Questions to ask a dental billing company before signing

Summary

Before signing with a dental billing company, ask who submits claims, what work the fee covers, how minimums apply, and where the team records its work. Then confirm reporting, access and the go-live process. Use the same questions for every vendor so a lower quote does not hide a different division of work.

The Checklist

Scope

• Who submits primary claims, and what does our office still need to do?
• Who prepares and submits secondary claims after the primary payer responds?
• Who handles denials and appeals, and which decisions need our approval?
• Are patient statements, reminders and payment reconciliation included or priced separately?
• Does the service include insurance verification, and what does a completed breakdown contain?

Pricing

• Is the fee based on insurance collections, total collections, a monthly charge or individual tasks?
• What monthly minimum applies, and which services count toward it?
• What onboarding or setup fee will our practice pay?
• Are volume discounts available, and how are they calculated for our office?
• What contract term, cancellation notice and charges apply if we leave?

Systems

• Which PMS products and versions does your team work inside?
• Where will EOBs, verification results and follow-up notes be stored?
• How will our office review adjustments and approve write-offs?
• What happens when a payer portal or software connection is unavailable?

Reporting and accountability

• Which reports show completed work, unresolved balances and the next action?
• Who is accountable for each open issue, and how do we contact that person?
• How are errors identified, corrected and explained to our office?
• How often will we review aging, denials and outstanding requests together?

Getting started

• What is the expected go-live time, and what could delay it?
• Which PMS permissions and payer portal access do you need before work begins?
• How will we divide existing open claims between your team and our staff?
• What should our team prepare before the onboarding meeting?

How to Use It

Ask the questions during each vendor call. Record the answer, the person responsible and any unresolved detail. Mark an item complete only after the answer is clear enough to put into your office's handoff instructions. Keep the written quote with the checklist.

For Teero, these are the key answers:

Question	Teero's answer
Who submits claims?	The office submits primary claims. Teero does not submit primary claims; it handles secondary claims and payer-specific appeals.
What is the price?	Insurance Posting & Aging is 2% of insurance collections (with volume discounts). Insurance Verification is an add-on at $5 per comprehensive breakdown, with eligibility checks free. One $800 monthly minimum per office covers both.
Setup and contract?	The onboarding fee varies by practice. No contract or software licence.
Which PMS?	Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft and Open Dental.
Where are results?	EOBs are attached to claims. Verification results go directly into the patient record.
How does onboarding work?	A read-only PMS connection, adjustment and write-off rule review, and payer portal access for remittances. Most offices are live within two weeks.

Download

Download the billing company questions checklist as a plain-text file. Save a separate copy for each vendor and add the date of the conversation beside its answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should every vendor get the same questions? Yes. Consistent questions make differences in scope and price easier to spot. Follow up when an answer is unclear instead of treating a blank as agreement.

Is the lowest percentage always the lowest cost? Compare the fee basis, minimum, setup charge and work included before deciding. Ask each vendor to quote the same collection volume and service requirements.

Can Teero take over primary claim submission? No. Primary claim submission stays with the office. Teero handles Insurance Posting & Aging, with Insurance Verification available as an add-on.

Takeaway

Choose a vendor only after the office and vendor agree who owns each task. Teero fits offices that keep primary claim submission and need help with the surrounding insurance work. Review Teero's billing service comparison when discussing that division of work.