How To Avoid Errors In Dental Credentialing?

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Dental Credentialing is very vital in today’s competitive environment. With a multitude of dental practices being open, patients prefer going to a dental practitioner who is in-network or credentialed. Opting for dental  credentialing widens the potential patients within an area as well as bolsters the visibility online & in-network,  which in turn buttresses the revenue cycle management (RCM). Dental Credentialing is a complex process and has to be done with the utmost care and focus. This article mentions  the errors and mistakes that a dental practitioner must avoid for explicit dental credentialing. 

Inaccurate credential verification: Medical credentialing process requires accurate verification of the dental  practitioner’s educational qualifications, employment history, training certificates, residency, and licenses,  along with any certifications issued by a board in the provider’s area of specialty. Verification of such important documents requires a team of prolific experts who are well-versed with the dental healthcare system as well as insurance companies’ protocols. The biggest and most common mistake that dental  practitioners commit is not delegating these tasks to adequate personnel. The error of not opting for adequate staff  for the dental credentialing process results in multiple errors. This further leads to insurance companies  rejecting the application submitted by the dental practitioner, hence stemming the revenue cycle. Moreover, the evaluation of appropriate staff for dental credentialing can be a burdensome task. This issue can be vanquished by outsourcing medical credentialing and billing services from a renowned company. Such companies have a specific team of experts handling each step of the process with accuracy while keeping errors and mistakes at bay. 

Insufficient provider enrollment applications: Accurately filling the provider enrollment application is vital for the dental credentialing process. This is because even missing the response N/A (for the sections that don’t apply to your dental practice) can lead to application denial as the insurance companies treat such applications as incomplete. Therefore, filling each and every section is extremely important. To avoid such errors, the  team handling the dental credentialing process should dedicate their time just for the same with undivided focus. However, when the staff of the dental practitioner handles this process, they also get involved in other clinical tasks, making the process more prone to above mentioned manual errors. On the other hand, dental credentialing companies use advanced software handled by experts, which in turn makes the complete process error-free. 

Outdated Information: Dental Practitioners are required to renew their dental license as well as their  dental credentials periodically. Staying up to date with the board of dental licenses and certificates is the key to achieving foolproof dental credentialing. Various studies have found out that 85% of dental  credentialing applications have either inaccurate, missing, or outdated information. Every small detail  such as a change in address, phone number, etc. is required to be updated, which, when done otherwise,  leads to the dental credentialing application rejection by the insurance companies. The most appropriate solution for such issues is to compile and manage all the necessary documentation together and update them  timely. However, this can be an issue for dental practitioners as they are already burdened with other  clinical tasks and dental services. In such scenarios, outsourcing dental credentialing and billing services  help tremendously. Such companies are skilled in the management of necessary documents as well as in  updating them regularly. 

Deadlines: Medical credentialing can take up to 90 days to 6 months. As it is such an intricate process,  when handled by in-house staff, deadlines can be missed in order to take care of all the above-mentioned points and avoid errors. However, missing deadlines can delay an already long process directly,  impacting the revenue cycle. Outsourcing dental credentialing services can save dental practitioners from  encountering such issues. While maintaining error-free process management, these companies make sure  to submit your applications well within the deadline. Dental credentialing and billing companies like Capline dental services are renowned establishments that are  trusted by thousands of dental practitioners across the United States. These companies support dental  practitioners with advanced resources and profound experts, ensuring streamlined, smooth, and efficient revenue  cycle management (RCM).