8 Steps for Faster Dental Insurance Claims Processing
There’s no doubt that dealing with dental insurance is a pain point for many dental practices. The sheer number of dental consultants that claim you’ll be better off if you stop taking insurance entirely is proof of that. However, for most practices, that’s not practical. Not to mention, for many patients dental insurance can be the difference between being able to pay for treatment and allowing problems to fester.
But delayed and denied claims impact your practice’s financial health, and can impact patient satisfaction if they result in unexpected bills. With that in mind, here are 8 steps for faster dental insurance claims processing.
Step 1: Verify eligibility ahead of time.
The first step to process dental insurance claims more quickly is to verify eligibility ahead of time. Get that done before the patient comes into the office and you’ll reduce paperwork and billing headaches. With the Vyne Trellis platform(™), there’s no need to sit on the phone – verification can be done electronically to save even more time.
Our secure paperless solutions* also make it easy to request updates from patients before their appointments via SMS or email.
Step 2: Get the coding right.
If your insurance claim isn’t coded correctly, the insurance company will more than likely decline to pay it. Then, you’ll have to start the process all over again. Refiling not only increases claims processing time, but it can also cost your practice money in refiling fees.
Insurance codes change annually. Vyne Dental offers regular online events to help you stay on top of changes in coding procedures and dental insurance trends. See our events here.
Step 3: Double-check patient information.
Obviously, you want to make sure you’re filing with the right insurance company. Make sure you’re verifying with the patient every time. This is especially important right now, as the ongoing pandemic may have led to lapses in regular appointments as well as changes in employment for many patients.
Getting all of the correct information (patient name, address and social security number) as well as the correct subscriber ID will help you avoid related errors that could cause delays in processing.
Step 4: Ditch the paper forms.
It’s not the 90s anymore, so if you’re still filing by mail or by fax, make 2021 the year you ditch the unnecessary paper and say goodbye to snail mail. Going paperless improves office efficiency and makes it faster to submit dental insurance claims for processing.
Delta Dental cites ‘incomplete, inaccurate, unreadable or outdated forms” as one of the top 10 reasons claims get delayed. An electronic claims processing solution can greatly reduce these issues.
Vyne Dental’s solutions work with your practice management system to make submitting claims easy and fast. Additionally, you can track the claim and its status while it’s being processed.
Step 5: Include all relevant information.
Dental insurance companies frequently require additional documentation to validate insurance claims. This can include anything from X-Rays to charts to narratives explaining why patients need a given treatment. Including everything the insurance company is likely to ask for in the submission of the initial claim reduces the amount of back-and-forth and speeds up payment.
It’s important to note that dental insurance companies may delay or deny coverage if X-Rays and other information are the wrong size or submitted in the wrong format.
Vyne Dental’s FastAttach(R) solution makes it simple to send all necessary attachments electronically safely and securely.
Step 6: Call for help if you need it.
Nobody likes calling insurance companies, but it’s often the fastest way to get claims issues resolved. Dental insurance companies frequently have representatives available to answer questions regarding eligibility and claims during business hours. If you’re having trouble getting your claims processed correctly, call for assistance.
If you’re using Vyne Dental, our support team is also here to help whenever you get stuck.
Step 7: Go on autopilot.
Integrate your dental practice management system with your claims processing solution. This reduces errors and speeds up claims processing even more.
Vyne Dental’s solutions work with most major practice management systems to help your practice run more efficiently.
Step 8: Evaluate your claims processing procedures regularly.
General advice is all well and good, but the secret to faster claims processing is to find the advice that applies to your practice. Do you know where the pain points are in your practice’s claims process? What are the most common reasons your claims are delayed or denied? By reviewing your own internal processes regularly and looking for ways to become more efficient, you can fix existing problems and nip new issues in the bud as they arise.
Not sure where to start? The team at Vyne Dental is here to help!
