Have you ever sat on the phone with customer service and there was so much static, you couldn’t totally understand what they were saying? Or maybe all of the customer service responses are automated and you desperately just want to speak to a real human?
Unfortunately, some dental billing companies choose to outsource their own billing services, and poor communication is the result of that choice.
At Dental ClaimSupport we value clear and easy human connection when you communicate with us. We’ve all experienced the frustration and confusion of too much automation. Good communication is a big factor to set you up for success. That’s why over the years, our experts are always the ones who speak on the phone or video calls with potential customers.
In this article, we will explain some less obvious but important red flags to notice when choosing a billing company, and why you should explore them when choosing the right one for you. Knowing what to look for can help you succeed in creating a genuine connection with a billing expert who will help your practice make more money.
1. The company uses dental billers located outside of the United States
When it comes to outsourcing your dental billing, you’re going to need a company who you are comfortable communicating with because they are handling a large portion of your revenue. If you have any questions or concerns, you should be able to contact them easily.
If you have connection issues or difficulty understanding speech because your call is transferred overseas, that could cause some huge communication barriers. Some dental billing companies contract with billers overseas, which can have unforeseen consequences that can raise a red flag for you.
Make sure to do your research when evaluating different companies. When you call to speak to a sales representative, you can ask who you will be communicating with daily and what that process looks like in order to make an informed decision. It’s also not crazy to simply ask, “Where is your company located?” or, “Where is my point-of-contact located?”
Consider how you want to manage the billing process most efficiently since that's a main goal of outsourcing. Ask yourself how important it is to talk in real-time during your regular business hours. Do you have an office manager, or other team member who also needs to communicate with your biller? Figure out if the location helps or even hinders your operations.
Does the website or social media have any actual photos of the company, its owners, or any of their employees? Some outsourced dental billing company sites only have stock images with the social media only having memes posted. If this is the case, how are you supposed to know who you are signing a contract with?
Learn to choose the right dental billing company for your dental practice in our Learning Center.
2. No educational training for your remote biller
If you’re making the choice to outsource your dental billing instead of hiring an insurance or billing coordinator in-house, you need to make sure you’re hiring an expert. You need to choose a company who vets all of their billers and puts them through a rigorous training process before letting them touch your practice’s insurance billing.
Why is this important? Insurance is a big chunk of your revenue, right? It’s not just time and money that you’re saving when you outsource. You should be getting support from an actual billing expert who knows the ins and outs of dental insurance billing. It’s not too much to expect them to have proper experience and training.
When dental billing companies outsource their own billing services, it’s a choice that impacts the customer as well. If the biller is not educated on dental billing insurance and the process of getting claims paid by insurance, you could miss out on money you have earned.
Ultimately, you are working with a remote member who’s an extension of your team. You want someone who can quickly get familiar with the nuances of how your office works, their expectations to help patients use their insurance, and how you like best to communicate.
They need to be in sync with what’s important to you, as well as care about your insurance collections, fight to appeal denied claims for you, and work your aging report in a timely manner.
3. Dental billing companies that use too much automation when communicating
Nothing drives me crazier than when I am trying to get a hold of a customer service representative and all I get is automated replies. What if your dental billing company did that?
The best way to avoid this is to take note of how they communicate with you when you’re just inquiring about their services. Some companies like to send videos to our potential customers so that you can see faces and can tell that the email is from a human being.
Human communication is the best way to build trust, especially when it comes to outsourcing services. So if all you’re getting is pre-written replies, how are you supposed to trust the company with a huge chunk of your revenue generator? Send the company an email or give them a call and see what kind of replies you get, and you should be able to make the distinction.
Take all of your practice’s needs into consideration when choosing a dental billing company
Like we said, you know your dental practice better than anyone. Make sure going into the research process that you figure out what your priorities are for your dental practice, and what you need personally as well.
Do you need a frequent communicator? Do you need someone you can just leave alone to get the job done? Either way, make sure you are getting an expert biller. And try to avoid outsourcing to billing companies who outsource their own services so that you get the best communication and service.
Everyone’s needs are different. If the advantages of outsourcing your billing are something you want to bring to your dental practice, you probably have questions about how to find which billing company is the best for you to work with.
Deep dive into what you need to consider when outsourcing your dental billing in our Learning Center article, “How to choose the right dental billing company for your practice.”
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