Why outsource your dental billing?

From time to time, I meet a dentist at a conference or do a podcast interview, and I get to tell my story. This is the story of how I co-founded eAssist, the nation’s first outsourced dental billing service.  It was 2011, and I was working full time in my dental practices.  Like many of you, I had experienced the ups and downs of finding and retaining a great office manager and administrative team.  

When it seemed like I had everything dialed in, something unexpected would happen.  On the worst days, a team member would suddenly announce their resignation. Either they were having a baby and decided to stay home going back to school, or leaving for some other reason.  In my case, the best dental biller I ever had announced that she was moving away. We did our best to replace her.  We found someone who appeared to be a real gem, yet we noticed some red flags. She did not like being asked questions, and she was very controlling.  Our results began to diminish.  And then, the unthinkable happened.  One of the greatest fears of a dental practice owner is that they will be embezzled from – and it happened to me.  I resolved that this would never happen again.

How eAssist was born

I sat down and googled the terms, “outsourced dental billing.”  I was shocked to find that my search yielded no results.  No one was doing this.  It was puzzling to me, because the medical profession has been outsourcing their dental billing for years.  I sat down with my business manager, Sandy Odle.  We put our heads together, and came up with a plan for eAssist Dental Solutions.  We would create a platform to connect dental practice owners with experienced dental billers. By doing so, dental practice owners could get help collecting what is rightfully owed in their practices.

12 years later, I am still the CEO of eAssist, and I am also a dental billing customer. I currently use our services in all seven of my practice locations.   Now I am more passionate than ever about helping dentists streamline their dental billing processes. That is one of the reasons that eAssist acquired Dr. Charle’s Blair’s company, Practice Booster, back in 2021. Practice Booster’s tools help dentists and dental team members bill and code effectively. eAssist’s services combined with Practice Booster’s tools enable dentists to stop leaving money on the table. 

Perhaps you are a dentist, or dental business owner who can appreciate the struggles that I went through.  If you are considering finding a dental billing company, of course I hope you will choose eAssist. After all, it is our mission to bring you “peace of mind.”  But let’s say that you want to educate yourself on what to look for in a dental billing company.  I’ve put together a list of what I consider to be the 8 most important qualities of a dental insurance billing company.

The 8 most important qualities of an outsourced dental insurance billing company

1. The dental billing company should be paid on commission of what they collect from the insurance companies (unless the office is very small).  
2. There should be built-in accountability for the specialists on their dental billing platform.
3. The doctor and office manager should receive daily, weekly, and monthly updates on the number of dental claims filed, appealed, and paid.
4. The dental billing specialists should treat every client as unique. They should also have shared expectations and standard operating procedures for how to conduct the billing of dental insurance for each practice.
5. The dental billing company should vet the dental billers on their platform. This ensures they are experienced and can deliver results and quality service.
6. The dental claims specialists should promptly follow-up with denials. 
7. The dental billing company should aim to get the practice’s outstanding insurance at zero or trending towards zero.
8. There should be ongoing communication between the dental billing specialists and the practice. This ensures they are in alignment and working together cohesively.

The mission of an outsourced dental billing solution is to take care of the backend of a practice’s revenue cycle needs. The outsourced team will work hand in hand with the in-office staff. As a result, the dentists and team members can focus on the patient in the chair and drive profitability. 

Outsourcing your accounts receivable is a big step. If you have lingering questions about this process, you can always schedule a free consultation here. One thing I can promise is that outsourcing your dental billing will bring a new level of accountability and transparency. Follow the 8 steps outlined above and experience great success with your insurance collections.

Still not sure? Check out our free eBook: 6 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider Outsourcing Your Dental Insurance Billing & Claims Processing.