The 10-Part Revenue Leak Series by DBCP
Finding the money hiding in your dental and oral surgery practice’s billing process
Your practice may be producing well, collecting consistently, and still leaving revenue behind. The problem isn’t always a major billing error. Often, revenue leaks occur in small places throughout the billing process one rejected claim, one missed attachment, one outdated fee schedule, one underpayment that was never reviewed. Individually, these issues may seem insignificant. Over time, they can add up to thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars.
At DBCP, we see these patterns every day. That’s why we’re introducing “The Revenue Leak,” a series focused on identifying the places where dental practices may be losing revenue and, more importantly, what can be done about it.
#1 Rejected Claims
A rejected claim is not necessarily a lost claim, but an untouched rejected claim can quickly become one. One of the most common billing problems we see is claims that are rejected electronically and remain unresolved. Sometimes the reason is obvious. Sometimes it requires investigation. Either way, the clock is still running.
Common claim rejection reasons:
Incorrect patient or subscriber information
Invalid provider or billing information
Missing or incorrect diagnosis codes
Payer-specific requirements
Eligibility issues
Incorrect payer routing
Missing attachments or documentation
Technical or clearinghouse errors
The important distinction is between a claim being rejected and a claim being worked. A rejected claim should have a clear next step: identify the reason, correct the issue, resubmit, and monitor the claim through adjudication. Read our Claims Lifecycle blog to learn more about rejections →
The Revenue Leak 💧
The leak occurs when rejected claims become part of a practice’s “out of sight, out of mind” inventory. A practice may have hundreds of claims sitting in different stages of the billing process without a defined workflow for resolution.
What to Ask ❔
Take a look at your rejected claims and ask: How many are currently sitting unresolved?
Then ask: How long have they been sitting there?
The answer may tell you more about your billing process than your overall collection percentage.
DBCP Tip 💡
Don’t just measure how many claims your team submits. Measure how effectively your team moves claims from submission to payment.
Ready to stop revenue leaks in your practice? Dental Billing & Consulting Professionals can help you identify gaps, strengthen your billing processes, and capture the revenue you’ve earned. Call or text us at (860) 435-7344 for a free consultation with our consulting team. We would also love to get you scheduled for a demo of our Oral Surgery Suite platform –tools designed to simplify workflows, improve accuracy, and help oral surgery practices capture the revenue they’ve earned.