As passionate as you may feel about changing your patients’ lives for the better, your practice can’t function without being paid on time. After all, you can’t cover the bills and your employees’ salaries with unpaid insurance claims. While discussing money can be uncomfortable, it’s an essential part of running a thriving business. Compared to many other industries, collecting payment in dentistry can be complicated and time consuming, but Dental Support Specialties can simplify this process and make dental billing seamless. Reach out to us to see how we can improve your efficiency and revenue!
Dental Billing
Collect the Money You Earn ASAP
What is Dental Billing?
When it comes to payment, there are two revenue sources you need to work efficiently and transparently with: the insurance companies and the patient. If you don’t follow the insurance billing process correctly, you can experience delays in money you’re owed, frustrate or lose patients because of surprise fees, see cash flow issues, or even face legal repercussions.
Unfortunately, with these high stakes, the dental billing process isn’t exactly something an unfamiliar employee can pick up on the job. Field expertise, honesty, and attention to detail are required to help your dental practice succeed financially. That’s where DSS can make a huge difference!
What is the Process of Dental Billing?
When the steps are followed properly, dental billing with insurance can be a reliable revenue stream. Here are the steps to being paid on time:
- Collect the patient’s insurance information when they schedule the appointment.
- Verify their coverage and benefits with the insurance company before they are treated.
- Create a treatment plan based on the patient’s needs and confirm their available coverage for the specific services proposed.
- Collect predicted out-of-pocket costs from the patient at the time of service.
- Submit the insurance claim within two days of the treatment(s) being performed, including correct patient and provider information, accurate codes for services, attached relevant documentation (like X-rays, photos, narratives and clinical notes, etc.), and any other claims forms with a Coordination of Benefits form for those with multiple insurance plans.
- Appeal insurance claims if they have been denied or remain unpaid after three weeks from submission.
- Manage the ageing report to avoid long delays in payment, starting with the oldest claims.
- Post insurance payments on your practice’s management software.
Note: this process often takes time and requires phone calls exchanged with insurance companies.
The Benefits of Dental Billing
Although free-for-service dental practices have a more direct collection process, efficiently billing dental insurance companies gives you an edge in many ways, especially if you turn to DSS to handle the behind-the-scenes leg work. In other words, outsourcing comes with many tangible and intangible advantages for your practice.
Cost Efficiency
You may worry that paying an outside company may cost a lot, but the price at DSS often is lower than paying a full-time salary and benefits for an in-house dedicated insurance team member. Plus, delays in payment often require extra time to resolve, digging into your revenue and profits. DSS can verify benefits, file claims, and complete the entire process in a way that optimizes your money.
Also, many patients find a dentist based on who is in their insurance network or accepts their plan. Efficient and effective dental billing through insurance can attract more patients who have dental benefits through their jobs. In other words, you get more volume of patients and opportunities to bring in more revenue!
Reduced Billing Errors
When only one person takes charge of the revenue collection, laundering and fraud can happen more easily. DSS can double check the numbers and keep everyone honest, protecting your practice’s reputation and preventing legal trouble.
Even unintentional errors can still result in unpleasant consequences, such as legal investigation or penalties, damage to patients’ perceptions of your practice, and more. As a HIPAA-compliant company with insurance experts, DSS will protect your patient’s information and stay informed about updates to codes and other essential industry information, helping you steer clear of scandal.
Access to Modern Technology
To offer complete insurance billing in-house, you will have to invest time and money into training and providing resources for a staff member to do the job correctly. When you outsource to DSS, however, you don’t have to worry about keeping up with industry standards and equipment. We will do it for you! Our team members are familiar with practically every dental software and stay informed of the latest innovations and changes in the field.
Improved Cash Flow
You can’t run a business if you don’t have a reliable source of cash influx. Fortunately, DSS can keep claims and money you’re owed coming in from the insurance companies! With a healthy cash flow and on-time payments, you can have a clearer idea of your practice’s financial well-being and can make wiser decisions about your business, such as bringing on an associate, acquiring new technology, or remodeling the office.
In addition, when your insurance billing is outsourced and is handled efficiently, you can better assess your business needs and feel less stress as an owner.
Enhanced Patient Satisfaction
For patients who have in-network insurance plans, their out-of-pocket cost of care is reduced, which makes them happy! After all, who doesn’t like saving money? However, regardless of the cost savings, successfully billing through insurance allows you to show your team’s competence and transparency about pricing, which builds trust with your patient base and keeps them coming year after year.
Perhaps most importantly in terms of patient satisfaction, without this tedious responsibility, your front desk employees can spend their time, positive energy, and focus on the patients and create a pleasant and comfortable experience from the first moment to the last.
Dental Billing FAQs
What Makes Dental Billing So Complicated?
Unfortunately, collecting money from insurance companies can be tedious, time-consuming, and flat-out frustrating because they often resist paying claims, which means the person filling out the paperwork must be meticulous. They must know and use the correct coding, photos or other documentation, clinical notes, and other information to satisfy the insurance company and ensure payment comes on time. If necessary, your dental billing expert can follow up to resolve issues as quickly as possible.
What Are the Most Common Reasons for Insurance Claim Denials?
Claims can be denied for even the smallest of errors, and administrative errors make up the greatest cause of denials. Whether simply due to human nature or intentionally committing fraud, your team could use another set of eyes on the billing documents to protect everyone. From our years of expertise, you can rely on our team to have fewer errors and more successfully paid claims.
Can Someone with Medical Billing Experience Switch to Dental Billing?
With training, time, and patience, a medical professional could probably adapt to dental billing; however, the coding, standards, and other details differ enough that it likely wouldn’t be a smooth or cost-effective transition. At DSS, we hire only dental professionals who have years of industry experience, meaning we know how to work with dental insurance companies specifically. Basically, we can jump straight in and start working on getting your claims paid more efficiently.
How Much Time Does Dental Billing Take?
Some claims, such as for routine cleaning and exam, can be completed in a short period of time without much fuss from the insurance company. Other situations may require significantly longer. In fact, it may take hours on the phone with the insurance company to clarify or rectify the issue. Even if you have a dedicated front desk team, they are likely busy checking patients in and out, scheduling appointments, and doing other valuable tasks. Needless to say, they probably don’t have several hours to spare in their schedule! Fortunately, you can contact us and schedule a complimentary support analysis to see how we can best need your needs.