Through APEX’s credentialing and compliance services, we work with numerous dental practices who realize that critical documents are outdated, insufficient or missing altogether. Keeping your dental practice’s documents up to date is crucial to staying in compliance and preventing a costly lawsuit.
Outdated Documents
Do you update patient dental records after a visit? If you are like most dental practices, the answer is yes. Updated patient records are vital for numerous reasons, including billing insurance companies and informing future treatments and recommendations. Just like you update patient records regularly, you should also update your practice’s records. Your documents, licenses and records all protect you during audits, lawsuits and any other legal cases.
Any document, from a DEA license to a malpractice policy, could expire. It’s important to stay on top of renewals and expiration dates to avoid costly liabilities and lawsuits. Some dentists also forget to update licenses and registrations when a practice changes location. Whether your dental practice moves across town or to another state, you must apply for a new DEA number. Do you have more than one practice? You need more than one DEA number.
Malpractice Policies for Your Dental Practice
Another common issue that we uncover is outdated or insufficient malpractice insurance. As a dental practice, you should have general liability insurance, professional liability insurance and property insurance. These insurance policies are part of the credentialing process and should always be sufficient to meet your needs and up to date.
APEX Reimbursement Specialists and CG Insurance Group have a strategic partnership to offer affordable professional liability coverage to protect dental practices from the financially devastating consequences of a lawsuit. Not sure what coverage you need or if the coverage you currently have is adequate? Talk with APEX Reimbursement Specialists over the course of your compliance or credentialing services and we will refer you to an expert at CG Insurance Group. Protecting your practice is our top priority!
What’s Your Tracking System?
The missing link between many dental practices and outdated documents is often a lack of organization. If you do not have a tracking system in place to remind staff when policies should be updated or adjusted annually, you should implement one as quickly as possible. Developing a tracking system for practice documents is one of the most common recommendations that we make throughout the credentialing and compliance evaluation processes.
Examine Your Practice Documents With Help from APEX
If you are ready to get your dental practice documents in order and develop an effective system for keeping them up-to-date, contact our team today by calling (410) 710-6005. We look forward to working with you to make your practice a more profitable place.