Surving COVID-19
Like most of the world, we were shaken by the events that followed after the discovery of what we know today as COVID-19 & even more perplexed to see how it literally shut down Times Square, one of the busiest places in America.
If you are reading this I hope you are staying safe and remembering to take all CDC precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As we enter into May we are greeted with the harsh reality that businesses will start back up and unfortunately we have yet to find a definite resolution to the problem.
My grandmother often would sit me on her lap when things didn't go as planned and say, "One monkey don't stop no show" as grammatically incorrect it was, even at a young age I understood exactly what she was saying. Oh, how I wished this was true during this unorthodox time. In this case coronavirus is the monkey and she has absolutely stopped the show. Not only has she single handedly come into our homes, invaded our privacy but she has changed how dental practice will run forever.
Whether your dental practice worked a staggered emergency only schedule, allowed virtual support for administrative work or shut down completely you are a part of the masses that has endured a financial hit that will take some time to overcome. I am getting calls constantly on a day to day basis from clients as well as colleagues that often in my opinion describe this moment as, a home burst into flames and we are left with the ashes to recover valuables and make the best of the situation. Patients no longer feel safe due to social distancing requirements, team members are suffering due to lack of PPE supplies, funds are low due to higher unemployment rates & we are watching all of our previous hard work, patient base & protocols crumble.
So we hear the problem but I was taught to never come without a solution.
We know that most Americans were laid off and unfortunately most small businesses are closing their doors for good. The change in employment status creates a disturbance in insurance policies for several families. With most offices closed due to the Stay At Home orders, HR no longer works the traditional hours which delays the the information submitted to insurance carriers. Most of the insurance companies aren't open which means we will start to experience a lot of kickbacks from insurance claims due to termination. We as dental professionals really have to be on our patients and the insurance companies when verifying information. Stress to our patients that this can and will be 100% the financial responsibility of the patient if information is incorrectly given and in some cases we should take full payment prior to the visit. If you are on the phone with an insurance company verifying a terminated policy ask the representative if this is a group termination and if so do they have a record of any transfer of policy to another carrier. Not only will this save you time but gives you a heads up on all patients connected to that plan.
With our offices being closed we need to start doing what I like to call Spring Cleaning. I have never heard a business owner not want money they expected to receive, yet this is what we are doing when we neglect aging. Finding an office who's 31+ insurance aging reports doesn't exceed 7% is like finding a needle in a haystack. This is the perfect time to follow up on outstanding claims & get the money often left on the table. Last year we saw more incorrectly coded claims than any of the 5 years of GVA's existence. If claims were denied investigate them further it may be because of coding, narrative or never sending additional attachments required. When offices call us that often mention a struggle in money, I always go straight to reports and begin to review denials and pending for the last 12 mos, we are usually able to recover at least 45% of money we like to call, "Left on the table". Times have been hard and most likely checks have not been flowing in as we projected or would like, now is the perfect time to clean up and retrieve.
If you find yourself short staffed due to financial hardships, employees not too sure about their safety or not medically able to return consider remote support here with GVA. We specialize in all things dental!! With over 120 years worth of experience on our team your front office will be in great care. Not only do we go the extra mile, cross every t and dot every i but we make it affordable. We eliminate employee associated costs while still assuming full HIPAA responsibilities. We work around the clock from the comfort of our offices right outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Work isn't sub contracted overseas and you deal with real life exeperienced dental professionals catered to YOUR office. We believe in making the transition smooth thereby maintaining your regular office flow. We do everything from answering phones, benefit breakdowns, claims follow up/submission, account audits, EOB entering and more all on a month to month basis. The world looks different and we are equipped and ready to take this journey with you.
Give us a call or text us today at 470-210-5632 or feel free to email us directly at info@goldvirtualassistant.com and we will be sure to contact you back immediately.
Ask about GVA's relief packages we have created to help clients during this time & remember to STAY SAFE.
