Scion Dental Helps Massachusetts Payers Drive Use of Portals by Dental Providers

MEQUON, Wis., Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In his blog post "Offline and Falling Behind: The Risks Healthcare Providers Take In Failing to Adopt Benefit Administration Technology," Scion Dental web portal manager Matt Martin explained how online portals can help dental providers obtain answers faster while reducing wasted administrative time and costs.

In August, Martin did more than talk. During a weeklong visit to Massachusetts Martin spoke directly with dentists who are part of the provider networks for two payers focused on Medicare and Medicaid benefits. During these visits he demonstrated to appreciative and enthusiastic audiences how using online portals in place of paper forms, phone calls and mail can help run their operations more efficiently while delivering better service to patients.

"Administrative regulations and requirements for dentists are becoming increasingly more burdensome at the same time consumer expectations are rising," Martin said. "Patients don't want to wait days to learn whether they can move forward with a particular service because it takes that long to confirm their eligibility. We were able to show how many of the tasks that interrupt dentists' flow of business when using offline methods can be accomplished quickly and painlessly through an online portal. It was a message that was well-received."

Martin began his visit to Massachusetts with a town hall meeting for dental providers in the network of a large, not-for-profit consumer-governed organization that is focused on delivering care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with complex needs. The presentation showed what a portal is, how it works and the advantages it offers over offline processes. It also provided more advanced information for dental providers who had already logged on to the portal but had not fully explored its use. After a brief question-and-answer period, dentists quickly came forward asking to sign up on the spot.

The second portion of the trip was spent traveling to 22 dental offices that are part of a network that is a national leader in providing affordable, innovative healthcare to "dual-eligibles" – individuals over 65 who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. While there, he spoke with the person in charge of the administrative work, whether it was a provider, an office manager or practice employee. At each location, he demonstrated the portal's capabilities and spoke with the staff on how they can use it more effectively. During one visit, Martin heard an anecdote that underscores the power of the portal.

"One woman who is an office manager told me she'd attended one of my webinars and taught herself the basics of using the portal," Martin recalled. "She then described how she had submitted an authorization for a service to a patient that morning and received the approval the same day by using the portal. She was actually dancing with the approval in her hand. She said it would have taken 15 days to receive approval prior to Scion Dental, so she was thrilled. That is the difference 21^st Century benefit management technology can make."

That was not the only positive feedback Martin received. Others who had used it spoke of how calling in eligibility over the phone used to take 30-45 minutes out of their day. Now with the Scion Dental portal the same task can be accomplished in three to four minutes, enabling them to increase the number of patients they could see in a day while delivering better customer service to those patients. Additional user comments included:

• "I love this portal. It is so easy to use and I get paid so fast."
• "Before it would take weeks to get an authorization back. With Scion Dental, I get it the next day."
• "Very pleased with (Scion Dental)."

The in-person sessions were a continuation of the webinars Martin had presented previously on behalf of each payer. Since the beginning of 2015, the combination of webinars and in-person visits across the country has resulted in a remarkable 1,517 dental providers signing up for Scion Dental's portals.

Once they are registered, actual usage has reduced the number of phone calls providers make to answer questions or obtain information by an average of 167 calls per month, and decreased the number of claims submitted via paper each month by an average of 1,644 claims. The change to more self-service has allowed payers to dedicate resources that used to be spent on these repetitive tasks to other higher-value work.

"These trips are just one example of the exceptional support we offer to our clients and their providers," said John Schaak, president of Scion Dental. "We don't want to just throw technology out there and hope someone uses it, as many organizations do. Rather, we want to make sure folks are using our technology, are comfortable with it, and are enjoying the benefits. We're committed to doing whatever it takes to make this a reality, and meeting with dental providers in-person is a great way to generate excitement and enthusiasm for the technology."

To learn more about why online portals are the pathway to the future for healthcare payers, providers and patients, please see this Pivot Point video from Scion Dental's sister company Wonderbox Technologies: http://skygenusatechnologies.com/st/Knowledge-Center/Videos/Pivot-Point-Adopting-Custom-Web-Portals.htm

Tweet this:  .@ScionDental helps MA #Medicare & #Medicaid #payers increase use of provider #portals through in-person meetings. http://bit.ly/1Mnpkrl

About Scion Dental

Scion Dental, part of the SKYGEN USA family of companies that specialize in benefit management, is a distinguished dental administration company focused on bringing next-generation claims management and technology solutions together for government entities and commercial payers that enable them to improve process efficiencies, achieve compliance, and dramatically reduce the cost of delivering benefits. Because of dedicated workflows focused on preventing fraud and abuse, millions of people, including America's children, receive the quality dental care they need. Scion Dental joins sister companies Wonderbox Technologies, Vestica Healthcare, American Therapy Administrators, Ocular Benefits and now, Hylis Pharmacy Solutions to comprise the SKYGEN USA brand.  To learn more, visit www.sciondental.com.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Christine Rudella, Director of Marketing, SKYGEN USA
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SOURCE Scion Dental

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