The Challenge of Dealing with Dental Insurance Companies

It’s no secret in the dental industry that insurance companies change their policies yearly — sometimes even more often than that. Throughout the years, dental insurance billing plans have added exclusions, waiting periods, alternate benefits, and tricky language to make things more complicated for patients and practices alike. This creates problems for dentists: incorrect insurance verification can impact your bottom line, leading to low collections, high accounts receivables, outstanding claims, and inaccurate treatment plans.

If you’re a dentist, you know that perhaps the biggest headache occurs when your office does not have a patient’s insurance. Maybe they were seen without coverage or their coverage was unexpectedly denied. Either way, your administrative staff will spend hours chasing down payments, costing you enormous amounts of time and money — not just in terms of staff efficiency but also in terms of revenue from patients.

The solution: Check before you treat!

The good news is that situations like these are 100% avoidable. Checking (and double-checking!) a patient’s benefits prior to a procedure can save many hours down the road and streamline the billing process. You can present more accurate treatment plans, collect estimated patient copays at the time of service, and create a loyal, happy, and trusting patient base.

Ensuring accurate patient information isn’t just good for you — it’s good for them, too. Easier billing creates happier patients, and happy patients can turn into powerful advocates for your practice. Word-of-mouth marketing is still extremely important for dentists. On the other hand, of course, a dissatisfied customer can drive business away.

Let us help you solve the problem

Verifying insurance information is incredibly helpful for your practice, but it’s also time-consuming. Your front desk has a limited amount of time, and time-crunches create a higher likelihood of mistakes. Another issue is that benefit breakdowns are not always available online, and staff may have to wait up to 45 minutes to speak to a representative when they call to verify benefits. This valuable time could be better spent on patients or office duties.

That’s where Dental Thrive comes in. Our insurance verification experts can take care of the same task in a fraction of the time, because we know exactly how to deal with insurance companies. We can increase your accuracy while saving you time and money — not to mention keeping your patients happy. What’s not to love?

Could your office benefit from enhanced cash flow, decreased accounts receivable, and eliminated unpleasant surprises for patients? Contact us today to find out.