Insurance AR over 60 and 90 days
The clearest view of how well claims are being followed up.
Dental practices · Invoicing and collections follow-up
Get paid on dental claims and patient balances without the monthly scramble
Dental collections run on two tracks: insurance claims that need attachments, narratives or a call to the payer when they stall, and patient balances that appear when the EOB pays less than the estimate. Both age quickly when the billing coordinator is also verifying eligibility and covering the front desk. Statements go out monthly, but follow-up depends on who has a quiet afternoon.
How it often works today
- Outstanding claims reports are exported monthly, and claims over 60 days are worked in batches instead of a little every day.
- Claims stall for missing X-rays, perio charts or narratives that could have been attached when the claim was first submitted.
- Patients are surprised by balances after insurance pays less than estimated, which leads to calls, disputes and slower payment.
- Paper statements go out once a month, and patients who would gladly pay by text are never offered the option.
Invoicing and collections follow-up for a dental practice means a daily working list of claims and balances ranked by age and amount, consistent payer follow-up with notes, clear patient statements with text-to-pay links, and a written policy for payment plans and outside collections. The goal is steady cash flow and fewer surprised patients, not aggressive collection.
The improved workflow
Clean up claims at submission
A pre-submission check lists the X-rays, perio charts and narratives each procedure code usually needs, so fewer claims stall waiting for documentation.
Work a daily ranked list
Claims and balances are ranked by age, amount and payer, and the billing coordinator works a set number each day, noting every action in the practice management system.
Improve patient estimates
Current insurance breakdowns produce clearer estimates before treatment, with a plain note that the final amount depends on what the payer actually pays.
Send balances by text with pay links
Patients receive balance notices by text and email with a secure payment link, followed by a statement and a call for larger or older balances.
Apply a written policy
The office manager sets when to offer payment plans, when to adjust small balances and when to refer to collections, applied consistently and reviewed monthly.
How we deliver this: AI automation for small business or fractional CTO leadership, scoped in writing and run over 90 days. See pricing or the sample scope.
What we would measure
Patient AR over 60 days
Shows whether text-to-pay and clearer estimates are speeding payment.
First-pass claim acceptance rate
Fewer rejections and information requests mean faster payment.
Collection rate on net production
The overall outcome, compared month to month.
Where people stay in control
- Adjustments, payment plans and referrals to collections are approved by the office manager or owner under a written policy.
- Payment links go through HIPAA-covered messaging and PCI-compliant payment processors, and staff never ask for card numbers by text or email.
- Claim narratives are prepared from the clinical record and reviewed by the dentist or a trained team member before submission.
Example
A billing coordinator's morning
For example, a billing coordinator starts each day with a ranked list of 20 items: five insurance claims over 45 days, ten patient balances with text-to-pay links ready to send, and five larger balances that need a call. Claims missing attachments are caught before submission. Statements still go out monthly, but many patients pay from the text link first. The practice would track insurance and patient AR over 60 days each month against a three-month baseline. Illustrative of how the work could be organized.
Tools typically involved
What the first 30 days look like
We would pull your aged AR reports for insurance and patients, review a sample of delayed claims for causes, and look at how statements and payments work today. In the first month we agree a daily working list, a pre-submission attachment check and a written balance policy with the office manager.
Common questions
Should we outsource dental billing instead?
Sometimes that is the right answer, especially for practices without a dedicated billing coordinator. Outsourced billing still needs clean data, clear policies and someone at the practice checking results. We would compare in-house and outsourced options honestly using your AR and staffing data, and if outsourcing wins, help set up the handoff and reporting.
Can AI write insurance narratives?
It can draft a narrative from clinical notes and findings, which saves time on crowns, scaling and root planing and other procedures that often need one. The dentist or a trained team member must review it against the record before submission, since it represents the clinical justification. We would test drafts on real claims and track rejection rates.
How do we reduce surprise balances for patients?
Better estimates help most: verifying benefits close to the appointment, using accurate fee schedules and explaining that the estimate depends on the insurance payment. Once the EOB arrives, a quick text explaining the balance with a payment link usually works better than a statement weeks later. Payment plans for larger balances should be offered early.
The business case
Does it pay for itself?
Illustrative defaults for a dental practice. Replace them with your numbers.
What this workflow costs today
a month in staff time, before any lost sales
Monthly fee + assumed tools +
Break-even: new clients a month (at first-year value)
Or: staff hours recovered and redeployed
Break-even additional revenue
Value of +1 point of win rate
First 90 days, service fee
Worth a closer lookTest the assumptions
Illustration only, not a forecast or guarantee. Recovered staff time becomes a cash saving only if spending actually declines or the time goes into paid work. Tool costs are an assumption; we replace every number here with yours before recommending a scope.
Invoicing and collections follow-up in other industries
Accounting and CPA firmsArchitecture firmsAuto repair shopsCommercial cleaning companiesConsulting and professional services firmsElectrical contractorsEvent and catering companiesHome remodeling companies
Invoicing and collections follow-up: full guide
Related guides
How to automate invoicing in QuickBooks OnlineDocument processing automation for service businessesHow to measure the ROI of AI and automationAI automation for small business: costs, limits and what pays back
Terms used here
Next step
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