Many dental practices hire temp or contract workers to help during busy times or when an employee leaves for a vacation or sick day. This is a great way to save money and provide flexibility for your practice and employees.
However, there are several things to consider before working with temp agencies. Here are some reasons to avoid them:
Saves You Time
Dental staffing agencies are popular among many dental practices to hire temporary employees. This can be helpful during busy times, when there are high patient volumes, or for other reasons, like covering employee vacations or illness. When you have a position, it takes time to search for candidates, review applications and resumes, interview applicants, and perform background checks. A professional dental staffing agency can save you a lot of time by doing these tasks, screening professional licenses, administering skills tests, and checking references.
Another time-consuming part of hiring is onboarding new employees. Especially with temporary workers, it can take some time for them to understand workflow, policies, and procedures at your office. A dental staffing agency can speed up this process by providing orientation materials and orienting the temporary worker; with the dental labor shortage still raging, finding ways to save as much time as possible when recruiting and hiring dental professionals is important. Hiring the right employees can make or break a practice, which is why it’s so important to find a staffing solution that works for you and your needs.
Saves You Money
Outsourcing can save dental practice money by reducing overhead costs, improving revenue cycle efficiency, and increasing patient satisfaction. The cost savings can be substantial, especially for dental practices struggling to maintain profitability due to rising insurance rates and declining customer retention.
Dental professionals can focus on their patients by choosing a reputable outsourcing provider while meeting all billing and coding requirements. This can also reduce the risk of costly errors or insurance fraud red flags that could lead to a loss of revenue and increased stress for staff members.
A staffing agency is a business that connects employers with temporary workers. Typically, these businesses have a large network of contractors and can provide workers with specialized skills for different jobs, like billing. Some people are concerned that outsourcing their billing process to an outside company will result in losing control over the dental practice’s financials. However, dental practice managers can save 30-40% on operational costs by leveraging the expertise of an outsourced billing company to manage their insurance claims and improve claim submission success rates.
A good dental insurance billing and coding company will know the latest changes to billing codes, laws, and regulations that affect medical reimbursements and patient accounts. They’ll also have experience working with various insurance providers and can quickly identify and address billing problems. This can prevent denials and help the dental office get paid faster, freeing up resources for other duties.
Saves You Stress
As the dental profession continues to become more specialized, it can be challenging for practice owners to manage all aspects of their business. Regarding marketing, scheduling services, insurance claims, and other administrative tasks, outsourcing can be a great solution to save time, money, and stress.
Outsourcing can also help to mitigate the impact of constant front-office staff turnover. When employees leave, replacing them at a reasonable cost and with the right skill set to complete critical tasks such as coding, submitting insurance claims, or answering patient questions can be difficult. When a practice utilizes a reputable outsourcing agency, these tasks can be completed accurately and efficiently by experts that specialize in the dental industry. However, it’s important to note that not all outsourcing agencies are created equal. Choosing a provider specializing in dental practice management is crucial to reap the most benefits from an outsourcing partnership. By evaluating needs, researching providers, and maintaining open lines of communication, dental practices can ensure that their outsourcing partners are aligned with their goals and expectations.
Saves You Anxiety
A dental staffing agency provides you with a pool of temporary workers. This can help your practice scale up during a busy period without hiring additional permanent employees. This can save you money in the long run as you won’t have to pay for benefits and payroll tax. One of the most challenging aspects of running a dental practice is managing the billing and insurance claims process. It requires a lot of time and effort and can be quite expensive. Outsourcing these processes allows you to focus on your patients and improve your practice’s profitability.
When you outsource your medical billing, coding, and insurance processes, you get access to a team of professionals who specialize in the field. This means they’re up to date with the latest changes in coding rules, insurance policies, and regulations. This enables them to provide error-free claim submissions and accelerate reimbursement processes.
Whether you outsource your administrative tasks or manage them in-house, it’s essential to understand what you’re getting into. A good dental staffing agency will have a clear outline of their services and costs, and they’ll be transparent about any extra charges they may incur.