The 2023 CDT code changes are here

Dental coding is one of the most difficult and specialized aspects of the dental billing process. Without expert knowledge on proper coding procedures for dental billing — and medical billing — your dental practice revenue can suffer. Over two-thirds of dentists are leaving 9% of collectible revenue on the table each month, mostly due to unnecessary claim denials due to incorrect coding and supporting documentation. The good news is: the 2023 CDT code changes are here. The bad news? If you don’t know what these CDT code changes are, your dental practice is not set up for success.

Accurate dental claim submission

Let’s first dive into accurate dental claim submission, which is a crucial dental billing process. Dental claims are often denied due to incorrect CDT coding. This means coding for what you do, using current, up-to-date CDT codes, is paramount to maximize legitimate reimbursement and increase patient trust. 

Here’s a fun fact: Only 33% of appealable claims are ever re-filed. We know, it sounds unbelievable. If you have dental claims that are denied due to incorrect coding, you can appeal them with the right information. But that means you need to have access to the right information. 

Dental billing & coding continues to evolve

What were once two and a half pages of general procedural codes, back in 1969 when it was first published, is now over 700 CDT codes with descriptors for many of the procedure codes.

Every year, there are changes to laws and rules governing dentistry and the Current Dental Terminology (CDT) code set as set forth by the American Dental Association (ADA). Since 2021, for example, there have been 160 CDT code changes, which means that ignoring or not staying up-to-date on these changes is inevitably causing delayed or denied claims in your practice. This makes dental billing more difficult, and results in avoidable stress for the dental practice owner, staff, and patients.

Why CDT coding resources are important

If your dental practice isn’t aware of the upcoming CDT code changes, are expressing frustration with dental billing roadblocks like claim denials, or complaining about low dental claim reimbursement, you could significantly benefit from CDT coding resources like Dental Coding with Confidence. This is the newest edition of the CDT coding book at over 500 pages long, and contains everything from surface scans to revised narrative structures required for maximum reimbursement. 

It’s not the easiest task to keep up with all of these revisions, and if your office manager is being pulled in ten different directions at once each day, just thinking about implementing all of these new dental coding changes can seem like an insurmountable task. What should your practice do to maximize your reimbursement chances? 

The 2023 CDT code changes are here

Dental Coding with Confidence is dentistry’s premier CDT coding guide. This guide’s exclusive reader-friendly graphics arm dental teams with the ability to prevent the most common and costly coding errors. Plus, comprehensive content includes expert comments about the codes, dental plan limitations, and key narrative guidance needed to submit dental claims to gain maximum and timely reimbursement successfully. With this guide, you can stay up-to-date on the 2023 CDT code changes and start your dental billing off on the right foot.

Outsourcing dental billing & coding

Coding for “what you do” is incredibly important from an integrity and ethical standpoint. 

It also allows you to receive 100% of what you’re rightfully owed when submitting claims by adhering to an accurate rubric.  

On top of updated CDT coding resources, there are several other dental billing steps that need to be completed with expertise and precision before reimbursement is received. By outsourcing your dental billing with the eAssist platform, your practice gains access to industry-leading partnership perks that work toward increasing your dental practice revenue. The eAssist dental billing platform includes a subscription to Practice Booster’s Dental Code Advisor to help wrangle even the trickiest dental coding situations. When you’re ready for streamlined dental billing solutions and industry-leading partnerships, it’s easy to join the eAssist platform by CLICKING HERE.