Just a few years ago, you could call up your rep, ask about your fee schedule, appeal a denied buildup, and maybe even talk about your kid’s soccer game. Today?

Crickets.

Or worse… a chatbot named DeltaBot3000 repeating, “Please upload your documents via the portal,” even though you’ve already done it three times and mailed a hard copy with a tracking number.

Here’s the scoop: insurance companies are hemorrhaging staff just like every other industry. But it hits harder here, because the roles being lost—provider relations, claims reps, and escalation teams—are the exact people you need to deal with when:

• Your crown and buildup got bundled (again)

• You submitted a scaling & root planing claim with 6 mm pockets and STILL got denied

• You’re trying to renegotiate a PPO contract that hasn’t been touched since Obama’s first term

These are not minor annoyances. They are profit-killers and moral vampires, draining your time, your team’s patience, and your love for this profession.

Why It’s Driving Everyone Nuts

Let’s be honest—practice administrators are losing it. Some are dreaming of quitting to open cupcake shops or alpaca farms. Why?

• Hold times are ridiculous
  (One admin reported being on hold with a plan for 2 hours and 43 minutes. And no, they still didn’t get the claim reprocessed.)

• No one knows anything
  You finally get someone on the line and they say, “I’m sorry, I don’t handle that department,” and transfer you to… hold music purgatory.

• Fee negotiations are ignored or stalled
  Dentists submit updated credentialing and fee increase requests, only to have them vanish into the digital ether.

• No one’s accountable
  One insurance plan told a doctor, “We didn't receive your termination letter,” despite the fact it was sent certified and signed for by a real person with a real name. But that person? No longer works there.

The Smart Way to Survive: Tips That Actually Work

You didn’t go to dental school to fight an invisible army of denial-happy cubicle ghosts. So let’s arm you with real, actionable solutions:

1. Document Everything Like You’re Preparing for a Court Case

Think of every interaction like a legal deposition. Take notes. Save call logs. Use screen-recording software when uploading documentation. And always, always:

• Get full names and ID numbers of reps you speak to

• Ask for confirmation emails or ticket numbers

• Screenshot every submission

• Use certified mail when sending paper documents

Why it helps: When a claim “disappears,” you’ll have the receipts—and some leverage.

2. Use Third-Party Services Wisely

There are insurance negotiation and claim follow-up services that are built specifically to deal with insurance red tape. They have software, contacts, and processes that can cut through the noise.

Examples:

• Veritas Dental Resources (negotiates PPO fees)

• Verus Dental (insurance verifications and insurance coaching)

• Understanding Dental Insurance by Dr. Travis Campbell (great book an all things dental insurance - from a dental practices perspective)

Why it helps: These firms live and breathe insurance nonsense so you don’t have to. They can often get farther, faster, because they’re persistent, structured, and respected.

3. Automate Claims Tracking and Appeals

Invest in software that tracks every claim from submission to final payment. Some systems now auto-generate appeals with all necessary documentation included—saving hours of staff time per week.

Look into:

• DentaMetrix

• Dental Intelligence

• ClaimX or Vyne Dental

Why it helps: Automation removes emotion. It’s like hiring a robot paralegal who never needs a lunch break.

4. Outsource Only the Right Things

Don’t hand off everything. Keep ownership of escalated issues and high-dollar cases, but outsource the everyday claim reprocessing headaches. Use your in-house team for relationship-building with patients and local reps, and let external firms handle the grind.

Why it helps: Your team stays sane and focused on what really matters: people, not portals.

5. Know When to Walk Away

If a PPO contract hasn’t given you a raise in 7+ years, and now won’t even answer the phone… it may be time to go out-of-network. Patients are increasingly open to paying more when they trust your value.

Pro tip: When going out of network, focus on case acceptance scripting. Educate your team to explain benefits clearly, and don’t assume every patient will leave. Many won’t.

What This Says About the Future of Dental Insurance

Let’s be real: if insurance companies were dentists, they’d be the ones still using amalgam in every case, running behind an hour, and telling patients to “just deal with it.”

The industry is under strain. Consolidation, staffing shortages, and rising costs are pushing insurance plans to automate, deny, delay, and deflect.

But dentists? Dentists evolve. Dentists pivot. Dentists don't give up.

Final Thought: Be the Practice That Outlasts the Chaos

Yes, insurance is worse than ever. But your practice doesn’t have to suffer.

Get smarter. Get strategic. Get help.

And when a rep finally answers the phone after 90 minutes on hold and says, “Sorry, I’m new here…” just smile and say:

“No worries. I’ve got my notes right here.”

Because you do.

Want help negotiating better PPO fees or automating your insurance headaches?

Contact Veritas Dental Resources – they’ll deal with the hold music so you can get back to doing dentistry.

Benjamin Tuinei

Founder - Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
Phone: 888-808-4513

Services:
PPO Fee Negotiators | PPO Fee Negotiating | Insurance Fee Negotiating
Insurance Credentialing | Insurance Verifications

Websites:
www.VeritasDentalResources.com | www.VerusDental.com