Running a dental clinic means so much than just providing better patient care. Always remember a well-organized dental billing process saves time and reduces significant errors which can lead to claim denials. Apart from that, it also improves the clinic’s cash flow and patient satisfaction levels. But most of the healthcare staff faces issues with tackling the administrative hassles as they have to focus on patient care. So, let’s dive into how you can streamline your dental billing process with the help of dental billing services.
The Significance of Precise Billing
Accurate dental billing is important to maintain your clinic’s financial health. However, when all the billing processes are properly streamlined, it not only reduces errors but also improves patient experience. On the other hand, inefficient billing can lead to claim denials which can make the patients frustrated. Dental billing also involves a wide range of tasks which are needed to accurately submit claims. These tasks include verifying patient’s insurance coverage, submitting claims, following up on the unpaid claims and finally, managing patients billing issues.
Why Outsource Dental Billing Companies?
There are several reasons to outsource dental billing, starting from implementing reliable billing software to monitoring claims regularly. Let’s dive into each reasons one by one:
1) They are Highly Technology-Agnostic
One of the main ways you can streamline your billing process is using the right technology. This type of software automates all the billing-related tasks, which include claim submission, payment posting and getting patient statements. However, if the healthcare staff focuses on using the right software, then they may not get the time to improve patient care. Here, the outsourced dental billing company comes whose experts are proficient in using all the complex software. They also know how to work with the clinic’s EHR system which can store patient data.
2) Staying Current with the Latest Regulations
The healthcare regulations constantly change because of new diseases. Now, if the healthcare staff focus on these issues, then they may not be able to improve patient care. Here, the outsourced companies come to whose experts get regular training sessions so that they stay updated with the latest billing practices. Training helps them to handle all the billing enquiries, which helps the clinics to focus on patient care.
3) Verifying the Insurance Details Upfront
One of the common causes for billing delays is outdated or incorrect insurance information. It also becomes hectic for the healthcare staff to verify patient’s insurance details, collect all the necessary documents and finally submit prior authorization request to streamline the claim submission process. But with the help of the outsourced experts, you can prevent major issues by verifying the patient’s insurance details at appointment or check-in. Hence, it makes sure the claims are submitted accurately, which reduces the claim rejection chances.
4) Monitoring Claims Regularly
Regular claim monitoring is highly beneficial to address any administrative issues promptly. You need to use your billing software to track the status of the submitted claims and follow-up on all the denied claims. Hence, this approach reduces the time to receive payments. As this is a hectic process for the healthcare staff, that’s why taking the help of dental billing solutions can be highly beneficial. These experts take care of all this administrative chaos so that your staff can focus on patient care.
5) In-house Versus Outsourced Teams
The in-house teams come with a high cost because you need to train them and also buy expensive office space for them. So, it not only increases clinics’ costs but also the healthcare staff cannot invest in patient care as they won’t have so much money for this. That is also why taking the help of dental billing services comes in handy because their experts are previously trained and, they don’t require any separate office space as the outsourced experts provide them with the space.
6) Avoiding Illegal Billing Practices
It is important to remain compliant with all the legal standards when you are streamlining your billing process. All the illegal dental billing practices can have serious consequences, which can include fines or license loss. So, you need to be aware of the common illegal practices such as upcoding and unbundling. Hence, your team needs to understand these practices and address ethical standards of billing to make sure no claim denial occurs. That is why if you feel the in-house process is highly overwhelming, you may consider outsourcing to dental billing experts who can take care of this process.
How Can You Enhance Patient Communication?
Efficient communication with the patients is a key to a smooth billing process. You need to provide clear billing statements so that patients can easily understand those. Apart from that, you also need to provide the patients with flexible payment options and educate patients about the insurance. That’s why always remember that streamlining your billing process is not just efficiency, it’s about making sure you have given a better experience to your patients. Here, you can also get the help of outsourced experts who may help you with this process.
How Can You Select the Right Expert?
As there are so many RCM companies out there, how can you choose the right company for your clinic? So, before hiring any company, you can check if these companies help with full RCM solutions, having a technological edge and helping with billing audits. These companies also help with pre-billing solutions which include capturing patient demographics, patient’s eligibility verification, securing prior authorization and reauthorization support. These RCM services also help with post-billing operations such as claim tracking and submission, denial and rejection resolution, payment posting and Accounts Receivable follow-up.
These companies can meet or beat any price and can also help with 80% cost reduction. They also help with 99.9% accuracy and can also provide 100’s of references. These services also help with other specialties such as DME, orthotics and prosthetics, urgent care, gastroenterology, cardiology, infusion and many more. So, if you want to streamline your billing process, it may be a good option to outsource dental billing companies.