Custom Forms Configuration

You can create custom forms to allow users to capture data for policy lines that do not have a default application detail. This area allows you to enter basic information about a custom form, such as its name and type, and select Common Screens to include with it. Once you have added a custom form, you can use the screen generator to add controls to it and further customize it to capture the information your business needs. To enable users to select a custom form and use it during policy servicing workflows, you must install it and define a policy type for it.

If you have previously used custom forms for benefits policies and would like to begin using data capture forms instead, you can convert a custom form to a data capture form, then migrate existing policies to the data capture form. Existing attachment, summary of insurance, and proposal templates associated to the custom form are updated automatically as part of the conversion. If a custom form contains multiple plans in a single schedule, the system converts policies that use that form to package policies, with each plan as a line of business within the package. You cannot convert a custom form containing multiple schedules to a single plan data capture form.

Data capture forms and related functionality are only available in Applied Epic Browser, and only available if your agency does not have Active Directory Authentication enabled in Login Configuration.

If you access Applied Epic through a web browser, you must install all components from Help > Connection Suite (including the Applied Epic Custom Form Editor item in the Optional Connections section) to configure custom forms. Otherwise, you can only use the Screen Generator with Applied Epic installed locally on your computer.

1. From the Home screen, do one of the following:
   
   
   • Click Configure on the navigation panel.
   • Click the down arrow next to Home on the menubar and select Configure.
   • Click Areas > Configure on the menubar.

From any other area of the program, do one of the following:

2. • Click the down arrow to the right of the Home options bar button and select Configure.
   • Click Home > Configure on the menubar. The Configure screen displays.

2. Click Policy on the navigation panel or Areas > Policy on the menubar.

3. Click Custom Forms on the navigation panel.

4. You can do the following from here:
    

   • Add a Custom Form

     1. Do one of the following:
        • Click the Add button to the left of the list.
        • Click New > Custom Forms on the options bar.
        • Click File > New > Custom Forms on the menubar.
        • Press [Insert] on your keyboard.
     2. Enter the new form Name in the field on the right.
     3. Select a Type of form.
        
        Note: If you do not select the same data type as that on the corresponding ACORD form, you will not be able to integrate the field in the custom form into the ACORD form.
     4. In the Include the Following Common Screens section, select the checkbox beside each screen to be included with the form.
     5. To add a custom screen to this form, click the Add button beside the Custom Screens list. In the Custom Screen pop-up window, enter the Screen Name. If applicable, select the Scheduled Screen checkbox and click Finish.
     • If necessary, you can reorder the screens associated to the form by doing the following:
     1. Click on a screen to select it in the list.
     2. Click the up arrow or down arrow beside the list to reposition the screen in the list.
        Note: When a user adds a policy or line using the custom form, the screens display from left to right (as individual tabs) in the same order in which they display in this list.
     • You can edit the name of a custom screen by doing the following:
     1. Click on a screen to select it in the list.
     2. Click the Edit button to open the Custom Screen pop-up window. Make any necessary changes and then click Finish.
        Note: You cannot edit the Scheduled Screen checkbox selection. The option you selected when you created the screen is permanent.
     • You can remove a custom screen association from the custom form by selecting the screen in the list and clicking the Delete button.
     6. Click Add to add this record and create another one.
        
        Click Detail to open the Screen Generator tool, which allows you to add controls (fields and functionality) on the screens associated to the custom form.
        
        Click Finish or press [Enter] to complete the record.
        
        Click Cancel or press [Esc] to exit the workflow without saving changes. You are prompted, "Do you wish to discard changes?" Click Yes.
     7. When you have finished adding the custom form, you must install the custom form to make it available to users.

   • Edit a Custom Form

     1. Click to highlight the custom form in the list and then do one of the following:
        • Click the Edit button to the left of the list.
        • Click File > Open on the menubar.
        • Double click the custom form.

     Note: To include inactive forms in the list, click the Include Inactive link label on the top right part of the screen.

     2. Revise the Name and/or Type as necessary.
        
        Note: If you do not select the same data type as that on the corresponding ACORD form, you will not be able to integrate the field in the custom form into the ACORD form.
     3. In the Include the Following Common Screens section, select/deselect the checkboxes as necessary. Each selected screen will be included with the form.
     4. To add a custom screen to this form, click the Add button beside the Custom Screens list. In the Custom Screen pop-up window, enter the Screen Name. If applicable, select the Scheduled Screen checkbox if and click Finish.
     • If necessary, you can reorder the screens associated to the form by doing the following:
     1. Click on a screen to select it in the list.
     2. Click the up arrow or down arrow beside the list to reposition the screen in the list.
        Note: When a user adds a policy or line using the custom form, the screens display from left to right (as individual tabs) in the same order in which they display in the list.
     • You can edit the name of a custom screen by doing the following:
     1. Click on a screen to select it in the list.
     2. Click the Edit button to open the Custom Screen pop-up window. Make any necessary changes and then click Finish.
        Note: You cannot edit the Scheduled Screen checkbox selection. The option you selected when you created the screen is permanent.
     • You can remove a custom screen association from the custom form by selecting the screen in the list and clicking the Delete button.
     5. Click Detail to open the Screen Generator tool, which allows you to add controls (fields and functionality) on the screen associated to the custom form.
        
        Click Finish or press [Enter] to complete the record.
        
        Click Cancel or press [Esc] to exit the workflow without saving changes. You are prompted, "Do you wish to discard changes?" Click Yes.

   • Copy a Custom Form

     1. Click to highlight the custom form that you want to copy in the list and click Actions > Copy Custom Form on the options bar or menubar.
        
        Note: To include inactive forms in the list, click the Include Inactive link label on the top right part of the screen.
     2. The Copy Template pop-up window displays. Enter the new template name in the Copy to field.
     3. Select the Include Integrations checkbox if you want to integrate this template with ACORD forms or CSIO forms to allow data to default when you create the Service Form from an integrated Custom Form.
     4. Select the Include Prefills checkbox if you intend to add prefills for this custom form.
     5. Click Add to add this template and create another one. Repeat steps b-d.
        
        Click Finish to add the template and return to the Custom Forms Configuration screen.
        
        Click Cancel to close the Copy Template pop-up window without saving any changes.
     6. Edit the new form as necessary. See the instructions under Edit a Custom Form above.

   • Delete a Custom Form

     1. Locate and click the custom form in the list. Click the column headings at the top to sort the list by Name, Installed?, or Status.
     2. Do one of the following:
        • Click the Delete button to the left of the adjustor list.
        • Click File > Delete on the menubar.
        • Press [Delete] on your keyboard.
     3. You are prompted, "Do you wish to delete this record?" Click Yes.

   • Inactivate/Reactivate a Custom Form

     1. Click to highlight the custom form and then do one of the following:
         

        • Click Actions > Inactivate/Reactivate on the options bar.
        • Click Actions > Inactivate/Reactivate on the menubar.

     Note: To include inactive forms in the list, click the Include Inactive link label in the header.

     2. You are prompted to verify that you want to inactivate or reactivate the form. Click Yes.

   • Print a List of Custom Forms

     1. To print a list of the custom forms in Applied Epic, do one of the following:
        • Click the Print button to the left of the list.
        • Click Print > Listview on the options bar.
        • Click File > Print > Listview on the menubar.
     2. The Print screen displays. Print this list as you would any other document.

Convert Custom Forms to Data Capture Forms

Converting custom forms to data capture forms is a two-step process. In the first step, you map the custom form’s fields to their counterparts on the data capture form. Depending on your agency’s needs, you can either use one of the six default data capture forms or customize a form in Policy/Plan Detail Builder. Because the conversion is permanent, complete any modifications to the forms you intend to use before you begin the mapping process.

In the second step, you convert all existing policies that use that custom form to use the data capture form instead. Before you run the conversion, review the mappings one last time to confirm that you have mapped all fields that you want to convert. All data in unmapped fields on the custom form will be lost when the conversion runs.

Create Conversion Mapping

Before beginning the mapping process, confirm that every field you want to migrate from the custom form has a counterpart on the data capture form, especially if you have modified either form.

Make sure you can identify each field on the custom form by its prompt text, as only the prompt text displays when you select Source fields for the mapping. Access the screen generator for the custom form to view this information. If multiple fields share the same prompt text, you may also want to update them with unique, descriptive prompt text to make them easier to identify. Fields without prompt text display their field names in the Source field when you perform the mapping.

1. Select a benefits custom form in the Custom Forms list.

2. Select Actions > Create Conversion Mapping on the options bar or menubar.

3. Select a benefits data capture form to map to, either a default form or one that your agency has customized using the Policy/Plan Detail Builder. You cannot map the same custom form to a different data capture form once mapping is complete.

4. The mapping panel displays, with a preview of the data capture form. If you selected the wrong data capture form, click the Change Form Target button to choose a different one.
   
   The system automatically maps fields with a one-to-one match (for example, Project Name). You must map other fields manually. You can expand each area of the form and click the fields you want to map. Mapped fields display in blue on the form and unmapped fields display in pink.

5. Map all fields on the custom form to their counterparts on the data capture form. For details on the default data capture form field corresponding to each mapped custom form field, refer to these articles:

• Group Medical Mappings

• Group Dental Mappings
• Group Vision Mappings
• Group Short Term Disability Mappings
• Group Long Term Disability Mappings
• Group Life Mappings

Select a field on the data capture form from the Target Field dropdown menu, then select its custom form equivalent from the Source Field dropdown menu. Repeat this step until you have mapped all necessary fields. To change a mapping selection, select the Target field and/or Source field, then press [Backspace] to clear the selection.

If you have mapped multiple fields incorrectly and want to start over, click the Discard changes button to remove all mappings (including the default mappings).

If you need to make updates to a customized data capture form in the Policy/Plan Detail Editor, select Edit from the Mode dropdown menu. You cannot edit Applied-managed forms.

Click Publish to save and publish your edits to the form. If you need to continue mapping fields, select Custom Form Mapping from the Mode dropdown menu.

5. Double check that you have selected a Target field and a Source field for all fields you want to map. Select Preview from the Mode dropdown menu to view the form. Note that the preview only displays the sections of the data capture form, not the data that will be converted.

6. Click the Publish button to save your mappings and prepare the form for conversion.

Publishing only makes the custom form available for conversion; it does not convert existing custom form data or enable new policies to be created using the data capture form. To take these additional steps, you must run the conversion, as explained in the next section.

Run Custom Form Conversion

Although you can create a conversion mapping at any time, Applied recommends running the conversion (to migrate policies) outside of peak business hours, as it may take several hours to complete and users will be unable to work on the plans you are converting while it is running.

1. When you are ready to migrate existing custom form benefits policies to a data capture form, select a form that you have mapped in the Custom Forms list, then select Actions > Run Custom Form Conversion on the options bar or menubar.

2. The Process Conversion window displays. In the Scheduling Options section, choose to run the conversion Now or Schedule to run it later. If you choose Schedule, enter a date and time for the conversion to run.

3. Click OK to begin the conversion or create a job to run it at the date and time you specified (depending on your selection in the previous step).
   
   When the conversion completes, a job notification displays and a Microsoft Excel document listing the policies updated during the conversion saves to your browser’s Downloads folder. If the conversion is scheduled, the file displays in your Downloads the next time you log into Epic.

4. Repeat the steps above to convert additional custom forms.

Running the conversion inactivates the custom form to prevent you and other users from making additional changes to it or associating it to policy types. If you missed a mapping during the conversion process and need to rerun it, perform the Inactivate/Reactivate action to activate the custom form before redoing the mapping and rerunning the conversion.