Podcast
The Dental Billing Podcast
Dental billing is not data entry. It's the difference between a practice that collects what it earned and one that writes it off and calls it the cost of doing business.
The Dental Billing Podcast is hosted by Ericka Aguilar and Jen Lyman, RDH. Ericka has been a dental biller since 1998 and has taught billing in 31 states and Mexico. Jen came out of the operatory and now runs Lyman Revenue Solutions, handling both dental and medical billing. One of us knows exactly what the carrier is going to do with your claim. The other one knows what actually happened in that chair. You get both.
Every week we break down denials, appeals, coding, and the carrier behavior nobody warns you about, in plain language, with real sources. We teach the law before the codes, because a code doesn't win an appeal. Knowing what that carrier is legally required to do wins the appeal.
If you've ever been told you're "just the biller," this show is for you. Downloads in 114 countries and counting. Bring your coffee and your worst denial.
- Episodes
- 130
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 33 min
- On air since
- 2021
- Latest episode
- 6 days ago
Episodes
130 episodes, newest first
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39 min
A Third-Party Billing Audit Shows You What To Fix
Show notes
353 insurance denials sitting untouched is not a “busy week” problem. It’s a visibility problem and it’s exactly why we wanted a candid, practical talk about dental billing audits, denial management, and the numbers every practice owner should be able to see without begging for a report.
We walk through what a third-party billing department audit actually reviews, from denial trends by payer and procedure code to write-off percentage, fee schedule red flags, and the real difference between insurance A/R and patient A/R. We also dig into why credits can distort accounts receivable, how misunderstanding reports leads to bad decisions, and how an audit turns messy data into clear, bite-sized, actionable steps you can follow.
Then we go where most conversations avoid: compliance. We share real examples of risky billing habits that can slide into fraud, why insurance audits are a “when” not an “if,” and how documenting your efforts with annual outside review can protect your practice. For billing company owners, we also talk about oversight tools, KPI scorecards, and dashboards that help you coach with facts, not feelings, especially in a remote environment.
If you want cleaner collections, fewer surprises, and a billing process you can defend with confidence, press play. Subscribe, share this with a practice owner or office manager, and leave a review with the one billing metric you want to understand better.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
37 min
Want to Find Extra $$ in Your Practice? Join The End of Year Revenue Push Challenge
Show notes
Denied claims, missing documentation, and unscheduled treatment plans don’t just hurt your numbers, they quietly train your practice to accept less than you earned. We built this end-of-year revenue push to help you pull revenue back into the business fast, using steps your team can actually execute without guessing where to start. If you want a realistic cash injection before year-end, this is the playbook.
We start with abandoned revenue: dental insurance denials that never get appealed. We walk through what “work the denial” really means, how to review EOBs, eligibility, and benefits, and how to decide whether a denial is reasonable or worth fighting. We also share a critical HIPAA reminder about AI tools: without a signed BAA, uploading EOBs or patient info into public AI platforms can put you at risk. Then we connect the dots on why ICD-10 diagnosis codes and stronger documentation are becoming essential for dental claim adjudication and better appeal outcomes.
Next, we get practical about “ghost collections,” the money that disappears when procedures are missed in coding or cannot be supported because perio charts, x-rays, or notes are incomplete. Finally, we shift to the schedule and patient retention: cleaning up active patient lists, tightening recall systems, and uncovering unscheduled treatment that’s hiding inside your practice management software. Casey from MaxAssist explains how a complimentary chart audit can reveal real revenue opportunities and the patients most likely to schedule, so you can fill openings with purpose.
Grab the free revenue push playbook, subscribe for more dental billing and collections strategies, and if this helped, share it with a practice owner or office manager and leave a quick review. What’s the first revenue leak you’re going to fix?
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
21 min
Billing Meets Bookkeeping: Why Your Numbers Never Match
Show notes
You posted a $100 payment. The bank shows $97. That missing 3% is merchant fees and it is technically income, and if your bookkeeper only records the net deposit, it never shows up anywhere. Neither do your write-offs, your credits or your true production.
In this episode, Jen brought her mom. She is a career bookkeeper who has worked as a tax preparer and for dental CPAs, holds a Level 2 QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor certification, and works for Intuit today. She is here as a bookkeeper and as Jen's mom, not speaking for Intuit.
Every dental office has two sets of books: the practice management software and the accounting software. This episode is about why they so often disagree, who should be checking them every month, and what it costs the doctor when nobody does. Share it with your office manager and whoever does your books.
What we cover:
• Where the missing 3% goes, and why recording only the net deposit hides merchant fees, write-offs and true production from the doctor
• Why that 3% is still income
• The easy math: $100,000 collected with 3% in fees lands as $97,000 in the bank
• Recording gross income first, then fees and adjustments underneath it, so the profit and loss tells the truth
• Who reconciles: one person working the practice management software, a separate bookkeeper matching deposits. Never the same person
• Patient credits are a liability, not revenue. Negative receivables are really payables, and uncashed refund checks become unclaimed property that goes to your state
• Why banks and practice buyers look hard at your receivables report
• Bad debt as an expense on the profit and loss, and why your adjustment types need to be specific
• Make adjustments in the month they happen. Waiting until December makes the whole year wrong
• You don't have an AR (accounts receivable) problem, you have an AP (accounts payable) problem if you are holding onto credits
• Cash versus accrual in plain language
• Why one person handling billing, collections, write-offs and adjustments is an embezzlement risk, and how one office found $80,000 after a single meeting with their bookkeeper and biller togetherNothing in this episode is tax advice for your practice. Take what you hear to your own CPA and attorneys. Everything in this episode is Jen and Alida's experience only.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
29 min
Stop Treating Patient Credits Like Free Money
Show notes
Credit balances look harmless on a ledger, but they represent money we owe to patients or payers and they can turn into a major risk if we ignore them. We break down how to audit credits correctly, avoid accidental giveaways, and stay compliant with refund rules and unclaimed property laws.
• Defining a credit balance as a liability rather than revenue
• Separating the credit balance report from accounts receivable for a true picture of risk
• Auditing one account step by step using the family ledger, the first negative transaction, and EOB comparisons
• Why we never refund directly from the report without verifying the cause
• The six common credit types and the correct action for each
• Handling Medicaid and Medicare overpayments with urgency and documentation
• Managing prepayments and deposits by linking them to treatment plans
• Using due diligence letters, dormancy rules and state reporting for unclaimed property
• Reducing audit risk and preventing practice sale delays with clean records
• Building a monthly workflow, assigning ownership and tracking ageing and totalsShare this one with your office manager and your CPA & always seek legal advice regarding your states laws regarding unclaimed property and credit management.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
26 min
When AI Denies Your Claim with Dr. Amberena Fairlee
Show notes
Most dentists know the insurance system is broken. Far fewer know what it actually takes to change it. Dr. Amberena Fairlee does, because she has been in the room in Salem and in Washington DC doing it.
Jen sits down with Dr. Fairlee, a general dentist in Bend, Oregon, owner of Cascadia Family Dental, and the current president of the Oregon Dental Association, for a conversation about advocacy: what organized dentistry can realistically move, what it cannot, and why declining membership makes every one of those fights harder to win.
If you have ever wondered whether a day away from the chair is worth it, or what your association is actually doing with your dues, this one answers both.
In this episode:
• Why insurance is a coupon book and not a benefit, and how to explain that to patients without losing them
• Healthcare requires a diagnosis: the verbiage Dr. Fairlee gives her team when patients push back on exams and x-rays
• Why membership is the lever, and why quitting the association because you have not seen change yet makes change less likely
• What insurance reform legislation actually looks like: small incremental wins and closing loopholes, not raising annual maximums by decree
• ERISA self funded plans claiming they do not have to follow state insurance regulation, and why that is a focus in DC
• AI in claim adjudication: requiring disclosure when AI denies a claim, requiring human review without an appeal, and the patient privacy questions nobody has answered
• The one payer behavior she would outlaw tomorrow: diagnostic and preventive care no longer counting against the annual maximum
• Jen's wish list for the ODA agenda: diagnosis codes across the board, and an end to the appeal cycle on unreasonable denials
• The dental assistant and hygiene workforce shortage, and how staffing gaps push private practices toward being bought
• Why she gives up clinical days: advocacy makes her a more compassionate clinician
• Leadership without being loud: be at the table, and someone will amplify your voiceAbout our guest
Dr. Amberena Fairlee is a general dentist in Bend, Oregon and the owner of Cascadia Family Dental. She started in the profession as a dental assistant straight out of high school, earned her Bachelor of Science from Portland State and her dental degree from OHSU in 2017, and still holds an expanded dental assistant certificate from the Oregon Board of Dentistry.
She is the current president of the Oregon Dental Association and the association's representative to the Oregon Board of Dentistry, including its Dental Assistant Workforce Shortage Advisory Committee. She also serves with the ADA's workforce ambassador group and an Oregon Health Authority healthcare workforce group.
Dentists who want to get involved in Oregon can reach the Oregon Dental Association through its website, or contact executive director Barry Taylor, who can point you to the right place to start.
Follow the practice on Instagram: @cascadiafamdental
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
47 min
REPLAY: Avoiding Prison with Defensive Documentation with Dr. Roy Shelburne
Show notes
A dentist, practice owner, and self-described “billing and documentation geek” sits down with us and tells a story most of dentistry never expects to hear: Dr. Roy Shelburne was convicted and went to prison after years of investigation tied to his Medicaid-heavy practice. The numbers are not the point. The system is. If you think “we didn’t mean to” protects you, this conversation will change how you look at dental billing compliance and clinical documentation.
We dig into the uncomfortable legal reality behind intent to defraud, including “blind disregard,” where repeated errors without a system to find and fix them can be treated as fraud. From there, we get practical fast: what defensive documentation looks like before a claim is ever sent, why diagnosis must come before treatment, and how dentistry is inching toward more diagnosis-driven workflows (think ICD-10, not just CDT codes). Perio examples make it crystal clear: if the record doesn’t state the diagnosis, your SRP and inflammation-based codes are standing on thin ice.
We also talk audit triggers you can prevent today: crown claims with no justification in the chart, radiographs that are not diagnostic, and documentation gaps created when notes get entered later or copied from rigid templates. Dr. Shelburne shares how to delegate documentation safely with flexible templates, how to track non-diagnostic radiographs to improve training, and how to stop “billing to benefit” so your treatment aligns with standard of care. We close with appeal strategies, payer criteria, and the mindset that helps you get paid what you are legitimately owed while lowering risk.
If you want fewer denials, fewer clawbacks, and more peace of mind, listen, share this with your team, and then subscribe and leave a review so more practices build safer systems.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
34 min
Protocol Vs Standard Of Care In Dental X Rays with Jen Lyman, RDH
Show notes
Someone on the internet said it’s “no longer protocol” to take x-rays at recall, and that one word is where the real danger starts. Radiographs are not a habit we do on a timer. They’re part of a provider’s standard of care, and that standard of care is a clinical decision the treating doctor owns, documents, and can defend.
We walk through the practical difference between protocol and standard of care, then get specific about what the ADA and FDA patient selection guidance actually says (and what it does not say). We talk ALARA, why fixed schedules can be just as problematic as blanket “never” rules, and why the order matters every time: clinical decision first, money second. If you’re seeing more payer pushback and “clinical justification” requests, this conversation gives you language that protects both patients and the practice.
Then we get into the part billers and office managers can use immediately: what not to write in the chart or claim remarks, how fraud vs abuse is evaluated, and how an undocumented service can look identical to an unnecessary one during an audit. You’ll hear ready-to-copy narrative examples that include indication, findings, diagnosis, and disposition, plus a clear explanation of diagnosis coding, ICD-10, and how the ADA dental claim form fields (including diagnosis pointers) help a payer understand the story of the tooth.
If you want fewer denials and stronger appeals without letting insurance steer treatment, press play, share it with your clinical team, and bring your ugliest examples. Subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review so more dental billers can find this and document with confidence.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
27 min
Ericka Aguilar Gets Interviewed (Finally)
Show notes
A lot of dental billing advice online is loud, confident, and wrong and the cost shows up months later as denials, write-offs, and clawbacks. So we flipped the mic and let you meet Erica, the person behind years of dental billing education, revenue cycle management consulting, and a whole lot of hard-won pattern recognition from inside real practices.
We talk through her path from a “natural-born geek” who literally tried to steal homework, to becoming a teen mom who needed a stable career fast, to discovering that the dental front office was where she belonged. From there, she builds a billing company at 22, partners in dental practices, and eventually creates Dental Career College after seeing how hard it is to hire and train great front office teams. Along the way we dig into what offices actually asked for most: stronger verbal skills on new patient calls and real competence with dental insurance claims and billing systems like Dentrix.
Then we get practical about the issues that keep practices stuck: denial management without a standard process, confusing “we did it” with “will insurance pay,” and letting coverage rules creep into clinical decision-making. Erica shares why billers must keep up with updated CDT codes, invest in continuing education, and prepare for diagnosis codes and AI in dentistry, because the billing landscape is changing fast and it will leave people behind.
Follow us for tips and updates, and don’t miss the upcoming live webinar: bring your denials and your questions. If this helps, subscribe, share the episode with your office, and leave a review so more dental teams can find it.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
38 min
Credentialing Do's and Don'ts with Jen Lyman - RDH
Show notes
The fastest way to break a dental billing system is to assume the hard part starts after treatment. We sit down with Jen Lyman, now officially my co-host, and get honest about what really determines whether your dentistry turns into clean reimbursement: credentialing setup, correct identifiers, accurate provider records, and documentation that can actually support what you code.
Jen shares her path from full-time clinical hygiene to building Lyman Revenue Solutions, including the burnout and physical strain that pushed her out of the chair and into the revenue cycle world. From there, we dig into the credentialing pitfalls we see constantly, especially the Type 2 NPI issue that feels “optional” until you add an associate, open a new location, or stop practicing. We talk about how contracts tied to the wrong entity create messy fixes, compliance risk, and audit exposure that can reach years back.
We also get practical about operations: why provider list cleanup and fee schedule maintenance almost never happen inside practice management software, and how a monthly “billing CEO day” can prevent denials and confusion. Then we go deeper into coding and documentation, including the debates around CDT codes like D0180 and D4346, why coding is not the same thing as coverage, and why diagnosis codes on the dental claim form are becoming non-negotiable. If you want stronger claims, fewer surprises, and a team that speaks the same language from chairside to the front desk, this is for you.
Subscribe, share this with your office manager or lead hygienist, and leave a review so more dental teams can find the show and fix the problems that never should have started.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
40 min
How Membership Plans Help Dentists Drop PPOs
Show notes
Insurance paperwork is eating the front office alive, reimbursements keep tightening, and expenses keep climbing, yet many practices still feel stuck on the PPO treadmill. I sit down with Jordan Comstock, founder and CEO of Boom Cloud, to talk about a strategy that gives dentists real breathing room: building an in-house patient membership program that creates recurring revenue and reduces dependence on dental insurance PPO plans over time.
Jordan shares the blunt numbers driving the pressure, then walks through what a membership plan looks like when it’s treated as a serious business asset instead of a “cute” discount sheet. We talk through a practical path many offices miss: grow the membership base first, create a financial safety net, then make payer changes with confidence. Along the way we dig into surprising case acceptance data comparing cash patients, PPO patients, and membership patients, plus why predictable collections on the first or fifteenth can change how you sleep at night.
We also get honest about why DIY membership plans often collapse under manual tracking, forgotten billing, annual churn, and lack of reporting and how automation, staff training, and incentives make the difference. Jordan explains how Boom Cloud uses integrations and data-driven pricing to speed up launch and help teams actually scale to hundreds of members, which can improve cash flow, resilience during downturns, and even practice valuation when it’s time to sell.
If you want a clearer, less stressful way to grow profitability without begging insurers to change, listen all the way through. Subscribe, share this with a practice owner who’s fed up with PPOs, and leave a quick review with your biggest question about membership plans.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
36 min
27,837 Denials. Zero Appeals, make this make sense!
Show notes
Delta Dental’s logo is everywhere in dentistry, but the numbers most practices never see are sitting in plain sight in a federal CMS dataset. We walk through the CMS Transparency in Coverage Public Use File and focus on the rarely opened tab for individual marketplace standalone dental plans. Because carriers self report claims received, denials, resubmissions, and formal appeals, the file becomes an uncomfortable mirror for both payers and the dental billing systems we run inside our offices.
Here’s what stops us: Delta Dental companies across 20 states report a 22.5% in network denial rate, higher than the broader dental market in the same file, and out of network denial rates climb even further. But the real gut punch is what CMS added for 2024: resubmitted claims. When only a small fraction of denied claims come back through the door, it suggests a huge pool of abandoned revenue sitting on aging reports, quietly turning into write offs and patient balances without a deliberate decision.
We also get precise about formal appeals: what counts, why plan documents matter, how deadlines create leverage, and why regulators only have visibility when we generate a paper trail. Then we turn it into action with a practical denial management process, simple tracking fields your team can start this week, and a challenge for practice owners to stop accepting “I need to appeal those” as the end of the conversation. Subscribe, share this with your billing team, and leave a review with one change you are making after you pull your last 90 days of Delta denials.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
35 min
What If We Called the Denial What it Really is: A Business Model Designed to Delay Payment
Show notes
Less than 1% of denials get appealed in the real world, yet regulators have found appeal reversal rates that should stop every dental office in its tracks. We pull apart what that contradiction tells us: denials are not just “one-off mistakes,” they can be a business model that survives on provider exhaustion, unclear standards, and paperwork loops that quietly delay payment until you give up.
We walk through the hidden source material most billers never read market conduct examinations, consent orders, and enforcement actions where the state audits the insurance carrier and publishes what it finds. From “sequential” documentation requests to denial language that fails to explain what would make a claim payable, these reports turn gut feelings into quotable evidence. We also explain why a fine is effectively a written confession: it shows which behavior could not survive an audit and gives you leverage to reverse engineer your next appeal and escalation.
Then we get practical. Clean claim is a legal term tied to prompt pay law, and understanding it changes how you respond to additional information requests designed to stop the clock. We share two calm questions you can use immediately: ask for the filed policy provision that supports the denial, and ask which licensed clinician reviewed the claim and whether they reviewed the submitted documentation. Finally, we zoom out to pattern recognition: denial rates, overturn rates, time-to-payment, and filing complaints with the right regulator based on plan type, including ERISA self-funded plans and the US Department of Labor.
If you want smarter dental billing appeals and stronger denial management, listen now, subscribe for more, and share this with a biller who is tired of water-gun tactics. What denial pattern are you seeing most in your office?
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
22 min
Adjustment Slop: The Money Leak Nobody's Looking At
Show notes
A huge amount of dental practice revenue doesn’t disappear because patients refuse to pay or because insurance “just won’t cover it.” It disappears because someone clicks an adjustment code and the money evaporates without a clear name, a written policy, or a second look. That quiet leak is what I call adjustment slop, and once you learn to spot it, you won’t be able to unsee it.
We start by separating two concepts that too many offices blur together: write offs versus adjustments. Write offs are contractual and tied to your PPO fee schedule. Adjustments are choices, like courtesy discounts, employee perks, hardship cases, marketing promos, or quick “fixes” that make an awkward balance go away. When everything gets dumped into one generic bucket, you lose the story your data is trying to tell. You can’t manage what you can’t see, and you definitely can’t make smart decisions about participation, profitability, or team habits.
Then I walk you through the five types of adjustment slop I see when I take billing departments apart: habit adjustments, cover up adjustments that bury unworked claims, lazy courtesy with no authority, “corrections” that hide posting errors, and bad debt adjustments that happen before real collection steps. You’ll also get my teardown method you can do tonight: pull a 12 month adjustment report, sort by type, and ask one yes or no question for each label: is there a written policy behind this?
If you want your billing reports to be real management tools, not financial guesswork, hit play, pull your report, and start labeling money with intention. Subscribe, share this with your office manager, and leave a review if it helps you stop the leak.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
44 min
Built to Get Paid Series - Part 6 - Denial Management & Escalation that Works
Show notes
Less than 1% of denied dental claims ever get appealed and insurance companies are counting on you to be in the other 99%. I walk you through the denial management mindset shift that changes everything: stop treating the third appeal like the edge of the map and start using the tools that actually hold payers accountable, including your state insurance commissioner for fully insured plans.
We get practical and specific about what makes a denial “unreasonable” or “bad faith” and how to spot the pattern: benefits are active, eligibility is confirmed, documentation supports dental necessity, and the claim still comes back denied. I also explain why we start with state and federal laws before we obsess over codes, because language like prompt pay, network leasing, and silent PPO issues gives your conversations more weight. Then we clean up common risk areas by separating an honest mistake, a contract violation, and fraud, because mixing those up can put a practice in real trouble.
From there, we talk tactics: why copy-and-paste appeal templates can work against you in a world where insurers use AI to review claims, and what to use instead. Think ICD-10 diagnosis codes, strong narratives, and patient-specific clinical details that make your claim defensible. Finally, I share documented enforcement examples, including a major fine tied to undisclosed “phantom” frequency limits, and why complaints to regulators compound over time.
If you want a denial process that protects patients and stops leaving money on the table, listen all the way through, then subscribe, share this with your office team, and leave a review so more billers learn how to escalate the right way.
Sources referenced in this episode:
• Appeal rate / upheld rate: KFF analysis of CMS data — fewer than 1% of denied ACA marketplace claims are appealed; insurers uphold ~56% of appeals (2023 data), 66% (2024 data). Medicare Advantage: ~57% of appealed denials overturned. (On air we used these instead of the "59% upheld because nobody appealed" framing, which conflated the appeal rate with the uphold-on-appeal rate.)
• Delta Dental of Washington: Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner fined Delta Dental + its health care benefits manager (Wyssta) $130,000 (Oct/Nov 2024) for, among other things, denying claims based on time/frequency limits not filed with or approved by the state; 7 service types and 50 billing codes had undisclosed limits. Triggered by consumer complaints. This is an actual regulatory fine.
• Self-funded vs. fully insured (the "federal path" mention): The commissioner regulates fully insured plans. Self-funded employer plans fall under federal ERISA law and route to the U.S. Department of Labor (EBSA) instead, not the state commissioner. This is covered in depth in the full denial management talk, not this episode. (Government and church plans are a further exception.)
• Cigna PxDx: 2023 class action (E.D. Cal.), citing ProPublica reporting — ~300,000 denials in two months, avg. 1.2 seconds per claim, "we literally click and submit." Court allowed the case to proceed March 2025 (abuse of discretion). This is litigation, not a fine — described on air as a lawsuit/court ruling.
• UnitedHealth nH Predict: Class action (D. Minn.) alleging a 90% error rate on the AI tool and that ~0.2% of policyholders appeal. Court ordered algorithm disclosure in 2026. Allegations in active litigation — stated as such on air.
• The "0.2% will appeal" motive appears in both the Cigna and UnitedHealth complaints as an allegation of intent.Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
5 min
Dental Billers Appreciation Day
Show notes
Dental billing can look smooth from the outside, but that “smooth” is usually one person doing a mountain of detailed, high-stakes work behind the scenes. We’re sharing a quick, focused message about Dental Billers Appreciation Day and why it matters for every practice that depends on clean claims, accurate coding, and steady collections.
You’ll hear how a conversation with Qiana Craig (Ask the Biller) about Medical Billers Appreciation Day sent us down a research rabbit hole and revealed something surprising: dental billers didn’t have a day of their own. So we created one. That story opens up a bigger theme we live by in dental office administration and practice management, if you don’t see the space you need, build it.
We also get real about what the job requires: deep organisation, constant follow-up, tech skills across modern billing tools, and the discipline to keep up with changing codes and systems in today’s dental economy. Dental revenue cycle management doesn’t run on luck, it runs on expertise. Dental Billers Appreciation Day is July 20 every year, so mark your calendar and do something meaningful for the person who helps keep your practice financially healthy. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with your team, and leave a review so more dental offices start giving billers the credit they’ve earned.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
30 min
Built to Get Paid Series - Part 5 of 6 - The 3 Metrics That Never Lie
Show notes
Your insurance AR report is trying to tell you the truth, but most of us only glance at the total and walk away with more anxiety than clarity. I’m Erica Aguilar, and I’m breaking down how to read the story behind the numbers so you can tell, with real confidence, whether your dental billing department is performing well or quietly leaking time and money.
We start with the biggest mindset shift: dollars alone don’t equal performance. I’ll show you how to turn each insurance AR aging bucket into a percentage so you can compare month over month and spot patterns that individual claims can’t reveal. You’ll get clear dental billing KPIs and benchmarks, including what “healthy” looks like when 92% of your insurance money is paid within 30 days, and why a heavy 90+ day category should trigger curiosity, not panic. From there, we talk through the questions that uncover root causes like late claims, missing attachments, delayed clinical documentation, weak claim construction, and payers that keep pushing you past state prompt pay laws.
We also widen the lens beyond insurance AR. I explain why patient AR tells a different story, why the credit balance report can expose compliance issues and unclaimed property risk, how to trend denials by payer and CDT code, and how poor fee schedule maintenance can inflate write-offs and create bad patient balances. Then we get practical with the claims correction list, the simple tool that creates visibility where most practices have none.
If you want a concrete next step, I give you homework to pull your key reports, start tracking denial reasons, and implement the free claims correction list from the show notes. Subscribe, share this with your office manager or biller, and leave a review with one question you want your reports to answer next.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
22 min
Built to Get Paid Series - Bonus Episode -Documenting the Journey So You Don't Make the Same Mistakes
Show notes
I want to share something with you this week that I don't usually talk about.
For years, Jen and I carried an idea we couldn't shake. We knew dental billing better than almost anyone, and we kept saying the same thing to each other. Somebody needs to fix this. Eventually, we realized that somebody was us.
What followed was not a clean, easy story. We flew to Arizona and locked ourselves away to get everything out of our heads and onto paper. We sat across from one of the most respected people in dentistry and got advice that was brutal, the opposite of what I wanted to hear. We turned down money that was on the table because we wanted full control, no holdbacks. And there was a stretch where it got so quiet that someone close to us asked if we had given up.
I'll be honest with you. There was a moment I wondered if I'd made the wrong call.
In this week's episode, I'm taking you all the way behind the scenes. The offers we said no to, the advice that changed everything, the doubt I rarely admit out loud, and the moment a room full of dentists showed me it was all worth it. I'm documenting this whole journey on purpose, so that you can learn from it too.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
39 min
Built to Get Paid Series - Part 4 of 6 -The Dental Billing Command Center
Show notes
Twenty browser tabs. Constant timeouts. Portals that never match your workflow. If you’ve ever felt like dental billing is less about skill and more about surviving fragmentation, we’re saying the quiet part out loud and giving you a clearer path forward. Jen and I unpack the “command center” concept: the practical system that pulls critical billing knowledge out of sticky notes, personal notebooks, and one overwhelmed team member’s memory, then turns it into a shared, durable source of truth.
We talk through what actually belongs in that command center so a practice can run with consistency: credentialing and CAQH details, NPIs and tax IDs, portal access and payment methods, EOB and EFT storage, end-of-day reporting, and a structured billing meeting framework that gives the doctor real visibility beyond “what’s in the bank.” We also dig into the cultural side of billing performance, including why doctors often measure the wrong things, why billers feel personally attacked by questions that should be normal, and how simple structures like pre-meeting forms and situational reports change the tone and the outcomes.
Then we shift into what we’re building next. Insurance has used AI in claims adjudication for decades, and too many practices are still fighting denials with manual work, copied templates, and hours of chasing. We share what we’re beta testing now: an API-integrated billing command center designed to reduce the grind by automating pieces like EFT retrieval, eligibility, claim tracing, denial tracking, and appeal letter generation, so the biller can spend more time making decisions and less time hunting for data. If you want to see what it looks like, grab the link in the show notes, join the wait list, and book a quick demo, then subscribe, share, and leave a review so more practices can stop running billing on hard mode.
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
21 min
Built to Get Paid Series - Bonus Episode - Why Production Doesn't Always Become Collections -
Show notes
A claim can be created in seconds, but a defensible claim takes verification and that difference can make or break your reimbursement. We start with a tough question: if a dental claim is a legal document, why are so many practices submitting claims before anyone confirms the clinical documentation actually supports what’s being billed? When speed becomes the priority, compliance and cash flow both take the hit.
We zoom in on the insurance reimbursement cycle and redefine where it truly begins: the moment treatment is rendered, not when the claim is submitted. From there, everything depends on the clinical record being complete and accessible, from notes and narratives to X-rays, intraoral photos, and periodontal charts. I explain why clinical documentation is defensive documentation, the record that speaks for the provider during audits, disputes, or fraud allegations, and why billing teams should measure what prevents claims from being created, not just what’s already aging.
Then we break down the claims correction list, a pre-aging visibility tool that tracks completed treatment that cannot enter the reimbursement cycle yet. Unlike insurance A/R, denial, and production reports, it exposes the invisible money sitting in limbo and helps you spot patterns like chronic delayed notes, repeated missing attachments, or workflow handoff gaps. You’ll leave with a simple seven day challenge to document every reason a claim cannot be created and use that data to build predictable billing outcomes.
Subscribe, share this with your office manager or lead biller, and leave a review if it helps. What’s the most common reason your claims get stuck before submission?
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
-
23 min
Built to Get Paid Series - The Workflow Engine (Part 3 of 6)
Show notes
You can have hardworking people and still have a billing department that feels like a black box. Claims get submitted, denials appear, balances age, and everyone assumes follow up is happening, but nobody can point to where the work actually stalls. We dig into the “workflow engine,” the third pillar of the Fortune Billing Department Framework, and show how visibility is the missing link between dental production and predictable collections.
We walk through the practical tools that turn vague frustration into clear data. The big one is the claims correction list, a simple but powerful way to track why claims are not moving through the insurance reimbursement cycle. Insurance aging reports tell you what is overdue, but the claims correction list tells you the real reasons: incomplete clinical notes, missing narratives, missing x rays, additional information requests, and repeat documentation gaps that create denial patterns. When you can name the bottleneck, you can train, coach, and fix the process instead of chasing balances.
From there, we layer in daily and monthly rhythms that keep the revenue cycle healthy: an end of day billing report that creates real time communication between the billing team and leadership, plus a monthly billing meeting where trends become strategy and decisions are made by facts instead of assumptions. We also talk about building a structured billing calendar with owners and deadlines so “I’ll get to it when I have time” stops costing you money.
If you want your dental billing workflow to run like a system, press play, then subscribe, share this with your office manager, and leave a quick review so more practices can build predictable billing outcomes. What is the number one thing you suspect is slowing your claims down?
Grab the FREE End of Year Revenue Push Playbook Here:
https://link.captivationhub.com/widget/form/rHoSnbSvVMeFH4V2GFsf
Get your Dental Billing Toolkit Here:
https://www.dentalbillingdoneright.com/the-dental-billing-toolkit
Download "The Most Underused Codes in Dentistry - And How to Get Them Paid" checklist here:
Schedule a billing chat with Ericka:
https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min
Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comEmail Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com
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