I recently hosted a mastermind session, and a dentist asked how I would answer this question: "What are the top three things a dentist should look at on a regular basis?"
I really liked this question because it gets back to the basics of how to operate your practice. There are so many reports in your practice software that it can become confusing as to the priority of which ones to review. We have lived with COVID-19 for months, and I thought I would share this to help recenter you and your team with the basics as well. No matter what phase your state is currently in with COVID-19, these items should be reviewed on a regular basis to help your cash flow, now and in the future.
1. Recare
Making sure your patients have their exam and checkup every six months is necessary for optimal oral health. By reviewing this report on a regular basis, your team makes sure your schedule is full and no patients slip through the cracks. As we all know, some patients rely solely on you to let them know when they need to be seen. If you do not contact them, they will forget, and seeing you will not be a priority for them.
2. Aging reports
Aging reports are separated into two different segments: outstanding insurance claims and patient aging. Most practices wait to send a statement to their patients until after insurance has paid their claim. If this is the case in your practice, please review and follow up on all claims that have not been paid. Most primary insurance claims that are sent electronically are paid within 14 to 20 days. Really good financial coordinators know why each claim has not been paid and stay aware of their status almost on a daily basis. I have a client with a financial coordinator that is so good, I wish I could clone her for other client offices.
The other segment, patient aging, is a report that shows the balance for each patient account. I believe it is best to send a statement for any patient balance due after you have posted the insurance check. Please do not wait for a certain day of the month to send that statement. You are just hurting your cash flow by waiting.
3. Outstanding treatment plans
For some reason that I do not understand, I find that no one is reviewing this report on a regular basis. The content of this report is a gold mine for your practice. Think of it this way: You have already determined the treatment needed, but the patient just didn't say yes and schedule the day the diagnosis was made. Please review this report to make sure your patients get the treatment needed and also to find future production to fill in your schedule.
You can hear some more of my thoughts on these three reflections in the video below.
Lynne Leggett is the founder and CEO of Victory Dental Management. She has more than 25 years of business experience in several industries, including dentistry, medical, pharmacy, sales, transportation, logistics, and project management. Learn more about her and her services, including some free offerings, on the Victory Dental Management website.
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