S3 Episode 4: Billing Isn’t a Solo Sport: Owning the Flow Together

In this episode of Inside Dentistry Support, the focus is on the critical role accountability plays in transforming good teams into great ones. The speaker emphasizes that accountability should be synonymous with leadership rather than micromanagement. Key practices are highlighted, such as daily recap reporting and a 2:00 PM team check-in, ensuring that all team members are aligned and on track with their tasks. The episode underscores the importance of clear communication and mutual assistance within the team to prevent small issues from escalating into client complaints. The speaker encourages team members to own their responsibilities, help each other, and consistently engage clients to maintain trust and satisfaction. The ultimate goal is to ensure the team operates like a well-oiled machine, preventing chaos and fostering a collaborative environment where everyone is committed to the collective success.

Transcript

   📍 Hey, team. Welcome back to Inside Dentistry Support, where we don't just work, we lead, we grow, and we make things happen together. This episode is for my powerhouse billing and AR family. This one is all about something that separates good teams from great teams, and that's holding each other accountable in a way that actually builds trust.

Welcome to season three, episode four. The truth is, our clients expect us to perform like a well-oiled machine, and we can, but only when every gear is checked, every gear is in alignment, and every gear is running. So let's talk about how you keep that machine in motion. Accountability isn't micromanagement, it's leadership in action.

Even if you don't have a title. In our billing team, we all have specific assignments, posting payments, reviewing EOBs, resubmitting claims, sending claims, managing ar, follow-up claim status calls, you name it, but just doing your part isn't actually enough, and that's why this is such an elite team that you are part of.

If claims aren't moving or tasks are stalled. Or metrics aren't met or timelines aren't followed, you need to say something. Not from a place of blame though, but from a place of, Hey, I care about this client. I care about this team. I care about this company, and I want us to win together. That's what the Dentistry support culture is all about.

So let's talk tools. We have our daily recap reporting. This is your moment to shine. As you are working throughout the day, you are making sure that your day didn't just feel busy, but rather it was productive. You are making sure that every single thing you are doing is documented so that our clients fully understand how we supported them.

This is our proof that we did the right thing for every one of our clients, and if we fail to say what we've done, it actually removes the trust aspect from our experience with them. We also have something called the 2:00 PM check-in. Are you familiar with that? If you're not, what I mean is that we have a check-in at 2:00 PM.

In the time zone of the dental practice that you serve, where your entire team should be checking in, what have we accomplished so far today? What do we still need to accomplish? What hasn't yet been touched? That if it doesn't get touched today, our client is going to realize that and they will be disappointed in us.

What are our goals that we're trying to finish? You are checking in with the entire team. If you don't see that check-in, it is your responsibility to post it. It isn't just one person that's responsible. Everyone is responsible for their individual. 2:00 PM check-in. This is when we say this is done. This needs help.

And here's what's rolling over into the afternoon. That has to get finished by the end of today. It doesn't have to be fancy, just you talking in realness. And if your partner or your client or your teammate hasn't checked in yet, ping them. Tag them. Don't assume anything. Ask questions. We are all in different time zones.

We are all in different places in the billing process, but we are one team. Let's say you're waiting on someone to post a bulk EOB so that you can start ar follow-ups, or you can send patient statements. You don't ignore it. You say, Hey, I just wanted to check in with you.

Have you had a chance to post EOBs from yesterday yet? I wanna make sure that we don't let things sit too long and that I get on top of this so I can update our daily recap report. You're not being annoying, you're professional, and that's leadership. And if they forgot, great. You caught it. You saved the day.

And that's what pros do You see your job is to make sure that every 10 days we are pulling. All of our aging reports, and it's not just, Hey, are we pulling our aging reports every 10 days? It's we're pulling them every 10 days because we're reviewing them every 10 days. Oh, there is a hundred claims that need to be worked for this office.

That means I have to get 10 done each day in order to finish them in 10 business days. Perfect. Done. Now we know we've done it. Now we know we've completed the task. When we don't speak up, small things become client things, and by the time we hear about it, it's a complaint, not a conversation. And we should not have complaints because here at Dentistry Support, we have put in a ton of safeguards.

Safeguards, like our daily recap report, our goals, our metrics, our job duties, the Wiki page. We shouldn't have complaints because our clients should be having constant conversations with us, making sure they're happy with what they're doing. We let our clients actually know during our selling phase and our onboarding phase that, Hey, we like to talk to you a lot.

Not because we're worried we did something wrong, but we would rather know early and right away if something isn't working so that we can make sure we're all on the same page. We aren't just AR reps, we aren't just representatives working billing. We aren't just dental billers. We are preventers of chaos and the only way to do that consistently is by holding each other to a high but kind standard.

If you have a team member who's working research, claim research with you on our working insurance AR worksheet, and you notice that they're not meeting the minimum metrics, you absolutely have every single right to reach out to them and say, Hey, we are never gonna get this accomplished if we don't complete X, Y, Z today or every day.

Is there something you need help with? How can I help you get this done? Sooner and truly, there's no excuse that will make up for just getting the work done. So if you're having trouble on the phone, if your team member's having trouble connecting on the internet, if something's not going right, it is your job to help your team member get it done.

Because one person's job is everyone's job. It's okay to ask. It's not okay to ignore. Remember, accountability isn't a burden. It is a privilege. It means you care enough to help the whole team win. So, starting today, own your check-ins. Be that person who communicates clearly. Be that person that reaches out to the office and asks them to check your payment posting.

Did these adjustments look right to you? If they don't, it's perfectly okay. I can go back and fix it right now for you. I just wanna make sure we're on the same page and that I understand how you want your office to look. When I post payments, hey, have you had a chance to check our declined or denied or rejected claims list?

Have you had a moment to take that? A look at that, and what do you think about that? How can I help you get these claims paid? Have you looked at the daily recap report? Is there anything on the Daily Recap report that you don't understand that I can help provide clarity in? We want our . Support to work for you.

How can you help us make that happen?

When you go through and make sure that your client is happy, you are owning that client. It's like this is your business and you care so much about them. You're not just another representative. You are the reason our clients stay happy, and our company stays strong.  📍 I'll catch you guys on the next episode.