To get the right answers, you must ask the right questions—this may sound like a fortune cookie, but it’s true! And when it comes to making sure your dental practice gets paid on time, you definitely want to ask the right questions.
If one step of the claims process goes wrong, dental insurance won’t pay you, which can hurt your business. What exactly should you be asking when you verify dental insurance? Keep reading to find out just four of the basic questions you need answers to!
Is Your Practice In-Network with the Patient’s Dental Insurance?
Most patients don’t enjoy surprises when it comes to paying for services. They would much rather know how much something costs upfront. If you are out-of-network with all insurances, the answer to this question is easy, but if you are in-network, your patient may pay less out-of-pocket and save significantly.
When you gather your patient’s dental insurance information, it’s important to inform them if you are not in-network with their provider so they aren’t blindsided with the bill at the end of the visit.
Is the Insurance Information Provided by the Patient Accurate?
During the initial phone call to schedule the appointment, your front desk team should collect the Group ID and more details about the patient’s insurance. This information is essential to obtain before the visit because you need time to confirm it. Otherwise, you can waste substantial time trying to get paid for claims filed incorrectly and doing rework.
Needless to say, it’ll save you money and your team time and stress to verify this information beforehand.
Does the Patient Have a Deductible?
Various insurance companies handle their benefits differently. While some include a deductible, or amount that the patient pays before benefits kick in, others don’t. Being aware of how each patient’s company works and then informing the patient will keep frustration to a minimum and payments coming in smoothly.
How Much Is Available out of the Patient’s Yearly Maximum?
Typically, dental insurance companies will pay a maximum of $1,500 per year per patient. If your patient is undergoing major treatment or has already used some of these available funds, you need to know how much is still available from insurance. Otherwise, you can waste valuable time on unnecessary paperwork, irritate your patient with follow-up bills, and postpone receiving payments you’re due.
Although you may have other questions during the verification process, getting answers to these basic inquiries will help you make the payments come in as smoothly as possible.
About Dental Support Specialties
Since 2008, Dental Support Specialties has provided administrative services to dental practices throughout the country. We can handle the often-time-consuming dental insurance verification process for your front desk team. In addition, we can also remotely answer incoming phone calls and do special projects like chart auditing. If you would like to know more about our services, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.