We have been in a few office recently that were not using some of the tools we commonly recommend to assist in processing of insurance claims- to refresh your memory here they are again:

1. Insurance Solutions Newsletter – find it at: http://www.dental-ins-solutions.com

2. “Coding with Confidence” by Dr. Charles Blair – also found on the above website. We recommend using the most updated version due to insurance codes changing.

3. Marianne Harper’s Book “Cross Walking – A guide through the crosswalk of Dental to Medical Coding” found on her website: The Art of Practice Management
http://www.artofpracticemanagement.com

4. The website for the National Association of Dental Plans and specifically the free subscription to FastLook which provides current attachment information by procedure code. Sign up under the FastLook tab at http://www.nadp.org

5. For those we have seen since the ADA Meeting know we are recommending you look at “Practice Booster” which includes our first two recommendations. It is more important than ever to be sure you are using the right codes. Take a free test drive of Practice Booster and see what it can do for your administrative team. http://practicebooster.com

6. Always use the latest version of the ADA CDT code book for claim submission

Insurance processing is becoming more complex. From a risk management standpoint you must do all you can to ensure you are using the right codes for the procedures you are doing – it is your license that is on the line. Be sure your team is properly equipped to do the job you think they are doing.