You may have missed the 2023 The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) Conference, but you don’t have to miss out. Leaders from our Oral Surgery Department at DCS attended and brought back news and insights.
The annual AAOMS conference is for oral surgery professionals and vendors looking to keep up with changes in that corner of the dynamic dental industry. At the event, they learn more about coding, legal updates, and anesthesia updates, as well as practice and staff management.
At DCS, we place huge value on attending industry events such as AAOMS to stay current on where things are heading. This article will cover one of our oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) dental expert’s key takeaways from the 2023 AAOMS Conference.
We asked them 3 big questions:
- What key challenges confront OMS offices today?
- What had AAOMS 2023 attendees talking?
- What does the future look like for oral and maxillofacial surgery offices?
Let’s see what answers our OMS Business Unit Manager, Angela Moorman-Rakestraw, had for these questions.
1. What key challenges confront OMS offices today?
When we asked Angela about the key challenges confronting OMS offices, she said,
“In talking with so many offices, it seems the most challenging aspect of OMS today is the lack of staff available for the front office. We had so many offices stating their insurance coordinators had been dedicated for 25+ years, and it would be difficult to replace them after they retire.”
She continued:
“I feel like office managers feel a lot of strain knowing they would not be able to replace insurance coordinators that have been in place for so long, which also leads me to believe they may be set in their ways and not up to date on the new technology available for filing claims, posting payments, etc.”
Like general dental practices, OMS offices struggle when it comes to handling insurance billing. Plus, they also have additional challenges, as OMS procedures introduce distinct complexities into their insurance billing workflow.
Related: 4 tips for successful oral surgery billing
The inherent challenges in billing for oral surgery procedures can result in a higher rate of insurance claim rejections. This increase in denied claims translates into reduced and delayed revenue for your oral surgery practice, and also a larger workload for your team as they try to rectify these faulty claims.
Angela added, “So many [OMS dental teams] did not realize revenue cycle management (RCM) was available.
What can we learn from this?
Now, more than ever, dental insurance companies are looking for ways to delay paying your claims. OMS teams need expert RCM services as much as general dental teams do — and perhaps more, due to the intricacy of OMS insurance claims.
The need for experts to fight for insurance claims for your OMS office is crucial to your cash flow, but it’s hard to find RCM experts who understand the particular needs of OMS. At the same time, as the staffing shortage continues and highly experienced insurance coordinators retire, it will become increasingly difficult to hire an in-house expert.
The combination of medical and dental insurance knowledge required for OMS claims is niche. But experts like those in the OMS department at DCS will handle the complexities to increase your cash flow and streamline your workflows.
2. What had AAOMS 2023 attendees talking?
Dental RCM companies have created buzz in the OMS industry, so they were a hot topic at the AAOMS conference. OMS teams were excited to learn that they have RCM experts as a resource to collect more and worry less.
Angela dove right in:
“Just having an RCM company available for oral surgery was an eye-opener for many attendees. Knowing we are here to provide anything from practice management software training to consulting to even filing claims, seemed to be a huge relief for those knowing they had to make some changes in the future.”
With the rapid development of technology in the dental industry, as well as the use of artificial intelligence and automation, processes are changing for everyone — and to everyone’s advantage.
At DCS, for example, we have completely automated the patient billing process for our customers. They no longer have to mail paper statements for remaining out-of-pocket balances, then wait for checks to arrive, and then mail reminders when payments aren’t made.
Instead, our customers’ patients receive statements and automatic reminders via text or email with online payment options. This technology creates quicker, consistent revenue for our customers and convenience for their patients — a clear win-win.
What can we learn from this?
As Angela mentioned, there are a range of services available for OMS teams looking to collect more from insurance and patients. Experts who understand the complicated nature of OMS billing are available to support busy OMS teams, and team members are relieved to hear it.
RCM services for your OMS business and new technology go hand in hand, but you don’t have to be intimidated or overwhelmed by changes to your processes. Bring in experts to guide you through modernized, updated workflows with proven success.
When you have an RCM company utilizing technology to file insurance claims and collect from patients, your OMS office will receive payments sooner and see a positive bump to your cash flow.
3. What does the future look like for oral and maxillofacial surgery offices?
Predicting the future of the OMS industry is subjective, so we sought out another opinion as well as Angela’s. Westcove describes in their Oral Surgery Insights that:
“Demand for oral surgery procedures will increase in the foreseeable future.”
They continue:
“This increased demand is driven by numerous factors, namely an aging US population, the prevalence of oral cancer, dental caries and periodontal disease within the geriatric population, and growing disposable income which is predicted to translate to an increased willingness to spend out-of-pocket for medically-necessary oral surgery procedures, and cosmetic dental procedures.”
After attending the AAOMS Conference, Angela’s answer seems to mirror Westcove’s:
“I certainly feel like OMS is going to skyrocket in our market with the increased demand. Being able to get the word out that [RCM companies] are here and ready to service OMS teams was amazing.”
What can we learn from this?
An increased demand for oral surgery procedures will drive an increase in the number of OMS claims filed. And with the complicated nature of OMS claims — which require filing both medical and dental insurance claims — RCM expertise will be needed now and in the future to support your office team.
Related: Insurance claims for oral surgery denied? Here are 5 reasons why...
It comes as a huge relief to OMS teams when they realize they can look to experts who have years of experience navigating these complex billing processes.
With the staffing shortage in the healthcare industry still rampant, an RCM company that specializes in oral surgery billing is an essential resource for securing steady cash flow, so your team can focus on your patients — not paperwork.
DCS oral surgery experts continue to learn and stay up to date with the specialty
Attending industry conferences like AAOMS gives your oral surgery team a way to learn what resources others in your field are turning to for resolving OMS-specific challenges.
By sending one of our OMS experts to this conference, we learned:
- The healthcare staffing shortage has affected the OMS industry as well, and as veteran insurance coordinators retire, the need for experts to handle the billing side of the business has skyrocketed, and that demand is likely to continue.
- New resources and technology have OMS professionals talking. Many learned about RCM services for oral surgery for the first time at AAOMS, unaware there are people who specialize in OMS billing best practices.
- Demand for oral surgery has increased and will continue to. Again, the need for experts to handle the uptick in claims submission will be vital for OMS’ cash flow.
When you have RCM experts handling your OMS billing, you have a consistent team that excels in oral surgery billing and all the complications it entails. You don’t have to worry about hiring a full-time insurance coordinator — or worry that this critical part of your office team might quit, go on extended leave, or retire.
DCS’ oral surgery experts work with your team to collect all that you’re owed from both dental and medical insurance, as well as your patients. They fight for your right to steady cash flow.
Book a call with our OMS experts to win that fight.
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