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I took some pictures of our scheduling template, and I’d be happy to share then with anyone who is interested. I don’t see a way to attach them here. We see surgeries in the morning on Mon, Tues and Thurs. Most are IV sed cases, but a few are locals, and of course this varies depending on the day. Our doc has 40 minutes (on average) for an IV sed/thirds removal case, and the appointments overlap each other by 10 minutes. He is given more time for implant cases, so when they’re scheduled it can throw the template off a bit, but we roll with it. After all…it is just a template, it’s not set in stone. I feel like our team is extremely efficient, so this may not work well for every team. Wednesday’s we keep for larger/more complex surgical cases or implant consults only. If we don’t have large/complex cases or IMP consults for that day then it’s just admin hours for our front office team. Friday’s are surgery only from 8-2. We have one doctor, three surgical assistants, three surgical rooms, and three consult rooms. We verify insurance a week in advance. If we don’t have insurance info for someone we use Weave to text them and have them send us pictures of their insurance cards or ask if they’re self pay. If we still don’t hear back from them (rare) then we call their referring office to see if they can help us. Our new patients are required to fill out new patient paperwork in advance or show up 20 minutes early to fill it out in the office. If they show up late, without paperwork, they are rescheduled. On the day of the consult the assistant provides the insurance coordinator with a route slip listing all procedure codes for the patient, and any scheduling notes (add more time, pre-med w/ Valium, etc.). Once the surgeon meets with the patient then the insurance coordinator meets with them to provide their estimated out of pocket and gets them scheduled for surgery if they’d like. In a typical afternoon we see 10 standard consults (third molars/expose and bond/etc.) and 2 implant consults. We typically have an hour for lunch, although that does get scheduled over on occasion for emergencies. If you’d like the pictures of our template please email me: stacie@brycewilliamsdds.com
Have a great week!
Stacie Buchta
Williams Dental Implant & Oral Surgery
303-493-1933
stacie@brycewilliamsdds.comHi Tara,
We have been using Weave for a few years now. There have been some hiccups along the way, especially during their huge growth last year, but overall we absolutely LOVE the system and can’t imagine not having it. One thing to make sure of is that your internet speed and capabilities are up to par with their requirements. We got that tip from someone before starting service and we’ve never had any of the dropped call issues that some offices have experienced. If you have any specific questions feel free to reach out.
Stacie
Williams Dental Implant & Oral Surgery
stacie@brycewilliamsdds.comSame as Nancy, as long as it’s a minimal balance we write it off as a courtesy to the family. You just have to decide what a “minimal” balance means to your office.
Weave has been a lifesaver for us in so many ways. We’ve been using it for a few years now. The only hiccup I heard about was related to internet speed, so we made sure ours was up to par before the installation process. Since we did that we haven’t experienced any dropped calls or service downtime related to internet issues. Our internet has gone out a few times, unrelated to Weave, but when that happens we’re able to use the app on our phones until the internet is fixed by Comcast. I cannot imagine not having Weave, especially during COVID, it is the best phone/appt confirmation/pt communication system I have ever worked with.
Hi JaNeal, I would suggest submitting your question in the OMS Practice Questions forum. I think that is the one that has the most activity, and you’d likely get feeedback there instead of here. Good luck!
I would recommend CEDR for your office manual, it really should be something unique to your office. They do a wonderful job walking you through the process and making sure it’s all accurate for your office and the state you practice in. https://www.cedrsolutions.com/
I have heard of Green Sky, but we don’t use it so I can’t give feedback on that. We do use Lending Club so maybe that’s another one you could research for your practice.
Our refunds are always in the form of a check. We will make exceptions occasionally if they paid with a FSA/HSA card, but other than that our policy is to always send it back to them in the form of a check. Our accountant requested we do this to avoid extra fees, and to make it easier to track on their end.
We are opted out as well. We have them sign the affidavit and keep it on file. Be sure to check on some of the dental plans that are through Medicare. We have found that some Delta and United Healthcare dental plans are actually Medicare related, and those patients have no benefits in our office due to us being opted out. Basically, anyone over the age of 65 who tells us they have any dental insurance, we always call to double check if it’s Medicare related. If it is we notify the patient that they will have no benefits in our office. Also, make sure you opt-in as a prescriber so your patients can still get coverage on their medications at their pharmacy. If you don’t do that then they will have to pay out of pocket for any prescriptions your provider sends in for them.
I just got an email from United Concordia. They are going to cover teledentistry for 90 days, but request that we use D0140 as the code for the visits. Here is what they said:
IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING TELEDENTISTRY
United Concordia is closely monitoring COVID-19 and its impact on the communities we serve. While the situation is constantly changing, one thing remains constant: our focus is on the health and well-being of our customers –members, dentists, employers, producers and partners –and our valued employees.
We have implemented processes and work models to ensure we continue to deliver uninterrupted service, including our employees beginning to work from home as of March 19, 2020. To assist in keeping our network dentists, their office staff and our members safe, we will cover teledentistry services for the next 90 days. Evaluations should be conducted using video or photographs. Please be sure all claims for these services are submitted as procedure code D0140. Frequency limitations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. United Concordia thanks you for your commitment to provide quality treatment to our members.We are using doxy.me for the video-conferences. It’s been very well received with the patients and families, they love not having to come in during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s really easy to use and is HIPAA compliant. I’m using the D9995 tele-dentistry code, but I don’t know yet how it’s going to be covered. I am adding a note on the claims that we are utilizing this due to the pandemic, so I’m hoping that will help.
We are in Colorado, and we don’t have any mandates here either, only recommendations. We are seeing emergent patients with a skeleton crew, and doing video conferences with some of the consults. We removed all magazines, toys, books, pens, etc. from our waiting area. We are screening every family prior to them coming in, asking several questions to determine if it’s safe for them to come in. We are not allowing any family members or friends to accompany anyone to their appointment, and if they are being sedated we have instructed their ride to wait in the car. If they are a minor having surgery their parent can come up and sign the consent form and take care of payment, and then they go to their car. In between all patients we are disinfecting the pen, clipboard, waiting area, door handles, counter-tops, etc. We are having each patient use hand sanitizer upon arrival, upon completing their consent form, and upon departure. And of course we are still abiding by our standard OSHA requirements with masks, gloves, PPE, sterilization, etc. Hang in there everyone, we’ll get through this! And wash your hands 🙂
Terri, the email I sent to you came back as “undeliverable”. Is there another email address you’d like me to use?
Hi everyone, I think I have sent emails to everyone who has requested the info. Please let me know if you haven’t received it, and let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day!