Checking on deductibles, coverage, eligibility, and verification, all these daily tasks are crucial for the accurate estimation of patient vs insurance financial responsibility.
As a patient, you expect that all will go smoothly during your appointment. You anticipate receiving a call beforehand informing you of any coverage or eligibility issues. Or at least have a clear picture of what is your monetary responsibility right after you receive dental services.
Unfortunately, not every office follows the above process. Several reasons impact the detailed completion of the aforementioned tasks. Reasons related to lack of technology tools, knowledge, time, and bandwidth. Collecting outstanding balances from patients can be an uncomfortable task, especially if they do not trust the accuracy of the amount due.
Investing in the right technology that can assist your practice(s) with patient insurance verification and coverage is necessary but only the beginning of a robust process. Curving out these tasks and assigning them to a team member(s) will provide not only good customer service but also instil confidence in your “front desk” staff to collect the right amount at the time of the patient visit.
Failure to do so will result in increased AR, decreased overall collection rate, and contribute to patient dissatisfaction. Your practice’s verification and coverage team should be initiative-taking and play the role of a patient financial counsellor.
We at SupportDDS can help you develop these teams by providing you with the appropriate SMEs and process excellence.
For more information, please visit our website SupportDDS.com/RCM or schedule a call with us.
