A general dentistry practice located in Waldorf, Maryland started service with Elevate in July 2022. At that time, the practice’s aging had soared to 35% of the total amount of its insurance collections and was continuing to trend in the wrong direction. In addition to managing all current collections, Elevate’s team mobilized to address the aging problem swiftly. In only a few months, the practice’s aging was reduced from 35% of total collections to 8%.

Why had this practice’s aging increased so dramatically? First, the practice had a lot of turnover at its front desk, which meant there were gaps of time when attention to collections was not adequate. High rates of turnover are a reality in our current economy, and they wreak havoc on a practice reliant on one person to handle dental billing and claims and collections management. Because the practice was challenged in finding someone with dental experience to manage the office, the dentist opted for a candidate with medical experience. While it would stand to reason that medical and dental experience would be comparable, dental insurance is an entirely different world to navigate, with complexities and nuance exclusive to dentistry. While this individual was hard working and reliable, the learning curve for dental proved to be insurmountable. Claims went unaddressed, payments were not properly posted, and reconciliation was lacking, all of which led to a massive uptick in claims sitting beyond 90 days. Even when the dentist was able to hire an experienced dental billing professional to manage claims and collections and stability was restored, it was only temporary as that individual left for a new opportunity.

At wit’s end, the dentist explored various options to address the growing concerns of increased aging and disruptions from turnover. It took an Elevate team comprised of experienced dental professionals who focused exclusively on the practice’s revenue cycle to turn things around. After suffering for so long, the practice finally saw its aging trend in the right direction, and it happened quickly. To help ensure timely collections resumed, the dentist worked directly with Elevate’s dedicated account lead until processes were smooth again.

The work is never done and constant attention must be paid to claims in every category, from current to those over 90 days. However, this substantial decrease in aging meant the practice was getting compensated for the patient care it was rendering, and its revenue became more stable. This dramatic reduction in aging occurred through outstanding teamwork and communication between the practice and Elevate as its dental billing partner. The practice was diligent in utilizing the Elevate Hub, the proprietary communication tool Elevate has developed to ensure its clients are up-to-date on all activity on their account. The Elevate team assigned to the practice met regularly with the office staff to review performance and outcomes and shift attention to the practice’s evolving priorities.

Today, the office is a “well-oiled machine” with aging at a reasonable and declining level and the right resources in place. The current situation is allowing the dentist to properly train her front desk personnel and give that effort the attention it deserves. Her stress and financial concerns have been alleviated because she has confidence and trust in Elevate’s performance, and there is less hiring pressure because her Elevate team has the right training to achieve the practice’s financial goals.