Best Dental Medical Billing Software Of 2024

Key Features & Functionality

Software Comparison Strategy

You never buy the first house that the real estate agent recommends. You view multiple options and then make a purchasing decision. You should follow the same process while selecting a dental billing app. Compare several systems to make informed decisions.

Below we have mentioned some considerations that could help you in your software selection journey.

Deployment Options

If you want to access data from remote locations, cloud-based systems are your best bet. But if you need to store files on your clinic or company servers, you should opt for on-premise solutions. Understanding the distinction between both is critical for selecting the right application. Take a look at the table below to know the pros and cons of on-premise and cloud-based tools.

Third-party Integrations

There might be situations where you really like the solution, but one of its functionalities is not as robust as you need it to be. In such cases, you need to integrate with third-party solutions. We recommend you look for EMR, EHR and dental software integrations.

Regulatory Compliance

You need to choose the right technology partner who will help you fulfill your long-term goals. And you cannot achieve those goals if you are constantly stuck in legal issues. You should look for a solution that complies with HIPAA and ICD-11 standards. The application should also be ONC-ATCB certified. Don’t forget to check with ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics about the latest benchmarks for selecting dental solutions.

Security Requirements

Today, data breaches are on the rise. Recently, the American Dental Association was hit by a cyberattack that affected Aptify and email, webchat, and telephone services. The ongoing investigation didn’t uncover any evidence of data theft yet. To protect yourself from such attacks, you should ensure that the vendor provides the highest level of encryption and data security. If you want to invest in a cloud-based system, ensure all communications are SSL/TLS encrypted.

Functionalities

Do you require advanced or basic invoicing features? You need to consider the size of your practice to make sound decisions. For instance, PracticeAdmin caters to medium-sized businesses, while AdvancedMD serves companies of all sizes. You can also create a medical billing requirements checklist to shortlist systems. We recommend looking for coding, claim scrubbing, eligibility verification, reporting and denial management modules.

User Interface

Learning to navigate a new system can be challenging. Your staff could struggle to complete their daily goals. That’s why you should look for an app with intuitive controls. It makes the learning process easier and doesn’t disturb your business workflows. You can ask the vendor for a free software trial or demo to test the system’s interface.

Peer Reviews

Vendors want to sell their products. So, their testimonials are likely to be fabricated. You should seek medical professionals outside of the providers' circle who are currently using the application. They can provide you with valuable insights and help you make informed decisions.

Contract Considerations

Vendors draw contracts after negotiations. But it doesn’t hurt to discuss with providers about their special offerings. Some vendors provide service-level agreements (SLAs). These agreements highlight key commitments that the provider offers. Some of the commitments that you should ask vendors about are:

• Software uptime
• Support team response time
• Hours of operation

You should also check if the contract includes an indemnification clause. This way, if you become a victim of a cyberattack, the vendor will be liable to pay costs associated with patients’ lawsuits and not you. The provider should ensure data protection, especially in a cloud-based environment.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

You don’t want to spend on a solution that doesn’t give you a high return on investment. It will only cause budget overshoots and put your financial goals at risk.

Below we have mentioned some pricing considerations that could save you from burning a hole in your budget.

The cost of a solution depends on your preferred deployment method. The total cost of ownership for cloud-based platforms can be expensive compared to on-premise systems, but they generally have much lower upfront costs. You can access our medical billing price guide to uncover hidden costs.

You should ask providers about their pricing models. Some vendors allow you to pay on a monthly basis, while others ask you to pay upfront. A high upfront cost can put pressure on you even before you start generating revenue. Think twice before you invest in a product.

Providers can charge you based on your company size. If you own a large-scale business, you might have to pay more than small companies. You should determine your organization size to avoid unnecessary expenses.

You might require an additional feature or extra training resources. Remember, these add-ons can multiply your expenses. You should ask vendors about such costs to avoid exceeding your budget limit.

Do you need a customized solution? Because vendors put a lot of effort into designing the system to fulfill your specialty needs, they can charge you heavily. That’s why you should discuss with providers about customization costs.

Some providers offer email, chat and phone support. They also enable you to submit tickets via the support portal. Remember, not all support options come for free. You might have to pay extra to access these services.

Most of the vendors offer training materials consisting of articles, video tutorials and how-to guides. They also provide courses to help you understand their application better. But these resources can come at an additional cost. You should never forget to ask providers about the fees associated with training resources.

The Most Popular Dental Medical Billing Software

You come across several applications that meet your business requirements. But multiple options often put you in a dilemma. It can disturb your daily activities too. We understand your troubles and want to make your software selection journey a breeze. Here are some medical billing systems that can help you achieve your goals.

Note: The products listed below may not specifically cater to dental practices. But they do offer general billing functionalities that could help you improve cash flow.

DrChrono

DrChrono offers revenue cycle, practice management, billing, claim tracking and reporting modules to help you simplify business processes. Furthermore, it assists you in achieving a clean claims rate and eliminating data entry mistakes. You can generate denial analysis reports to identify the root causes of denials and fix problems.

You can create billing profiles to speed up coding processes. Track denials from the live claims feed tab. Automatically run bulk eligibility checks to verify patients’ insurance coverage. Collect accurate patient information using customizable specialty-specific templates. Send statements to clients with just a few clicks.

The vendor offers a team of billing experts to help you audit CPT, HCPCS and ICD codes. They also assist you in closing revenue gaps and improving your practice or company’s profitability.

DrChrono’s payment posting functionality.

CureMD

CureMD is a web-based solution designed to help medical professionals and billing companies overcome billing issues, increase productivity and maintain compliance. Enable physicians to view data from remote locations using the Avalon app. Claim scrubbing functionality helps you spot coding and documentation mistakes. You can monitor cash flow through the financial dashboard.

Leverage revenue cycle modules to reduce A/R delays and denials. They also assist you in simplifying billing workflows and increasing profits. Perform real-time insurance eligibility checks to submit error-free claims. Set up payment plans to lower patients’ financial burdens.

Track financial metrics with CureMD.

Kareo Billing

Kareo Billing provides cloud-based solutions developed to help independent and multi-specialty practices and billing services improve billing efficiency. View payment velocity, income analysis and A/R aging charts via the billing dashboard. Receive real-time updates about the financial performance of your practice. You can automate repetitive tasks with procedure macros.

Enable patients to pay via the system’s internal payment terminal, credit or debit cards, or online wallets to optimize collection processes. Attach QR codes to statements to collect faster. Denial resolution modules help you resubmit claims within assigned deadlines. Filter claims by their statuses. Integrate with Practice Fusion to create accurate charts, reduce no-shows and improve clinical outcomes.

The vendor offers a team of RCM experts to assist you in generating faultless bills, resolving coding mistakes and reducing denials.

Kareo Billing’s KPI dashboard.

Questions to Ask

It’s essential to discuss with your employees before investing in a product. You can conduct internal surveys to understand your team’s viewpoint. Here are some questions you can use as a starting point to initiate conversations with your team members.

You need to answer the following important questions internally to hit the ground running:

• Do we need assistance with coding?
• What do we need from the platform to meet our revenue goals?
• What kind of deployment do we require? On-premise or cloud-based?
• Do we need multiple user licenses?
• Do we require a scalable solution?

As humans, we tend to forget things. And we all know what kind of trouble we end up in when we can’t remember important things. That’s why you should create a list of questions before you approach vendors. Use these questions as a starting point for conversations with providers.

• What training options does the vendor provide?
• Does the provider offer trials or software demos?
• Is the platform user-friendly?
• Is the platform HIPAA-compliant?
• Does the solution provide integrative capabilities?

In Conclusion

If you want to put an end to your invoicing problems, dental medical billing software is your best bet. They save you from violating HIPAA guidelines. They also help you avoid denials and improve revenue flow. You can monitor finances, generate and analyze reports, assign correct codes, and automate tasks using advanced billing functionalities.

You can access our comparison matrix to compare multiple solutions and make data-driven decisions.

We are here to assist you. Please feel free to reach out via phone or email mentioned on our website, if you have any queries.