In various situations, you hear the saying: a good defense starts with a good offense. Translated to everyday language, being proactive and addressing issues early can protect you from harm. In a dental office setting, particularly when it comes to your finances, an example of this approach is called dental insurance verification. Using their information collected at the time of booking the visit, you basically need to confirm what benefits your patient has available before they come into your office. How does this early step protect your business? Keep reading to find out!
Protection from Denied and Unpaid Claims
When dental insurance companies deny claims because of inaccurate codes or other issues, it delays payment your practice has earned. Instead of having a healthy flow of incoming cash, you may feel a financial pinch, even if your schedule remains full. Verifying each patient’s insurance information before their appointment ensures smooth billing, on-time payments, and a more comfortable number in the bank.
Protection from Patient Dissatisfaction
After getting an estimate and paying their assumed portion of the cost, the last thing your patient wants to hear from you is that they owe more money. Accurate estimates and a clear understanding of their available benefits allow you to establish trust with those you treat. Otherwise, they may wonder about your team’s competency and honesty when it comes to finances.
In addition to building trust financially, properly verifying insurance beforehand gives you the ability to focus on your patient’s needs and be confident about explaining what they can expect in terms of pricing. Although there are other ways you can frustrate your patients, when their information has been verified, you can be a reliable source of care and a true advocate between them and the insurance company.
Protection from Wasted Time and Money
At first glance, dropping insurance verification in your office may seem to spare you from hours on the phone with insurance companies, but it is far less time consuming to double check benefits beforehand than it is to correct an error and have to do rework after the patient has left. Repeating work wastes precious time for your front desk personnel and ultimately can frustrate or stress out your team.
If you want to defend your business against these negative outcomes, dental insurance verification is absolutely necessary. Although it involves making a pre-appointment effort, overall, it is time well spent because it can get you paid on schedule, makes earning your patient’s trust easier, and helps your office work more efficiently. Doing dental insurance verification properly can be a powerful asset to your company and set your practice apart.
About Dental Support Specialties
Dental Support Specialties has assisted dental practices throughout the United States for more than 15 years. With professionals who have worked in dentistry and are familiar with how to work with insurance companies and patients alike, our team members became an extension to your own in-office administrative team. In addition to dental insurance verification, we also can handle incoming phone calls, chart auditing, and other essential tasks. Contact us to schedule a consultation!