Percentage of collections
A share of what is collected on the claims the vendor works.
- Works when
- You want the fee tied to results and volume is modest.
- Watch for
- It grows with you, and quietly becomes the largest line item as you add locations.
Pricing
Dental billing pricing: the model before the number.
We scope per practice, so we will not put a headline figure here and make you unpick it later. What we will do is explain exactly what moves the price, for us and for anyone else you are comparing.
Scope proposalYour practice
- Workstream
- One to start, named in writing
- Judged on
- Metrics agreed before work begins
- Pricing model
- Explained before the number
- Aged A/R
- Scoped separately, as finite work
- BAA
- Attached, signed before any access
- Term
- Start narrow, leave cheaply
Yours to keep, whether or not you go ahead.
How vendors charge
Three pricing models, and where each one bites
Every quote you collect will use one of these. Knowing which one, before you look at the figure, is what makes two quotes comparable.
Flat monthly fee
A fixed fee against a written scope, reviewed when the scope changes.
- Works when
- You run more than one location and want a cost you can plan around.
- Watch for
- A vague scope. The fee is only as good as the list of what it covers.
Hourly or dedicated staff
You pay for hours or for named people working your queue.
- Works when
- You want to direct the work yourself, day to day.
- Watch for
- You buy time, not outcomes, and the management stays with you.
What moves it
Five variables, in order of impact
Bring rough answers to these and the first call ends with a scope you can price.
- 01
Scope
Submission only, or submission plus denial rework, appeals and A/R? The backlog is where the hours go, and it is the biggest difference between two quotes that look similar.
- 02
Volume
Locations, providers, claim volume and call volume. More sites do not scale linearly. Coordination across them is its own work.
- 03
Payer mix
Some payers are materially more work per claim. Any vendor quoting without asking about your mix has not priced your actual work.
- 04
Starting condition
A clean current A/R is a different engagement from a large aged backlog. The backlog is finite work and we price it as such.
- 05
System
We work in whichever practice software you run. The first weeks include learning your setup and workflows, and we price that openly rather than hide it.
Compare properly
The comparison most practices skip
Before comparing vendors against each other, compare the total against your current fully-loaded in-house cost. The last line is usually the largest and almost never appears in the spreadsheet.
Open the calculator- Salary
- Payroll taxes
- Benefits
- PTO cover
- Software seats
- Recruitment
- Training
- The vacancy when your biller leaves
- Ask every vendor to quote the same written scope, in the same model.
- Ask what they would not take on. The answer tells you whether they are scoping or selling.
- Be skeptical of guaranteed collection percentages quoted before anyone has seen your payer mix.
Low-risk start
Built so you can say yes without betting the practice
- 01
Start with one workstream
One location or one workstream first, with metrics agreed in writing, so you judge the work before you widen it.
- 02
No long lock-in
Starting narrow is the point: if it is not working you can leave cheaply. A vendor needing a long lock-in first is managing their risk with yours.
- 03
Aged A/R priced on its own
The backlog is finite, labor-heavy work, so it is scoped separately rather than bundled in and under-served.
Common questions
Why isn't there a price on this page?
Because a number without your payer mix, location count and scope would be a guess, and you would have to re-do the exercise anyway. What we can do is tell you the model before the number, so you can compare us against other vendors like for like.
Which pricing model do you use?
We scope per practice and will tell you which model applies before quoting. For multi-location groups a flat monthly fee is usually the better structure, because percentage-of-collections pricing quietly becomes your largest line item as you grow.
Is aged A/R included?
It is scoped separately, because it is finite, labor-heavy work with a different shape from ongoing claims. We would rather price it honestly than bundle it in and under-serve it.
Is there a minimum contract?
We prefer starting narrow (one location or one workstream) with agreed metrics, precisely so you can leave cheaply if it is not working. A vendor requiring a long lock-in before you have seen the work is managing their risk with yours.