Precise dental billing can help to run a successful and sustainable dental practice. A margin of error, no matter how small, can have a significant impact on revenue over some time. This makes accuracy in dental billing and coding a top priority for a practice.
Billing and dental codes are fundamental to the financial success of a practice. Precise and efficient billing helps to process claims much faster. This helps the practice to receive timely reimbursement of dues from insurance companies.
The billing team must use the right dental codes procedures and services rendered. Codes are also updated every year and hence the team needs to stay updated on these changes. For a dental practice, CDT or current dental terminology codes form the basis of the submission of claims to insurance companies. Precise dental billing and usage of codes also save time and money for the practice by reducing errors and claim denials.
The dental billing team depends on CDT when submitting insurance claims to insurance companies. This entails a strong understanding of the insurance plan of the patient as it can decide on which code to assign. The choice of code has a bearing on how a procedure is billed and hence accurate coding is vital.
Dental coding plays an important part in ensuring patients receive proper care while the practice gets adequately compensated for the same.
CDT codes are annually updated as the dental care industry is dynamic and always evolving. The updates enable the inclusion of new processes or technological advances and a practice can have appropriate codes to denote these services accurately.
The practice must have the right updated information about the patient and the insurance plan. The practice can thus send bills with all the accurate information and get insurance claims sorted out at the earliest. A few tips for efficient and accurate billing are as follows:
Probing details about the plan in advance is an ideal practice. The practice can confirm with the insurance organization about a procedure that needs to be performed in advance. Thus, a patient can be informed about the coverage of the procedure and whether it will be covered by the plan. This helps to avoid surprises and also lets the patient plan the next course of action.
A claim getting denied is not a source of worry as it happens across practices. It is important to carefully keep track of claim submissions and evaluate causes for rejection. The team can then resolve such issues and work on preventing them in the future. The team also needs to look into unpaid claims and get them cleared through a resubmission.
The dental team must keep communication channels open with patients and insurance organizations. Patients need to be informed about out-of-pocket expenses that would have to be borne by them. Coordination with insurance companies by the team is needed to get estimates on the cost and reimbursement of procedures.
The practice can select from plenty of software options that are available in the market. Automation helps reduce human errors while also simplifying and speeding things up. These software tools help the team to send claims and periodic reminders electronically thereby reducing paperwork and saving time.
For large practices, it is practical to consider the services of billing specialists to handle the important function of billing as this helps to keep the revenue pipeline flowing. The dental industry is dynamic and subject to constant change. Outsourced professionals are well trained and updated on various industry changes in CDT codes and other regulations. This helps to minimize claim denials and keep patients satisfied too.
The team needs to be aware of changes in codes and billing guidelines. Precise coding assists the dental team in avoiding submitting fraudulent claims. The usage of outdated or wrong codes can be considered suspicious activity by insurance organizations. This can lead to an audit or even penalties.
Accuracy in billing is vital for the running of a dental practice. Procedures and services performed by the practice need to be properly documented and coded for maximum reimbursement. The team needs to be always updated on changes in codes and other guidelines that affect the billing function.
