Performing dental insurance verification is an essential process for any dental practice before dispensing any dental treatment to patients. This process ensures a steady cash flow by verifying patients' insurance coverage, benefits, and eligibility.
Navigating insurance policies and regulations can be challenging. However, relying on third-party companies such as Capline Dental Services can assist with submitting clean claims, resulting in an improved patient experience and adherence to compliance guidelines.
What is Dental Insurance Eligibility Verification?
The process of insurance eligibility is crucial in ensuring that the insurance plan is active and that the services rendered are under the insurance plan. This process also takes the patient's insurance information, like policy number, group number, and subscriber number. That can be done manually or electronically, depending on what works best.
Dental Insurance Verification Guide and Process
Collect patient details- One of the crucial steps for any dental practice is to collect the patient's demographics, which include their name, date of birth, insurance policy information, and group number. These details help the practice to keep a record of the patient's information for future reference and ensure that the patient gets billed accurately.
Verify patient eligibility and benefits- Once the patient details are collected, the next step is to verify their eligibility and benefits. The dental practice contacts the patient's insurance company and confirms their coverage. The process gets initiated through web portals, email, or phone calls, depending on the preferred mode of communication.
The dental insurance verification company will then provide information on the patient's insurance eligibility, active plan, co-payments, deductibles, services covered under the insurance plan, out-of-pocket limits, coverage start and end date, and any limitations or exclusions.
Patient financial responsibility- This information is crucial in determining the patient's out-of-pocket expenses and the amount the insurance company will cover. By verifying the patient's eligibility and benefits, the providers can avoid unpleasant surprises for the patient or themselves.
Procure authorization- It is imperative that the dental practice adheres to the insurer's requirements and procures the necessary approval before proceeding with any specific dental procedure. That ensures that the treatment provided gets covered by the patient's insurance plan and avoids any potential disputes or financial burdens on the patient.
Update patient record- An updated patient's record with pertinent insurance verification information, such as benefits, coverage, and eligibility is crucial to keep all patient records up-to-date ensuring excellent care.
Communicate with the patient- In addition, the dental practice should communicate effectively with the patient, providing them with clear information regarding their insurance eligibility and associated financial responsibility. This allows the patient to make informed decisions about their treatment plan and helps to establish a positive and trustworthy relationship between the patient and the dental practice.
Benefits of Dental Insurance Verification