When you add a new insurance plan in Dentrix, you have probably noticed that a default coverage table is automatically assigned to the plan. You can easily view it under the Coverage Table tab in the Dental Insurance Benefits and Coverage window.
The default coverage table includes a set of coverages (a range of codes covered at certain percentages and assigned to a deductible category) that might have been standard a few years ago, but today may be a little dated based on modern insurance plan offerings. For example, procedures in the Diagnostic/Preventive category may now be covered as Preventive under Deductible.
Did you know that you can edit the default coverage table’s values? That way, each new insurance plan you add to Dentrix will receive the starting values that are as close to “normal” as possible. If new plans start with the most common coverages, you’ll save time editing coverage tables for individual plans in the future.
To edit the default coverage table values, in the Office Manager click Maintenance, point to Reference, and then click Dental Ins Coverage Tables.
Dentrix offers five different default coverage tables here. The number 1 table (usually named Default Coverage Table) is the coverage table that all new plans are assigned automatically. Select this first coverage table, and then click Edit.
A window opens that gives you the same Add, Edit, Split or Clear options that you are familiar with using to edit coverage tables within the Dental Insurance Benefits / Coverage window for other insurance plans.
Double-click the corresponding fields to change deductible categories for each range of codes to match what is common in the industry or edit coverage percentages for each range. Split ranges up if it is common for some codes within the range to be covered at a different percentage or enter 0% if those codes are not covered at all.
Be aware that as you can make changes to this table, these values will to be used for all new plans you may add in the future. So be general and enter values that will apply to a majority of plans – you’ll make the customized changes to individual plans later within their coverage table windows.
But what about the default coverage table for existing plans?
The changes you make to the default insurance coverage table only apply to new plans added in the future. But you can still apply these defaults to an existing plan if needed.
Open an existing plan’s coverage table. You can do this from either the Insurance Maintenance window in Office Manager or through the Family File of a patient with this insurance coverage assigned. Select the Coverage Table tab, and on the right side of the window, in the Standard Coverage Table drop-down list, select the Default Coverage Table (or any of the other four, if applicable).
When you select a coverage table from the list, a warning message appears to let you know that any current entries in the coverage table will be replaced by the one you have selected. Click Yes to make the change.
For additional information, see our previous tip titled, Save Time Entering Insurance Coverage Information.
For more information about the Dental Insurance Benefits and Coverage window introduced in Dentrix G7.4, read the following articles in Dentrix Magazine:
- An Easier Way to Manage Patient Insurance Detail
- Dentrix G7.4 Insurance Enhancements Office Managers are Excited About
To learn more about the new features in Dentrix G7.5, and prepare your team for the upgrade, watch this on-demand webinar recording.