WE'VE MOVED TO DENTALTALK

We're pleased to announce that we have moved our blog to DENTAL TALK at http://dentaltalkblogspot.com.

We look forward your visiting us at our new site for new ideas on dealing with dental insurance and other practice management issues.

The Huskin Group

Negociating Higher Fees

Is it possible to get a higher fee schedule from an insurance company than their standard PPO fees? If so how do I go about it?

Usually not. Why? PPO schedules are published to both doctors and patients. If a patient were to receive say, a crown, from Dr X who had negociated a higher benefit, that additional money would have to come from either A - the patient, who could perceive this plan as a bait and switch or B - the insurance company, who base their premiums on anticipated payment based on the fee schedule. In addition, if area doctors were aware that another was receiving a higher benefit, they would also want an increase.

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

Get paid by insurance companies faster.

Wherever we lecture throughout the country, offices are constantly asking us how they can get paid faster by insurance companies. The best answer for all situations is : File your claims electronically.

What are some advantages:

1) The claims are checked for mistakes along the submission process and you are notifed usually within 48 hours when you can immediately correct and refile. Not 3-4 weeks later.

2) Some companies can notify you of a patient's eligibility in real time.

3) You are notified when the insurance company receives the claims. The clearing house will give you a tracking number for your claim as soon as it arrives (Usually 24-48 hours after submission).

4) You actually save money in mailing and manual claim preparation costs.

5) Companies will accept electronic attachments: no more sending in hard copy x-rays or periodontal charting.

For more information, including a calculator that lets you determine how much you'll save, based on the number of claims you submit, contact NDEDIC (National Dental EDI Council) by CLICKING HERE.

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

Are you coding your dental claims correctly?

Probably one of the most frustrating things we find when assisting dentists with their dental insurance problems is the fact that many offices do not code their procedures correctly. And because of this, they are sometimes missing out on potential benefits and possibly mis-reporting work performed. Are you aware of the difference between a multi-surface restoration and a crown-buildup and when each should be used? How about the difference between types of exams? Were you aware that CDT-2005 has a procedure code that can be used for Valplast partials?

Make sure the insurance coordinator (and the doctor) understand the nuances of the different codes. Take courses (or contact us) for information on correct coding.

Because if you're not coding correctly, you may not be getting paid correctly.

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

ADA Speaks Out About Insurance Plans

The latest issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association has an interesting article that discusses the different types of dental insurance plans/networks with questions practitioners should ask before "signing up".

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

New JADA editor

Members of The Huskin Group are pleased to welcome Dr Michael Glick as the new editor of the Journal of the American Dental Association. Dr Glick is a well known lecturer and faculty member of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

Why are my crown claims being rejected?

The Huskin Group's consultants routinely receive the following question from our clients: "Why was my crown rejected by the insurance company? The lingual cusp was sheared off to the free gingiva!"

Our first questions is usually: "Did it look like the tooth needed a crown in the radiograph?"

The answer is often "Well, no but ...".

Our second question is then: "Did you include a narrative explaining the extent of the fracture and that it is not evident on the x-ray?"

Consultants are dentists too and are limited to evaluating what you send in. And if the fracture isn't evident on the x-rays, please tell them so so they have all necessary information to perform an intelligent claims review.

And finally, if the answer is "Yes", we ask, where did you write the narrative? Was it legible? Was it written in the notes section of the claim or scrawled some other place on the claim? And did you use red, black or blue ink? Companies are moving more and more toward OCR or optical scanning equipment to input their paper claims. These scanners are programmed to look in definite areas for additional information and some are color sensitive with regard to what writing they can detect. Red does not scan well.

For more information on practice management and dealing with dental insurance in your office, CLICK HERE. or EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE

If you would like to post a subject and start a discussion, EMAIL US BY CLICKING HERE