Position Overview
A dental insurance coordinator is hired by dental services facilities, or dental support facilities, where his or her primary work is to ensure that patients are provided with the right information on their insurance coverages and that any unpaid claims or denials are handled properly.
While some facilities may only help patients understand their insurance coverage rights and help them with paperwork, many go to great lengths to ensure that claims are paid promptly.
Position Requirements
Working as a dental insurance coordinator does not require more than a high school diploma or a GED equivalent. However, some experience in a dental facility, especially in an administrative role, will help you qualify for this position. As a dental insurance coordinator, you will be expected to know most of what there is to know about insurance liaison and follow-up.
Prior exposure to working in a similar capacity will prepare you well for this position, so make sure that you have at least a couple of years of experience before you apply for the job.
In addition to job-related skills and experience, you will need to possess some personality traits which will make you eligible for this job, including exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to extract information from unlikely sources.
Here is what you will be doing on any typical day as a dental insurance coordinator:
Dental Insurance Coordinator Duties & Responsibilities
• Obtain patients’ insurance information, and ensure that insurance companies verify it.
• Translate and explain insurance details, and compliance procedures to patients and their families.
• Prepare insurance education materials and distribute them to patients, to help them understand the basics.
• Assist patients in the processing of insurance claims, by following up on denied and unpaid claims.
• Contact insurance companies on the panel, and inquire into the status of outstanding and denied claims.
• Determine additional documentation required to get claimed passed, and work towards obtaining it.
• Perform periodic insurance audits and present results and recommendations to the management.
• Coordinate and liaise with insurance companies regarding eligibility, payments, approvals, and reconciliation requirements.
• Prepare insurance forms, and associated required documents to be presented to insurance companies.
• Establish and maintain hard copies and electronic records of insurance certificate files.
• Coordinate, process, and follow up on insurance payments, and appeal claims.
• Generate and submit pre-estimate treatment requests, and ensure that they are tracked on time.
• Ascertain the security and confidentiality of all patient information, regarding insurance coverage.