OnCore Basics

When first using OnCore, set up your home screen favorites and widgets (see How to Guides ). These are some basic OnCore tips that will make navigating OnCore easier (view OnCore Tips with descriptions here):

• Open only one instance of OnCore at a time
• Avoid using the browser’s back button
• Allow pop-up windows
• Single click buttons and links
• Use a computer with a keyboard and mouse

How-To Guides

Click the links below to see How-To Guides with screenshots for some of the most frequently asked questions for Medical Center study teams. Use your blazerid @uab.edu email and blazerid password to access.

• OnCore Basics (including how to gain access to OnCore, set up Your Favorites Bar and Home Screen, etc.).
• Study Startup (including how to validate the calendar, release the calendar, etc.)
• Subject Management (including how to register a subject to a protocol, add a consent to a subject, enter subject eligibility and statuses, manage subject visits, look at a CTBN, reset calendar dates, create an additional visit, etc.)
• Protocol Management (including how to add an IRB review and consent form to the protocol, update study team staff, update the protocol status, enter financial events, close a study, etc.)
• Reports (including how to review the Accrual report, Expired Accrual Duration Report, IRB Initial Approval – Not Open to Accrual report, etc.)
• Financial Management: Contact OncoreFinancials@uabmc.edu directly or see Sponsor Budget Entry and Financial Management section below for more information.

Research Billing

Click here for Commonly Asked Questions Related to Clinical Research Billing.

What is the CMS National Clinical Trials Policy?

• CMS 310.1: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has a National Coverage Determination (NCD), which states that routine costs for qualifying clinical trials may be billed to insurance when they meet Medicare benefit categories.
• Clinical Billing Review: In order to ensure that we are meeting the requirements of this national clinical trials policy, UAB requires that all studies with UAB Health System clinical billable services be reviewed by the Clinical Billing Review (CBR) team and entered into OnCore before the study can be initiated.

What is a UAB Health System Clinical Billable?

• A UAB Health System clinical billable service is one that generates a charge that is billed through the UABHS billing systems to either the study team or to the patient and/or insurance payor (can be billed to the study sponsor or insurance).
• UABHS clinical billables are:
• Performed in UAB Hospital, UAB Highlands, UAB Clinics (Inpatient, Highlands Hospital, TKC, Whitaker, etc.)
• Ordered or scheduled through UAB Systems (IDX, IMPACT, etc.)
• Performed by UAB Hospital or Clinical Staff
• Charges for UABHS clinical billables flow through UAB billing systems (IDX, Healthquest) and are billed to the study/patient/third party payor by UAB Health System Clinical Billing Offices (CBO), regardless of entry into the OnCore system

How does the billing office know whether or not to bill insurance for a participant visit where clinical billable services were performed?

• Within 2 business days after the research participant comes in for their study visit, the study team manages the visit in the OnCore system. This generates the Clinical Trial Billing Notice (CTBN). The CTBN is an instruction sheet the UAB Health System Clinical Billing Offices (CBO) use to validate and direct charges that have dropped to either the study account or the patient account, as needed.

How can I see the CTBN?

• Being able to look at the CTBN is a very helpful way to ensure you are compliant with research billing and to clear up confusion when communicating with the UAB Clinical Billing Offices. CTBN Central is the web-based site where CTBNs are stored. If you would like access, contact Oncore@uabmc.edu.

If CBO asks for a CTBN, what should you do?

• First, make sure the appropriate visit is occurred in OnCore to generate a CTBN. In addition, make sure all UABHS clinical billable services were listed on the visit (UABHS clinical billables are denoted in the calendar with an HS footnote). If you need assistance in occurring the visit or do not see the service CBO is referring to on the visit, contact Oncore@uabmc.edu.

My patient received a bill by mistake; what should I do?

• Contact Oncore@uabmc.edu for assistance and to help to determine why they received the bill.

What are the different bills I may receive for the UABHS clinical billable services?

• Lab Invoices: Charges incurred at UAB Hospital Lab locations (Outreach, TKC Labs, etc), sent out monthly
• PFS UBs: Technical components of UABHS billable services
• MSO Statements: Professional components of UABHS billable services

Contacts for the Clinical Billing Office (CBO):

• Manager: Kennethee Dunner kdunner@uabmc.edu
• PFS Supervisor: Donna Simpson dsimpson@uabmc.edu
• Senior Manager: Lisa Todd-Gazdag ltodd@uabmc.edu

Reports

View a description of OnCore scheduled reports as week as supplemental reports to the Monthly Accrual Reports received by UAB Leadership.

OnCore contains a number of reports the study team can run at any time (enrollment reports, subject visit reports, financial reports, etc.) by going to the Reports > Reports console.Additionally, there are custom scheduled reports that the study team receives via email automatically. These include:

• Unmanaged Visits Report
• Delinquent Visits Report
• Accrual Report

Why is it so important to manage subject visits in OnCore?

Per UAB leadership, subject visits are required to be managed in OnCore within 2 business days. This ensures:

• Compliant Billing – Occurring a visit in OnCore with a UAB Health System billable procedure generates the Clinical Trial Billing Notice (CTBN). UAB Billing Offices use the CTBN to validate and route charges to the study account or patient insurance. This ensures timely filing and that the patient does not receive erroneous bills for study.
• Accurate CCTS Billing – Occurring a visit in OnCore with a CCTS service allows the service to appear on the CCTS Billing Report so the CCTS can bill the study account. This ensures recovery of costs and that the study team does not receive erroneous bills from CCTS.
• Sponsor invoicing – Occurring a visit in OnCore for an industry sponsored clinical trial generates invoiceable items for sponsor invoicing and receivables for financial reporting. This allows for the effective financial management of the trial, including sponsor invoicing as well as revenue and A/R reporting.

Please direct all questions regarding corrective actions for these scheduled reports to Shamilla Chapman at shamillachapman@uabmc.edu. For other questions on existing reports or to request a new custom report, contact OncoreReporting@uabmc.edu.

Sponsor Budget Entry and Financial Management

The OnCore Financials Console facilitates sponsor invoicing and financial reporting for industry-sponsored clinical trials. As of March 1, 2024, all new industry-sponsored finalized clinical trial budgets are required to be entered into the OnCore Financials Console. In addition, all subject visits for industry-sponsored clinical trials must be managed in OnCore within 2 business days. For more information, see the OnCore Financials New Requirements memo.

View a decision tree to help you determine if you are required to enter the sponsor budget in OnCore.

For Medical Center study teams:

• Access & Training: Training is required in order toreceive access to OnCore's Financials Console. Register using the OnCore Training Registration form (select Financial Manager as a role) or email OnCoreFinancials@uabmc.edu .
• Budget Entry:For new studies, once the OnCore calendar is marked Complete, the study team enters the final negotiated budget into the OnCore Financials Console. The OnCore Financial Analyst is happy to assist with your budget entry questions (contact OncoreFinancials@uabmc.edu<).
• Sponsor Invoicing: Once the study budget is entered into OnCore, creation of sponsor invoiceable items become automated and easy for the financial team.
  • Regulatory Coordinators add IRB information in the PC console, which can trigger invoiceable items in the Financials Console.
  • Study Coordinators manage subject visits, additional procedures, SAEs, screen failures, monitoring visits, training fees, study supplies, in the CRA console, triggering invoiceable items in the Financials Console.
  • Once invoiceable items have been generated, financial coordinators can quickly and easily add them to sponsor invoices.
• A/R: sponsor invoices (receivables) have been created, financial coordinators can reconcile sponsor payments and track AR within the Financials Console

What can you do with OnCore Financials? See more information here, or contact the OnCore Financial Analyst (OncoreFinancials@uabmc.edu) to answer your OnCore related financial questions.