Welcome back! Today, we’re diving into part four of my five-part series on Dentrix database cleanup: dental insurance management. If you’ve missed previous parts, don’t worry—episodes 122, 123, and 124 have you covered. We’ve talked about inactivating team members, cleaning up adjustment and payment types, and avoiding duplicate medications.
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Let’s be real: insurance is constantly changing. Patients switch jobs, and with that comes new insurance plans. Employers might also change carriers, which means you’re continually updating insurance details in your database. So, here’s the challenge: you’re adding new plans every day, but are you doing it efficiently? And how do you keep that insurance database from becoming a cluttered mess?
The Insurance Database Dilemma
Every time you add a new patient or update an existing one, there’s a chance you’re duplicating plans. Why? Different team members might label the same plan differently. For example, one person could enter “Delta Dental of Washington”, while another enters “Washington Dental Service”, both referring to the same insurance company. And just like that, you’ve got duplicates cluttering your system.
Now, there’s a solution—and it’s all about creating a consistent system. I recommend having a standard protocol that everyone follows when entering insurance information. It might sound like a small thing, but trust me, it saves so much time and hassle down the road. Everyone in your office needs to be on the same page about how to label and search for insurance plans.
How to Avoid Insurance Plan Duplicates
Let me share a simple yet effective system to avoid creating duplicates in your database.
- Step 1: Search by Group Number
Before adding a new insurance plan, always start by searching the group number. In many cases, the group number is unique and can quickly show you whether that plan is already in the system. Yes, sometimes you’ll need to adjust for leading zeros or dashes, but this method is a solid first step.
- Step 2: Search by Group Plan Name
Next, I suggest using the group plan name as a secondary search tool. It’s not just a label—it’s a fantastic identifier. Back when I worked in Washington State, we had lots of Boeing employees, and using group plan names like “Boeing Hourly 70%” or “Boeing Salaried Employees” helped us quickly distinguish between different plans with the same employer.
- Step 3: Search by Carrier Name
If you strike out with the first two searches, try looking up the plan by the carrier or employer name. If after these three searches, nothing matches, then—and only then—add a new plan.
Standardize Carrier Names
Another common pitfall in the insurance database is inconsistent carrier naming. Like I mentioned above, one team member might enter “Delta Dental of WA”, while another uses “Washington Dental Service”. This causes chaos when you’re trying to run reports or analyze data. The solution? Set a standard for how insurance carriers should be entered into the system. And if you already have inconsistencies, don’t worry. You can clean it up!
Go into the insurance carrier name field and edit all variations to one standard format. Yes, you’ll get a warning that says the changes will apply to everyone in the system—but that’s exactly what you want.
Cleaning Up Duplicates
So, what if you’ve already got duplicates in your system? There’s an easy fix for that too! Dentrix offers a feature called “Join Plans” in the insurance maintenance section of the family file. This allows you to merge duplicate plans by moving all patients from plan B to plan A. Once they’re combined, you can rename the duplicate (plan B) with a string of Z’s to move it to the bottom of the list, signaling that it should no longer be used.
Finally, if you’re ready for a big cleanup, you can “purge” the duplicate plans altogether. But be cautious, purging a plan means it will no longer show up in the patient’s ledger history if you look up an past claim that had been paid. For some, that’s no big deal; for others, it’s a dealbreaker. It’s all about how much historical data you want to keep.
Let’s Keep Your Insurance Database Clean
I hope these tips will help you manage your insurance database more efficiently and avoid the dreaded insurance clutter. If you want a deeper dive into cleaning up your Dentrix system, we’ve got a full webinar available in our on-demand library. Or, if you prefer a personalized walkthrough, book a call with me. I’m here to help you become a Dentrix super-user and get your practice running like a well-oiled machine.
Until next time, happy cleaning and keep striving for that high-performing dental team!
