The Start-Up Dental Practice Guide To Insurance Participation

Congratulations on your new dental practice! At Dental Insurance Credentialing, we work with many start-up practices that are trying to decide which insurance plans their office should accept. It’s important to remember to plan ahead in order to be able to make your decisions without feeling rushed. Many dentists feel it’s entirely possible to be in-network with every company on the same day they’re open for business! This simply isn’t realistic. The negotiation process alone can take up to 120 days, otherwise you’ll risk higher fee schedules in order to get in-network more quickly.

Below are just a few of the ways we can help you through the insurance credentialing process, all of which will make your life much less stressful:

• Demographic Reports – By running demographic analysis of your area, we’re able to research the top employers and which insurance companies they use. This information will help you narrow down your list of insurance companies to participate with.
• Fee Analysis & Fee Scheduling – The way you set your fees is a very important part of fee schedule negotiations. If you set them too low, it will impact the insurance company offers. However, too high and the insurance company may think you’re inflating your fees just to negotiate. This is an important part of the process to hire out, just to make sure it’s done correctly.
• Understand Direct vs Third Party Contracts – Depending on how you’ve decided to contract, you may be paid differently on the same patients. There are pro’s and con’s to both options, and we’ll be able to analyze your unique practice and help you understand which options would be best for you and why.

The most important thing to remember when starting up your own dental practice is to plan early! In order to begin negotiations with insurance companies, you’ll need an official address, your tax ID number, and an office phone number. Once these things are in place, we can begin helping you with your insurance credentialing.

Contact Dental Insurance Credentialing today to ensure that you’re off to a great start! By doing this right the first time, you’ll be setting a successful foundation for your new dental practice!