How Signature Dental Partners is breaking through industry standards using AI bots

The Problem

The biggest problem Cara and the Signature Dental team were facing before Thoughtful was with insurance or claim reimbursements.

Imagine being bogged down by mountains of claims paperwork, slowing down critical processes and reimbursements. That was the daily struggle at Signature Dental, where manual administrative tasks posed obstacles to delivering timely and efficient patient care and insurance company reimbursements.

“The biggest issue we deal with is insurance. Insurance will do anything not to pay us. To get payment, you need to have the correct processes in place and the right employees”

Discovery of Thoughtful

Cara’s decision to adopt AI stemmed from extensive research and a realization of AI's crucial role in staying competitive. Through research and interviews, she found a lack of AI solutions tailored for dental practices.

Signature Dental’s goal was to enhance processes, improve efficiency, and scale the workforce without increasing overhead costs, making AI the optimal choice for achieving these objectives and sustaining growth.

“I chose Thoughtful for their outstanding customer service, comprehensive support, and ability to provide all necessary resources and reports. Their AI solution could scale and streamline operations without constant hiring”

Cara on what stood out about Thoughtful:

"They had a 24/7 support team available, which was excellent. Their engineers were highly skilled, and during my interviews with their references, all I heard was praise for their support and expertise."

The Solution

Use cases implemented: Claims submission, eligibility verification, account reconciliation, payment posting. We prioritized claims submission initially, given its significant ROI impact.

Thoughtful developed a digital assistant that handles all aspects of claim processing seamlessly, including narrative submissions, x-rays, and other necessary documentation, even working tirelessly on weekends.

"Thoughtful's creation of a digital employee revolutionized our claim processing, offering 10X efficiency and limitless scalability compared to traditional methods."

The Results

Initially met with skepticism, particularly from our CFO who was concerned about potential disruptions, Thoughtful's capabilities eventually won him over. He went from being a skeptic to a staunch advocate, actively participating in discussions, suggesting new applications for Thoughtful across various services, and integrating it into his workflow.

Thoughtful's AI bot for claim submissions has reduced our claim processing time from 35 to 25 days, outperforming the industry standard of 45 days.

Collection efficiency improved from 99% last year to 101.2% this year, far surpassing the usual 91%.

Our staff, who previously managed five practices, can now handle 10 to 12. Their productivity has significantly increased, and they appreciate Thoughtful for saving them several hours each week.

"The standout feature of Thoughtful's fully human-capable bots is their exceptional accuracy. It is like training that perfect employee who works 24 hours a day exactly how you trained them."

The Takeaways

"My advice for fellow healthcare leaders is to start embracing automation now. It's a field that will continue to grow. You'll constantly think of tasks to add to automation's list. I suggest jumping in, getting your feet wet, and seeing how it works for your company. Our experience with Thoughtful has been nothing but positive."

With Thoughtful by their side, Signature Dental is poised for continued success. See how Thoughtful can empower your business to achieve similar results.