Closer Look: Improve claim adjudication and office efficiency with electronic submissions

Jonny Workman, FAADOM

In today’s fast-paced, high-tech world where computers occupy space on every desk, it isn’t surprising to see countless dental practices using a nearly paperless model for office operations. Aside from environmental implications, paperless strategies effectively streamline operations, cut costs, strengthen security, and save time in the busy workday.
Within the dental practice, paperless encompasses everything from electronic patient records and charting software to computerized office management systems that ease the transfer of information. Although the computerization of the dental practice is not a new phenomenon,  updated system options are regularly introduced to optimize effectiveness while addressing the inherent challenges that come with modernizing operations.
NEA FastAttach claim-attachment software offers a streamlined method for submitting treatment-claim attachments such as X-rays, periodontal charts, images, explanation of benefits (EOBs),  and narrative reports to a payer. Created to provide an alternative to printing and mailing paper claim attachments, FastAttach aims to speed up reimbursements in addition to saving document preparation time in the office.
According to seasoned Practice Manager Jonny Workman, FAADOM, of Paradise Dental in Port Charlotte, Fla., the system works exceptionally well with practice management software, significantly simplifying the entire process of insurance claims submissions and adjudication. “When I joined Dr. David Rowe at Paradise Dental five years ago, the practice was already paperless, but operations were not fully optimized,” she says. “But now we’re working to use the systems to their full potential, and it’s really making a difference.”
Over the course of the last five years, Workman has worked with her team to increase computer savviness within the office. One of the primary changes Workman brought to the practice was a commitment to using FastAttach to its fullest potential. Since instituting Workman’s ground rules for a successful paperless office, Paradise Dental has seen unprecedented growth in its patient base, claims submissions, and collections.
“Today,” Workman says, “we have 100 percent collections, and it’s thanks in large part to FastAttach and just how much easier it makes the process.”
Workman has found the NEA FastAttach service to be the perfect solution for the practice. “It works seamlessly with practice management software,” she says, “and it genuinely helps the office run so efficiently. The system notifies us when a claim has been sent, we receive a receipt when the claim has been received by the insurance company, and we receive regular reports on the status of our claims; if there’s a holdup, we can easily see where it is with just a few clicks of the mouse. It’s a complete system that puts the user in control.”
She describes the system as exceptionally user-friendly, explaining that office staff has not had any trouble learning how to use it. On the occasions she’s reached out for support, Workman has found customer service to be exceptionally responsive.
In the past, the practice was submitting two claims per patient visit: one each for the hygienist and the doctor. Furthermore, if a problem occurred with a claim, office staff spent hours fixing the issue. “Now, we can do all of that right through FastAttach,” Workman says. “We can see what the requirements are, make sure we have everything, and, in the event of a problem, we can easily find it. No more scanning, no more entering check numbers-it’s all there with the click of a button.
“It’s the most efficient way of doing insurance claims that I’ve ever found,” she continues. “It’s important to find options that work well because, quite simply, dental practice management is only as good as you set it up to be.”