Dealing with patient insurance claims as a dental practitioner can be time consuming, headache-inducing, and incredibly frustrating. With reams of paperwork to trawl through, billing to make accurate, denials to address, and a cashflow to try and maintain, it can feel like a never-ending cycle of confusion and misery.
Handling these claims without the help of dental practice accountants can place a heavy burden on administrative teams, and ultimately, delay payments. However, choose to work with an expert dental accountant and you’ll see how quickly the nightmare of insurance claims, can turn into a streamlined and efficient process.
Let’s take a closer look at how partnering with a dental accountant can alleviate the burden of insurance claims, and expedite reimbursement payments:
Dental insurance claim challenges
There are a number of challenges dentists or their administrative teams must tackle when dealing with insurance claims, and here are some of the most common:
- Paperwork and a complicated claims process
Detailed forms and other documentation are required for every insurance claim, and when they are incomplete or filled out incorrectly, denials and delays typically ensue.
- Different providers with different requirements
Tracking claims can become tricky when different providers are involved. Each one has a different set of billing codes and requirements, and dentists may find it hard to determine what plans cover, and how reimbursements can be maximized.
- Reimbursement and payment delays
Most insurance claims take time to be processed, which can cause problems with cashflow and delayed payments. Reimbursements also tend to take a long time to be processed, which can have a significant impact on a dental practice’s bottom line.
- Claim denials and coding errors
Most insurance claim denials are due to incorrect coding; the correct codes must be used for each procedure to ensure acceptance and reimbursement of claims.
The role of a dental accountant in assisting with insurance claims
Choosing to work with an accountant who has dental industry experience can help dentists and practitioners in the following ways:
- Accurate coding and billing
To minimize the chances of a claim being denied, a dental accountant will make sure that all dental procedures carry the correct coding. This will reduce the chance of rejection and expedite reimbursements.
- Making the claims process streamlined
From filing to claim denial follow-ups, a dental accountant will handle all of the necessary paperwork, and will likely use an electronic claims submission system to limit errors and improve the rate of claims that are accepted.
- Timely reimbursements
By tracking claims that are unpaid, and identifying payments that are overdue, claims can be processed more efficiently and cashflow can be improved.
Overall, working with specialist accountants for dental practices is a great way to reduce the burden of complex paperwork that comes with every insurance claim, freeing up dentists and their teams to focus on scheduling and patient care. Penalties for improper claims are also a problem that a dental accountant can work to eliminate; helping dentists and their practices preserve their revenue and maintain a steady cashflow.
If you’re a dental practitioner who’s fed up of spending hours of their time devoted to insurance claims, and who wants to enhance the overall profitability of their practice with swifter reimbursements, hiring a dental accountant is a convenient and highly effective way to tackle the issue.