Dental Benefits and Practice Management: A Guide for Successful Practices

Dental Benefits and Practice Management: A Guide for Successful Practices is a practical tool that helps you manage your office in tune with the realities of modern dental practice. The early focus of the text is on dental insurance and payments. Chapters are devoted to the history of dental benefits and current benefit products; what the procedure codes are and how they are used; processing guidelines and denied and disapproved claim appeals; and streamlined processing, including pre–determination, coordination of benefits, and more. This segues into the second half of the text, which discusses ways to keep your practice patient–centered and out of legal trouble. Topics addressed are office processes and patient communication, risk management, recordkeeping and compliance, avoiding fraud and abuse, and the ethics of dental practice. Also explained are considerations for quality of care and how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act impacts dental benefits and access to dental care. The text concludes with strategies for dentists and organizations to become competitive in the new normal for dental care delivery. Appendices include sample forms, appeal and narrative sample, and a guide to risk management.