Dental Support Specialties Blog

Let’s face it—very few people like or even understand insurance. It can be complicated, have odd phrasing, and include many exceptions to coverage. However, if you own and operate a dental practice, working with insurance companies probably has a significant impact on your business’s revenue stream. However, sometimes, even though you do not represent the insurance company, you have to act as a resource for your patients regarding their benefits through dental insurance verification and billing.

For instance, many insurance plans include a missing tooth clause, which can affect your patient’s out-of-pocket costs and their attitude toward your practice. Keep reading to learn what this clause is and how it can impact your business if you don’t handle it gracefully.

You know a scam when you see one. You don’t fall for get-rich-quick schemes, and you certainly didn’t cheat your way through dental school to get where you are! However, perhaps after an appointment with a rude patient, it may sometimes be tempting to fudge the billing paperwork a bit, so you get a little extra money from the insurance company and the patient for their treatment.

However, this choice, called upcoding, is a huge mistake in dental billing! In this post, you’ll learn about upcoding, why you should take it seriously, and how to avoid it in your dental practice.

After years of formal training at dental school and tons of hours of continuing education coursework, you’ve learned just how complex dentistry can be clinically. Unfortunately, even the administrative logistics can be almost just as complicated. If you want to set your practice up with financial stability, you need to have a grasp on dental procedure codes, but don’t worry if you have plenty of questions. Here are only some examples of the most common questions about this topic and helpful answers.

When you were little, did you want to become an astronaut? A ballerina? A firefighter? In all honesty, not many kids grow up dreaming about having a successful career in dental billing, but like many other unconventional job paths, it can be rewarding. Filing and processing insurance claims not only can help your employer (and you) get paid on time, but also help your patients save as much as possible on out-of-pocket costs.

Just keep in mind that it’s not something you can just start doing without any prior familiarity. In fact, if you don’t handle dental billing correctly, you could cost your employer thousands of dollars and even face fraud charges. In other words, you need training! How do you get into dental billing, and what kind of training is available? Read on to find out!

It seems like almost every company is outsourcing these days. Larger corporations such as retailers and small businesses such as dental practices alike are turning to other entities to take on certain administrative tasks like chart auditing. While there are plenty of reasons to consider this decision, if you want to do it wisely and effectively for your dental practice, you need to follow at least these steps.

The word outsourcing can be associated with unpopular, potentially harmful business choices in several contexts. In many industries, sending jobs to other countries with “cheaper” labor has proven cost effective for American companies, but the concept of outsourcing doesn’t always entail something negative. In fact, when it comes to outsourcing dental billing, jobs can stay in the US and offer a win for everyone, including the patient, the employees, and the dental practice owner! How can it help and save on costs? Here are just a few ways.

If you are a planner by nature, you probably enjoy feeling as in control as possible. Sure, life can change quickly, and surprises can come up, but good planning and preparation can go a long way to give you peace of mind about the future. For example, do you have a good portion of your holiday shopping done already?

When it comes to billing dental insurance companies, doing some prework will not only spare you from experiencing preventable headaches but also save you valuable time and money. This preparatory effort may likely consist of either insurance verification and/or prior authorization. What exactly is the difference between these two concepts, and why are they important? Keep reading to find out!

When your patient comes in for treatment and needs to pay for the procedure, you want to provide more than just an educated guess. You can’t pick out a random dollar amount and hope you’re in the ballpark. Going blind in charging your patients can wreak havoc on your practice’s finances and reputation. That’s where an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) in dental billing can help you keep everything organized and everyone happy. As an office manager or owner of a dental practice, you need to not only be familiar with EOBs but also know how to use them to benefit your business and patients.

Every member of your team serves a purpose in your dental practice. Your dental assistant takes X-rays and helps you during procedures, your hygienist performs routine cleanings, and your front desk team checks patients in and out. They each have their area of expertise, but one expert who should be on your team and is often taken for granted is a dental billing specialist. What exactly does this role offer your practice? What does a dental billing specialist do? Keep reading to find out!

In any agreement or contract, both parties are responsible to do certain things. When you hire a home contractor, for example, they are obligated to complete the project, and you as the customer must pay them. In dentistry, you pledge to deliver outstanding care to your patients, and they pay you either through their insurance company or out-of-pocket. Obviously, in real life, this division of responsibilities can get more complicated.

Even when something is the patient’s responsibility, you and your dental office team may have to take extra steps to avoid delays in payment or complications in insurance claims. Keep reading to learn more about just four examples of patient billing responsibilities and what you may need to do to help make transactions smoother.