Dental CE: Division of Duties in a Dental Practice, Part 3—The Insurance Coordinator by Sandy Pardue

Processing dental insurance claims is key to a practice’s success, and an in-house insurance coordinator can serve as your patients’ trusted ally. Here’s how to define the job and set expectations for the role

Abstract
Most patient issues in the practice are related to billing, which can cause low retention and are not good for the reputation of the practice. Because more Americans have access to insurance benefits than ever before, dental insurance is here to stay.

Dealing with this service for your patients can be stressful if you don’t have the right processes in place and the right person managing it all. It’s possible to practice without accepting insurance policies, but you will be limiting your growth because patients expect you to file their insurance and help them understand their benefits. Some dentists have decided to outsource the insurance system to a third party to handle rather than confront it internally.

Your goal should be to establish the insurance system as a service for your patients and consider it an opportunity to set your practice apart from others. Having an insurance coordinator who is trained on all processes and is available to and known by your patients is invaluable. Patients choose their dental practice based on their experiences more than the dentistry. Insurance processing is not something you can push aside; it is a key system, and having the right person in the job can change your practice and enhance patient experience.

Course description
This course details how to establish an effective insurance coordinator position in the dental practice. It includes the advantages to keeping insurance in-house versus outsourcing, a job description, key attributes of an insurance coordinator, performance monitors and tips for maintaining good control over the insurance department.

Educational objectives
Upon reading this article, participants should be able to:

1. Create an insurance coordinator job description and checklist.
2. Hire or appoint the best person for the position.
3. Have better control over “insurance aging.”
4. Implement effective insurance systems.
5. Manage the insurance coordinator.

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