Coding the top horror movies with the new ICD-10 codes . . . Happy Halloween!

It’s a dark and stormy night in the small town where your dental practice is located. It’s also one of the first late, late afternoons you’ve worked in the practice since it relocated from the center of town to a new location out by the lake.

There have been some strange rumors about why the previous dentist moved out of the location so quickly, but it was such a good price, how could the new owner turn down such a spacious three-operatory location … with a lake right next to it … and some abandoned buildings on the property … and some funny little stones sticking out of the ground near the lake? I mean, what’s not to love about this location?

Just as the dental practice is getting ready to shut down for the night, you hear a scream from just outside the front door. Each your coworkers has gone completely pale. It’s dark outside. It’s pouring rain. Suddenly, you hear another scream and a badly injured person comes bolting through the door.

You’re the only medical facility in the area, so you know you can’t turn this person away. You ask what happened. All she can do is look at you and sob softly.

You know you have to do something. Sure, you’re going to help her … but what ICD-10 codes are you going to use to bill for the treatment? Hey, your practice didn’t start doing medical coding just because it sounded cool, right? This is your time to help a damsel in distress … and also show off your new coding skills.

In this article, we’ve devised five ways the damsel could be injured by Freddy, Jason or any of the other psychos who are running loose in the area where you’ve just moved your practice (it doesn’t look like such a good deal now, huh?). Read on to see her injuries and the ways that ICD-10 codes have actually anticipated that this type of injury might happen.

 CLICK HERE to continue . . . be afraid!

Business of Dentistry . . . why it's my favorite conference of the year

It’s that time of year. It’s time to get your doctor and your team registered for the Business of Dentistry Conference. As you have heard me talk about before, I have never missed a conference and I am going to give you 5 reasons you and your team should not miss it either. This year's conference is being held Oct 7th - 10th in sunny Florida.

 

1. You will be repeating the words “I didn’t know Dentrix could do that! I can’t believe how we are under-utilizing our practice management software.” Even if you have been using Dentrix for over 10 years, I can guarantee you will learn things that you didn’t know existed. Last year, I taught the advanced Billing and Collections class and my class was filled with doctors excited to learn how the software could help their practices meet production goals. It was eye-opening.
2. There is something to learn for every member of your team. Especially the dentist!  This year the Business of Dentistry is offering more clinical technique and technology courses than ever before.   The Dentrix courses have a skill level from entry level to advanced so the attendees can choose the level that best fits their knowledge of the software. This conference attracts some of the most sought-after consultants and they tailor their presentations to fit into the Dentrix agenda so you not only get amazing practice management educational material but you also get tips on how to implement it into your practice management software.  Check out the course listing by CLICKING HERE.
3. Don’t miss the Learning Lab. This is my favorite part of the Business of Dentistry Conference. This is where you get to bring your questions and sit down with a knowledgeable support tech and get one-on-one help. If you are having issues with Dentrix, eServices, Easy Dental, or Enterprise, bring it to the Learning Lab. Here’s a tip: Take screen shots and print them out so you can show the team your issue (make sure you black out any patient information).
4. Learn about third-party software that integrates with your Dentrix software. The vendors pour out into the hallways just waiting to tell you how their product, along with your Dentrix software, can help your practice more profitable, secure, or productive. Since Dentrix G5 opened up the Marketplace, there are many third-party companies that enhance your software in so many ways. I will have a booth at this year's conference so come by say Hi and check out what I have to offer you and your team. 
5. Finally . . . have some fun and enjoy spending time with your team! This year’s conference is being held at the amazing Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in sunny Kissimmee, Florida.  Henry Schein always brings the fun to this conference. I can remember bowling parties and dance parties that were off the charts. I can’t wait to see what this year has to offer.

Supernumerary teeth . . . video demonstration

Our patients walk in with some unusual situations, but one of the more common situations I see is an extra tooth or Supernumerary Tooth.  Do you know how to chart it?  How would you bill it to insurance?  Watch today's video and find out . . .

Five tips on proper coding to insurance

Last week, I attended one of my favorite conferences of the year … the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) annual meeting. This conference is built specifically for office managers and is chock full of course for practice management, leadership, HR, technology, and personal growth. There were more than 600 attendees and the vendor booths spilled out into the hall.

One of the courses I attended was Dr. Charles Blair’s coding class, “Stay out of Jail – Avoid Coding Errors and Excel in Insurance Administration.” Go back to last week’s blog post and you can watch my video interview with Dr. Blair. Today, I want to give you the top five “pearls” I took away from his class.

1. Code what you do – Even if you know the insurance company is going to downgrade to a lower procedure code, make sure you are billing the insurance company the procedure that you provide to the patient. Your clinical notes and the billing should match.
2. Biopsy – Bill out the biopsy procedure at the time you receive the report back from the lab, not at the time you take the biopsy.
3. Crowns prep or seat date? – If you are in-network, you must go by their rules. If you are out of network, you can bill by your rules. Double-check with your insurance contracts. If you can bill at the prep date, then do it. I have always billed crowns out at the prep date (we are out of network for all insurance companies) because this is when we incur the majority of our costs and this is also when I want the patient to pay.
4. Bill D1110 based on dentition not age – We all know that insurance companies will not pay for an adult prophy until the age of 14, but what if your 11-year-old patient has full dentition? According to Dr. Blair, you would bill out the adult prophy and let the insurance company downgrade it.
5. D0180 … not just for the periodontist – Many general dentists do not use this code because they believe it can only be used at a specialist office, but this is not so. Your office can use this code for any patient who has risk factors (smoker, diabetic, etc.) and possibly get paid a higher fee. You must also justify using this code with a perio chart.

Dr. Blair is an expert in coding and has many resources from which your office can benefit. My favorite is the Insurance Solutions Newsletter. For more information, visit his website by CLICKING HERE.

Tips on avoiding administrative errors in the dental practice

I have just returned from the American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM) annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. It was a great few days filled with friends and timely information. If your dental office manager isn't a member of AADOM, you really should check out everything this great association has to offer. You find out more information about AADOM by clicking here.

While I was in Orlando, I had the chance to catch up with Dr. Charles Blair, who is an expert in coding for the dental practice. We chatted about the recent coding changes and what dental practices can expect in 2014. We also talked about ways that dental practices can do some simple things to avoid some very common errors. Click below to watch my video interview with Dr. Blair.