Notice. You will receive information regarding submitted vouchers, changes in policies, and State budget information. When there are time constraints you will also receive an as well. Vbill will require you to review each new notice before entering and submitting invoices. The Vbill Notices page contains a list of reviewed and un-reviewed (new) notices. The list displays: 1. The Notice ID The Notice ID is created by CPCS to identify a notice in our system. Notices that refer to a specific invoice will have a Notice ID beginning with the confirmation number of the invoice followed by a sequential number. 2. The Topic of the notice 3. The Review Date the Review Date is blank for un-reviewed notices. 4. A Delete button will only be visible after you have reviewed the notice. The menu buttons will not be useable until you have reviewed all new notices. A new notice will not have a date in the Review Date column. To review any notice: 1. Click on the ID in the Notice ID column as depicted above. Vbill will display the notice. 2. Read the notice. You may want to print it for your records. 3. When you have completed reading the notice, click the Close Form button at the bottom of the notice. Clicking the Close Form button records the date that you reviewed the displayed notice. Important If you do not click the Close Form button, Vbill will not record that the displayed notice was reviewed. This will cause you to be restricted from entering and submitting invoices. 4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each new notice. After you review a new notice you may choose to delete it from your Vbill Notices list. To delete a notice click on the Delete button directly to the right of the notice you want to delete. Notices with a Review Date older than 30 days are automatically removed from your list by the Vbill system. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 6

8 II) Vbill Invoice List Page (Example II-1) The Invoice List page displays all of the invoices that you are preparing and have submitted. Vbill separates your invoices into six Status categories. When Vbill displays the Invoice List page invoices with a status of Work In Progress are listed by default. To list invoices in any of the other status categories just click on the radio button to the left of the category name. Work In Progress When you add/enter a new invoice it is categorized with the status of Work In Progress. To modify or submit any invoice in the Work In Progress category click on edit to the left of the invoice. An invoice will remain with a status of Work In Progress until you either submit or delete it. Pending Upon the successful submission an invoice Vbill will change the status of the invoice to Pending. As depicted in example II-2 below, Vbill will list each Pending invoice, its current status, any instructions, and invoice information to identify the invoice. An invoice will maintain a status of Pending until the attorney who hired you has certified the invoice and it is then processed and approved for payment by CPCS. To display a pending invoice, click on view to the left of the confirmation number. A pending invoice is not editable, go to page 17 for further instructions. Pending Status Descriptions: Pending Attorney Signature An invoice will maintain a status of Pending Attorney Signature until the attorney who hired you certifies (electronically or by hand when required) the submitted invoice. If after 30 days from the date of submission your invoice is still pending with a status of Pending Attorney Signature, please contact the attorney who hired you and ask him/her to take action on your invoice. If after a reasonable time period there is still no action, please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net. Please note Pending Attorney Signature in the subject line of your and include the confirmation number of your invoice and a brief explanation in the body on your . Awaiting CPCS Approval - An invoice will maintain a status of Awaiting CPCS Approval until CPCS processes and approves the invoice for payment. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 7

9 If after 30 days from the date the attorney who hired you has certified your invoice and the status remains as Awaiting CPCS Approval, you may send an to requesting a status of the processing and payment of your invoice. Please note Awaiting CPCS Approval in the subject line of your and include the confirmation number of your invoice in the body on your . (Example II-2) Rejected An invoice that is rejected by the attorney who hired you or by CPCS will be categorized with a Rejected status. To display a rejected invoice, click on view to the left of the invoice. A rejected invoice is not editable. Partially Processed In order to be paid for your services, the attorney who hires you must file a motion with the court for funds to be released from the Indigent Court Cost Fund. The court must allow the motion at the amount requested by the attorney or at some other amount. If the amount of the invoice that you submit exceeds the amount allowed on the motion, CPCS will process only the amount of your invoice up to the amount allowed by the court. The CPCS Invoice Processing System, at the discretion of CPCS, will generate a new invoice for the unprocessed balance of the invoice and insert into Vbill with a status of Partially Processed. To display a partially processed invoice, click on view to the left of the invoice. A partially processed invoice is not editable, go to page 17 for further instructions. Processed An invoice is categorized with a status of Processed by CPCS after the Vbill Confirmation Form (with all required attachments) has been received, reviewed, and approved for payment by CPCS. To display a processed invoice, click on view to the left of the invoice. A processed invoice is not editable. Transmitted for Payment An invoice is categorized with a status of Transmitted for Payment after CPCS transmits the invoice to the State Comptroller for payment. To display an invoice that was transmitted for payment, click on view to the left of the invoice. Paid invoices are listed for only thirty (30) calendar days after they are transmitted for payment and then are removed from the Vbill system. An invoice that was transmitted for payment is not editable. TIP To add a new invoice, you may click on the Add Invoice button located beneath the Invoice List Status Selection box. Vbill will display the Vbill Invoice page. Go to page 10 for additional instructions. Note: You may also click on the Input Invoices menu button to add a new invoice. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 8

10 III) Vbill Invoice Page (Example III-1) The Vbill Invoice page is where you will add, enter, and submit an invoice for services rendered, allowed case related mileage, and incurred case related out-of-pocket expenses. Important Before you agree to provide services, ask the attorney who hired you if they are a Bar Advocate. If so make sure to obtain from the attorney, the NAC number* and a copy of all pages of the Allowed Motion for Funds associated with the case(s) for which you are providing services. If the attorney is employed by CPCS then obtain the attorney s full name, office location, and a copy of all pages of the Allowed Motion for Funds associated with the case(s) for which you are providing services. If the attorney who hired you is neither a Bar Advocate nor employed by CPCS then make sure to obtain proof that their client is indigent (affidavit of Indigence or language in the Allowed Motion for Funds), and a copy of all pages of the Allowed Motion for Funds associated with the case(s) for which you are providing services. *If the attorney who hired you is a Bar Advocate then they were issued a NAC number for billing purposes on one or more cases to which he/she was assigned. Add/Enter an invoice: Invoice Summary Page 1) Choose a service type for the invoice. Vbill allows only one type of service to be billed per invoice. If your firm/agency provides only one type of service for CPCS cases, it will be displayed by default in the Service Type Field. 2) Enter the Notice of Assignment of Counsel (NAC) number in the NAC number field. 3) Click the OK button. i) If the NAC is on file with CPCS, the Vbill system will display the remainder of the invoice page with the case related information pre-filled (see example III-2). Click the OK button. ii) If the NAC number is not on file with CPCS, you will need to complete all of the fields on the Invoice Summary page (see example III-2). (Before continuing, verify that you have entered the Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 9

11 correct NAC number. If not then highlight the NAC number, enter the correct number in its place, and click the OK button. If the NAC number is accurate then continue. It is the responsibility of the assigned attorney to resolve with CPCS any matters regarding the status of a NAC. Please contact the attorney who hired you if the NAC that you entered is not on file with CPCS.) (Example III-2) 4) If the attorney who hired you is not a Bar Advocate then no NAC number was issued. Select a type of attorney from the Attorney Type drop down menu (see example III-1). You will need to complete all of the fields on Invoice page (see example III-2). The Attorney Type options are: CPCS Employed Attorney The attorney is employed by CPCS. Privately Retained Attorney The attorney was not assigned as a Bar Advocate, but was privately retained and is being paid by a private party. Legal Services Attorney Any agency that provides indigent legal services other than CPCS Pro-Bono Attorney A private attorney who is providing legal services free of charge Pro Se Representation You were hired by a defendant or other party who was found to be indigent and chose to represent him or herself. Note: In this instance the court may have assigned an attorney as Stand-By Counsel and issued him/her a NAC. Please ask the defendant or the court if Stand-By Counsel was assigned. If yes, then there was a NAC issued to the Stand-By Counsel. Please ask this attorney for the NAC number and enter it as described above. Student The attorney is a student at a law school. Note: In this instance the professor teaching the class may be an attorney and may have been issued a NAC. Please ask if there was a NAC issued and if so enter the NAC number as described above. 5) Enter the invoice number. The invoice number is whatever your agency s accounting system uses to uniquely identify an invoice. Vbill will reject an invoice number if your agency has used it on a previously entered/submitted invoice. Important The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires that the invoice number be unique to a specific invoice. You cannot use the same invoice number for invoices submitted to two different State Agencies. Also, the client name, or part thereof cannot be used to make up the invoice number. CPCS will be forced to reject any invoice that does not comply with these invoice number restrictions. 6) Complete these additional required fields if the NAC number entered is not on file or no NAC number was entered. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 10

12 i) Select the court where the case is being tried from the Court drop down list. ii) Enter the client s name. Please use the following format: Last, First, MI a. If the Attorney Type that you selected above is CPCS Employed Attorney then select the attorney name from the Select Attorney drop down list. If the attorney who hired you is a CPCS Employed Attorney and you do not see his or her name listed please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net with the complete name of the attorney and the CPCS office the attorney works at. i) Otherwise : Enter the last name of the attorney who hired you in the Attorney Last field. Enter the first name of the attorney who hired you in the Attorney First field. 8) Enter Notes (optional). If you need to provide general information or an explanation regarding the invoice for the attorney who hired you or CPCS you may enter it here. 9) Click the Save button located beneath the Notes field. 10) Vbill will display the Enter Invoice Detail button. Click this button to continue entering the invoice. Vbill will display the Invoice Detail page (see example III-3). (Example III-3) Invoice Detail Page 1. Click on the Employee drop down list box and select the Employee who provided services in this case. a. If the employee s name does not appear in the list you will need to add the employee to Vbill. Go to page ## for detailed instructions for adding new employees to the Vbill system. 2. Enter the (Hourly) Rate for the selected employee for this invoice (required). Please review the CPCS Qualifications and Rates Manual for further information regarding the hourly rate for the type of service the employee is providing. 3. Click the Start Invoice Detail Button. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 11

13 4. Vbill will display the data entry panels (see example III-4). In this portion of the Vbill Invoice Detail page you will enter the Services rendered, Mileage, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the selected employee for this case and being billed on this invoice. (Example III-4) Services In the Services panel, enter the services provided by the selected employee for this invoice. 1) Enter a date of service 2) Select an Activity Type (billing category) from the drop down list. The Activity Types are subject to change. a. If the Activity Type selected is Travel Time, the Amount is calculated at the hourly rate the assigned attorney (NAC number is required) is paid for his or her services or the Hourly rate entered for the employee, whichever is lower. i) If there is no NAC number associated with an invoice then you will need to select the Travel Time rate from the drop down list in the Amount field. ($50.00 if the case is in the District Court or for Non-Criminal cases, $60.00 if the case is in Superior Court, and $ if the case is a Murder.) You only need to select the rate once for each employee added to an invoice. If the Hourly rate entered for the employee is lower than the selected rate then the Travel Time will be calculated at this rate. 3) Enter the exact hours, in tenth of an hour increments (i.e..10, 1.2,.40, etc.), that the selected employee incurred for the selected activity. 4) If you believe additional information is necessary to explain the selected activity or time billed, you may enter it in the Notes field. *If the selected Activity Type is Other then, in the Notes field, you must provide a detailed explanation of the service provided. 5) Click the Add button. 6) Repeat steps 2i through 2v for each date of service. If the selected employee performed more than one activity on the same date of service then repeat steps 2i through 2v for each activity performed on a date of service. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 12

14 Mileage In the Mileage panel, enter the mileage information if reimbursement for mileage is desired. You may only seek reimbursement for mileage on those dates where the selected employee has also entered (provided) services on the same invoice. 1) Select a date of service from the Travel Date drop down list where you incurred mileage related to this invoice. 2) If traveling from a city or town within the State of Massachusetts select the city or town from the "From" drop down list. If traveling from a city or town outside of the State of Massachusetts select the (Out-of- State) option from the drop down list. Vbill will display an empty field where you can enter the name of the city/town and the state from where you traveled (i.e. Nashua, NH). 3) If traveling to a city or town within the State of Massachusetts select the city or town from the drop down list. If traveling to a city or town outside of the State of Massachusetts select the (Out-of-State) option from the drop down list. E-Bill will display an empty field where you can enter the name of the city/town and the state to where you traveled (i.e. Nashua, NH). 4) Enter the total miles traveled for this trip in the Miles field. 5) If the total miles entered represents a round trip then click the Round Trip box. A check mark will appear in the box. Otherwise, leave this field blank. 6) Click the Add button. If the travel was within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the mileage billed cannot exceed mileage allowed by CPCS for this trip. CPCS allows mileage within the State in accordance with the Milo Mileage Guide. Vbill will display an error message and reduce the entered mileage accordingly. 7) Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each date where mileage reimbursement is desired. Expenses In the Expenses panel, if reimbursement for expenses is desired, enter case related out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the selected employee. 1) In the Date field, enter the date when the expense was incurred. 2) Select a Type of expense from the drop down list. The expense types are subject to change. 3) Enter the exact amount for this expense. (Do not include the dollar sign $.) 4) If you believe additional information is necessary to explain the selected expense, you may enter it in the Notes field. If the selected expense type is Other then, in the Notes field, you must provide a detailed explanation of the expense incurred. 5) Click the Add button. 6) Repeat steps 1 through 5 for each expense incurred by the employee. Add Another Detail If another employee at your firm provided services to be billed on this invoice click the Add another Detail button and repeat the steps in each panel for the employee s services. Entry Complete When you have completed entering all billing information into an invoice you may click the Return to Invoice button. Vbill will display the Invoice Summary page for this invoice. Or you may click any of the menu buttons at the top of the page and return to this invoice at a later time. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 13

15 Submitting an Invoice 1) When you are ready to submit your invoice, the Invoice Summary page for the invoice to be submitted must be displayed on your screen. If not then select it from the Work In Progress section of the Invoice List page. 2) Click on the Review and Submit button. The Vbill Review page will be displayed. 3) Review the invoice for accuracy. i) If the invoice is inaccurate click the Cancel button at the bottom of the page to return to the Invoice Summary Page. Make the necessary modifications to the invoice and return to Step 1). ii) If the invoice is accurate then click the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Vbill will display the Vbill Certification. Click the OK button to continue. Or click the Cancel button to return to the Vbill Review page. Monthly Billing Each vendor/agency is limited to filing one bill per Type of Service, per NAC, per month. In other words, if on September 1, you file a bill for work done on a specific Type of Service on NAC xxxxxxxxx, you will not be able to file another bill for the same type of Service on that NAC until October 1 irrespective of the dates of service billed. Please note you may submit a single bill for the services of all employees who worked on the case. Submitting to a Bar Advocate or CPCS employed attorney If the selected attorney is a Bar Advocate or employed by CPCS then Vbill will send the invoice to be electronically certified by the attorney. Vbill will notify the attorney by that you have submitted a Vbill for the noted case and that their electronic certification is required. Vbill will re-display the Vbill Review page. Click the OK button. If after 30 days from the date of submission your invoice is still listed as pending with a status of Pending Attorney Signature, please contact the attorney who hired you and ask him/her to take action on your invoice. If after a reasonable time period there is still no action, please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net. Please note Pending Attorney Signature in the subject line of your and include the confirmation number of your invoice and a brief explanation in the body on your . The attorney may take one of three actions with your Vbill. The attorney certifies the Vbill as is. 1. You will receive a Vbill notice informing you that the attorney has certified your Vbill. The notice will provide you with further instructions regarding the submission of this Vbill. 2. Click on the Invoice List menu button. 3. Click the Pending Radio Button. 4. Locate the certified Vbill in the list and click view to the left of the confirmation number. 5. Print the confirmation form then sign and date it. Attach all documents listed below the signature line to the confirmation form and mail everything to Committee for Public Counsel Services, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108, Attention: Vbill (Please make sure to keep a copy of these documents for your records). Please do not mail these documents to CPCS until you receive the Vbill notice informing you of the Attorney s certification of your Vbill. The Current Status on the printed confirmation form must read Awaiting CPCS Approval. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 14

16 Partially Processed Invoice a. If the amount of the invoice that you submit exceeds the amount allowed by the court on the attached motion, CPCS will process only the amount of your invoice up to the amount allowed. You will receive a notice regarding the reduction of your invoice. b. At the discretion of CPCS, the CPCS Invoice Processing System will generate a new invoice for the unprocessed balance of the invoice and insert it into Vbill with a status of Partially Processed. c. You will need to contact the attorney who hired you and ask him or her to motion the court for additional funds and provide you with a copy of the allowed motion for additional funds. d. Log into Vbill and view the partially processed invoice. Print the confirmation form, sign and date it, and mail it to CPCS with a copy of the allowed motion for additional funds. The Attorney Rejects the Vbill for Modification. 1. The Vbill will be returned to your Vbill Work In Progress list 2. You will receive a Vbill notice informing you that the attorney has rejected your Vbill for modification. The notice will provide you with further instructions and comments from the attorney. 3. Locate the Vbill in the Work In Progress section of the Invoice List page and click edit. 4. Make the modifications requested by the attorney and resubmit the bill. The Attorney Permanently Rejects your Vbill. 5. You will receive a Vbill notice informing you that the attorney has rejected your Vbill. The notice will include comments from the attorney regarding the rejection of this Vbill. You will not be able to re-submit these services. Submitting to Other Attorney If the selected attorney is not a Bar Advocate or employed by CPCS then Vbill will display a confirmation form. (1) Print the confirmation form. (2) Attach to the confirmation form the documents listed below the signature line and mail the documents to the attorney who hired you (Please make sure to keep a copy of these documents for your records). (3) The attorney must certify the services by providing their BBO number and signing the confirmation form in the designated area. All documents should be mailed to: Committee for Public Counsel Services, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108, Attention: Vbill. (a) If after 30 days from the date of submission your invoice is still listed as pending with a status of Pending Attorney Signature, please contact the attorney who hired you and ask him/her to take action on your invoice. If after a reasonable time period there is still no action, please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net. Please note Pending Attorney Signature in the subject line of your and include the confirmation number of your invoice and a brief explanation in the body on your . Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 15

17 IV) Manuals and Forms This page will allow you to download the manual and forms relevant to the Vbill and State Vendor systems. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 16

18 V) Vendor Information Page (Example V-1) On the Vendor Information page you may modify your telephone and fax numbers, address, change your password, PassKey, and manage the list of your employees who provide services on CPCS cases. Change Telephone and Fax Numbers To change either your telephone or fax numbers or both: 1. Highlight and delete the existing Phone/Fax number. 2. Enter the new Phone/Fax number. 3. Click the Update Information button. Change Address To change your address: 1. Enter your new address in the New field. 2. Enter the new address again in the Confirm New field. 3. Click the Update Information button. 4. You will be sent an to this address to confirm it. Click once on the link in the to confirm the address. 5. The new address will now be your new Vbill Login ID and will be in effect the next time that you log into Vbill. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 17

19 Change Password To change your Vbill Password do the following: 1. Click on the Change Password link. 2. Enter your current Vbill password in the Enter old password field. 3. Enter your new Password in the Enter new password field. 4. Enter the new password again in the Confirm new password field. 5. Click the Update button. 6. Click the Update Information button. The new password will be in effect the next time that you log into Vbill. Change PassKey To change any of the PassKey elements do the following: 1. Click on the Update PassKey link. 2. Vbill will display the Vbill PassKey Information page. 3. Click on the appropriate link of the PassKey element that you want to change. 4. When you have completed changing all of the PassKey elements click the Done button on the Vbill PassKey Information page. Changes Complete When you have completed all of the allowed modifications to your Vendor Information click the Done button on the Vendor Information page. Vbill will display the Invoice List page. Change Other Vendor Information 1. If your name or the name of your firm, address, or other tax related information (Social Security Number, FEIN, etc.) has changed, you cannot modify this within Vbill. Please do the following: a. Click on the Manuals & Forms menu button. b. Click on the W-9 link to download and print the W-9 form. c. Complete the W-9 form. d. Attach the W-9 form to a letter (preferably on your office letter head) authorizing CPCS to modify your State Vendor information. e. Mail the documents to: Committee for Public Counsel Services, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108, Attention: Vendor Maintenance Clerk. 2. If the listed Service Types (services that your firm provides on CPCS cases) are incorrect or incomplete please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net and enter Service Types in the Subject line of your If the list of Private Investigators is incorrect or incomplete please send an to the CPCS Audit and Oversight Department at audit@publiccounsel.net and enter Private Investigator List in the Subject line of your . Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 18

20 Manage Employees (Example V-2) The Manage Employees page allows you to add new or modify existing employees who provide services on CPCS cases. Adding a New Employee 1. Click on the Manage Employees button (see Example V-1). 2. Click the Add button. Vbill display the date entry field depicted above in Example V Enter the employee s last name in the Last Name field. 4. Enter the employee s first name in the First Name field. 5. Enter the employee s Middle Initial in the Middle Initial field. 6. Select the Status of the employee. (Vbill selects Active by default.) 7. Select the service type(s) that this employee will be providing on CPCS cases. a. If the employee will be providing one or more service types and they are not listed, please send an to the CPCS Vendor Maintenance Clerk, Robert (Sam) Saldenha at rsaldenha@publiccounsel.net. Please include in the body of the the type(s) of service that need to be added to your vendor file and the name of the employee(s) who you will later add after the type(s) of service are approved and added to your vendor file. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 19

21 i. You should not add the new employee until this/these new type(s) of service have been approved by CPCS and added to your vendor record. ii. Click the Cancel button. 8. Enter the date the employee was hired by your company/firm in the Date of Hire field. 9. Enter the year of birth of the employee. 10. Enter the last four digits of the employees Social Security Number. 11. Click the Finish button. 12. The Vbill system will save the new employee and display the message below (Example V-3). 13. Mail to CPCS, at the address noted in the message in Example V-3, a copy of the new employee s Curriculum Vitae (CV) with a letter requesting that CPCS verify the new employee. a. CPCS is required to verify any new employee before a vendor can enter/submit an invoice for services rendered by this employee. b. You will be able to add a new employee to an invoice after you are notified by CPCS by Vbill notice that a specific employee has been verified. (Example V-3) Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 20

22 Modifying an Existing Employee (Example V-3) 1. Select the employee from the Current Employees drop down list box. 2. Click the Update button. 3. You will be allowed to modify the Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial, Status of the employee, and the Service Type(s). a. If the employee you are modifying will be providing one or more additional service types and they are not listed, please send an to the CPCS Vendor Maintenance Clerk, Robert (Sam) Saldenha at Please include in the body of the the type(s) of service that need to be added to your vendor file and the name of the employee(s) who you will modify with this/these new service type(s) after it/they are approved and added to your vendor file. i. You will not be able to modify the employee with this/these new service type(s) until it/they have been approved by CPCS and added to your vendor record. ii. Click the Cancel button. 4. Click the Finish button after you have completed modifying the employee information. 5. The Vbill system will save the modified employee and display the message in Example V-3 above. 6. Mail to CPCS, at the address noted in the message in Example V-3, a copy of the employee s new Curriculum Vitae (CV) with a letter requesting that CPCS verify the new service type(s) for employee. a. CPCS is required to verify any new service type(s) for an employee before a vendor can enter/submit an invoice for services rendered for the new service type(s) by this employee. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 21

23 b. You will be able to add an employee to an invoice after you are notified by CPCS by Vbill notice that a specific employee has been verified for the new type(s) of service. 7. If you need to modify the Date of Hire, Year of Birth, or the Last Four Digits of Social Security Number for an existing employee, please send an to the CPCS Vendor Maintenance Clerk, Robert (Sam) Saldenha at rsaldenha@publiccounsel.net. Please include in the body of the the name of the employee and the information for these fields that need to be modified and the reason that they need to be modified. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 22

24 Glossary of Terms CPCS Committee for Public Counsel Services Notice of Assignment of Counsel (NAC) Number The Notice of Assignment of Counsel Number or NAC is a number that identifies, for CPCS billing purposes, a case or cases to which a private attorney, who takes CPCS cases, was assigned to represent a person found indigent by the court. Web Browser (or Browser) Computer software used to search for information on the World Wide Web (Internet). Some examples of web browsers are Internet Explorer, America Online, Fire Fox, etc. Cookies The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it. Java Script A popular programming language that is widely used in Web browsers and other Web tools. Bar Advocate A Bar Advocate is an attorney in private practice who accepts assigned CPCS cases. Employee CPCS refers to an employee as a person who is employed by your firm/agency and provides Medical, Forensic, and other professional services. This employee, after being registered by CPCS, provides these services, at the request of the attorney, on cases where the party represented by the attorney is found to be indigent by the court. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 23

25 Appendix I.I) Summary for Entering a Vbill for Forensic and Medical Experts 1. In the address bar of your web browser enter the Vbill web address, and click Go or OK. 2. Log into Vbill as previously instructed. 3. The Vbill Notices page will be displayed if there are notices listed in your Vbill account. a. If there are no notices listed in your account then the Invoice List page will be displayed instead. 4. Read any un-read notices. Go to page 6for more information on the Vbill Notices page. 5. Click on the Input Invoices menu button. The Vbill Invoice page will be displayed. Go to page 9 for more information on the Vbill Invoice page. 6. Select the type of service from the service type drop down box. 7. Enter the Notice of Assignment of Counsel (NAC) number. 8. If no NAC number is associated with the case you are billing for then select the type of attorney who hired you from the attorney type drop down box. a. If the attorney who hired you is a CPCS Employed Attorney and you do not see his or her name listed please send an to vendorbills@publiccounsel.net with the complete name of the attorney and which office the attorney works at. 9. Fill in all of the empty fields (all fields are required with the exception of the Notes field) and click the Save button at the bottom of the page. 10. Click the Enter Invoice Detail button. The Vbill Invoice Detail page will be displayed. Go to page 11 for more information on the Vbill Invoice Detail page. 11. Select the employee from the Employee drop down list box. 12. Enter the hourly rate at which you are billing for the selected employee s services. 13. Click the Start Invoice Detail button. Vbill will display the data entry panels to enter the services provided, mileage, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the selected employee for the invoice being billed. a. If the employee s name does not appear in the list follow the procedure detailed on page Enter in the appropriate section, by date of service, the services provided, mileage, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the selected employee for the invoice being billed. 15. If more than one employee at your firm provided services on the case being billed then click on the "Add Another Detail" button. Vbill with clear the page. Complete steps 11 and 12 for each additional employee who provided the same type of service for the case being billed. 16. When you have completed entering the services provided, mileage, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred for each employee who provided services for the invoice being billed click on the "Return To Invoice" button. Vbill will display the Vbill Invoice page with the summary information for the invoice being billed. 17. The data entry portion is complete. Please continue to the next section of this manual. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 24

26 I.II) Summary for Submitting a Vbill for Forensic and Medical Experts 1. When you have completed the entry of an invoice then you are ready to preview and submit your invoice. a. If the invoice that you want to submit is not displayed then click on the Invoice List Menu button. b. Vbill will display the invoices in your work-in-progress file. Locate the invoice that you want to submit and click on edit in the left column to display the invoice. 2. On the Vbill Invoice page click the Review & Submit button. You may need to scroll down to locate this button, depending on your monitor s settings. 3. Vbill will display the Vbill Review Form page with the complete invoice that you are about to submit. a. Review the invoice. If there are errors or omissions in the invoice scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Cancel button. i. Modify this invoice as necessary then return to step 1. b. If there are no errors or omissions then you may scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Submit button. 4. Vbill will display the Invoice Certification box. a. Click OK to continue the submission. b. Click Cancel to return to the Vbill Review Form page. 5. If you clicked OK, Vbill will do one of the following actions. a. If the invoice that you submit references a NAC number or if the attorney who hired your firm is a CPCS employed attorney then Vbill will place your invoice on hold pending the assigned attorney s electronic certification of the submitted invoice. CPCS will send an the assigned attorney informing him/her to log onto the Vbill system and review and certify the submitted invoice. Go to step 6. b. If the invoice that you submit does not reference a NAC or if the attorney who hired your firm is not a CPCS employed attorney then Vbill will display the V-bill Final Invoice Summary form. Print this form. i. Please sign and date the form. Attach your detailed time records and a copy of the allowed motion for funds. Mail the printed V-bill Final Invoice Summary form with attachments to the attorney who hired you with a cover letter asking him/her to certify your invoice by signing and dating the Vbill Confirmation Form in the designated place then mail the certified form for processing to: Committee for Public Counsel Services, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA When the assigned attorney electronically certifies your invoice you will receive a Vbill notice with further instructions. 7. Log into Vbill and review any new notices. 8. Click on the Invoice List menu button. Vbill will display the invoice list page. 9. Click on the Pending radio button to display the pending invoices. 10. Locate the invoice and click on view in the left column to display the certified invoice. 11. Print the invoice. 12. Please sign and date the form. Attach the required documents listed on the confirmation form. Mail the signed and dated V-bill Final Invoice Summary form with attachments for processing to: Committee for Public Counsel Services, 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA Attention: Vbill. Please do not mail CPCS these documents until you receive the Vbill notice informing you of the Attorney s certification of your Vbill. The Current Status on the printed confirmation form must read Awaiting CPCS Approval. Vbill User Manual for Forensic and Medical Experts 25