Ben Shaver, Venture Practices: I really appreciate you joining us here on the Venture Practices show, and really talking through some of the issues about insurance. We do coaching, we do recruiting, we do marketing, and those are big deals. You know, years ago, marketing was the hottest thing because everybody needed to new patients. Now recruiting is hot, because everybody needs to find associates, and staff members. The one thing that’s always been out there, that everybody seems to, hates a strong word, but not love, is insurance and I know that you guys in this whole revenue cycle management side of the practice, have really come up with something unique, that can help people with all sides of insurance, correct?
Michael Ingram, Dental Advocacy Group: Absolutely, we have developed some programs and solutions that are targeted towards insurance. In today’s market, the economic realities of today, most in most practices need to be an insurance plans. They need to be “in the network”. Most patients make decisions on what dentist they choose, first by finding one that’s in their network, and then working their way down to when they can get an appointment, or perhaps they know they’ve heard a good comment about a particular dentist. But if they’re not in their network, you’re starting from a tough spot to begin with. What we’ve developed, and we offer to our clients are a suite of programs that address different practice situations. We have situations for PPO practices. We have solutions for a startup or an acquisition that are really kind of starting from scratch, so they they don’t have anything that they’re currently in network with, but yet they need to solve that problem in order to be in network, when they when they take ownership of that practice, or they open the doors. We have other programs for starting on a new associate. We’re really kind of tackling the main different scenarios and situations that a practice may find themselves in whether they’re an acquisition or startup, a fee for service that’s now decided they need to grow, adding an associate, all those types of different situations, we have a solution tailored for those.
Ben Shaver, Venture Practices: It’s pretty much any size practice, right? The group practices as well?
Michael Ingram, Dental Advocacy Group: Yes, we have, practices from 1 to about 17 dentists in the practice.
Ben Shaver, Venture Practices: Like I said, insurance, it’s a huge deal right now, I know everybody’s trying to figure out the best way to do it. I agree with you, as much as I’d love to see everybody be fee for service, we know that’s not realistic in a lot of cases. What you guys provide is huge service. It has been a huge service for our clients. So, Michael, how would people get in touch with you if they want to learn more about dental advocacy group?
Michael Ingram, Dental Advocacy Group: Well, we spent a good bit of time developing a website, which we’re quite proud of, we’ve got a lot of information on there about the different situations that I’ve just referenced, as well as how we help those different practice situations. We also have case studies where we actually show real examples from existing clients where we’ve been able to improve their revenue situation, help them be more profitable. We have some just ways to contact us through our website. We have a free assessment, which is about 10 questions, it’ll take about three minutes. That gives us some understanding of where you are today, what your problems and goals are. You can always just contact us through our website, we’ll get on the phone, there’s no cost to have a conversation. We just want to learn about your practice, where you are today. What are your goals and ambitions and how we can help fulfill those. Just get get in touch with us through our website is really the easiest way.
Ben Shaver, Venture Practices: Go and give me that website URL- dentaladvocacygroup.com Well, Michael, thank you. Again, you’re a great resource for us and a great resource for the clients that have used you in the past. So hopefully, I will be able to talk to you in the future as insurance kind of unfolds. Correct?
Michael Ingram, Dental Advocacy Group: Absolutely! Thanks, Ben. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you!
I have been working with Dental Advocacy Group for just over three years now and could not be more pleased. In network providership allows for a razors edge margin for error and profitability. With that said, DAG is constantly working to negotiate fee schedules that allow maximum payment under the headings of a massive variety of PPO plans. Cornelia, Michael and their team take all the guess work out of credentialing and recredentialing that can be tedious to say the least. The fee schedules that are achieved are significantly greater than any I have been able to negotiate in the past on my own dealing with companies as a single practitioner. Whether you are in a 10 operatory, 2 doctor practice like mine, or a 3 op practice just beginning to swim in the PPO pool, constant fee negotiations are absolutely necessary. Without DAG I would not be able to achieve the results in PPO profitability that I now have. A Class A organization all around. I couldn’t be happier.
When our practice was looking for new ways to increase revenue, we hired a consultant that suggested we speak with Dental Advocacy Group regarding their program. We had tried to get fee increases from of our insurance companies and always hit a brick wall. Our fees were consistently being cut. When we met with DAG we were a little skeptical to say the least. We decided partner with DAG in hopes of seeing our revenue increase. Jaime, our account manager, has been wonderful in walking us through a somewhat complicated process. She is knowledgeable, well organized, patient and responds promptly to our questions. She kept track of our network participation status with the insurance companies while we waited for our fee schedules to switch over to the higher schedule. This process does take time, but we are already seeing significant changes in our reimbursements.