The Truth Decay Podcast: Talking Dollars and Sense with Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen

Sara Penrod Baker

The Truth Decay Podcast: Talking Dollars and Sense with Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen Your weekly shot of clarity in the chaotic world of dental billing, insurance systems, and ethical financial strategy. Hosted by Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen, The Truth Decay Podcast tackles the real financial pain points facing dental teams today. If you’re tired of sugarcoated advice, inconsistent workflows, and watching insurance companies dictate your patient relationships... this show is for you. We cut through the fluff and get brutally clear on the issues that matter most: Insurance verificationPre-determinationsBilling best practicesFront-desk processesBilling systems to make collections easierClaims follow-upAR systems that actually workAnd how to train your team without losing your mind Every episode follows a tight format designed for real-world action: The Drill Down – We start with a real problem or case study straight from the trenches.Dollars and Sense – Next, we break down the solutions: tools, workflows, scripts, and strategies that actually work.Recap & Reality Check – Then we zoom out and call it like it is: what matters, what doesn’t, and what’s next.Top Takeaways & Action Steps – You walk away with 2–3 truths and two things you can implement this week.Sign Off – With chitty-chatty, gratitude, and just enough attitude to keep it honest. What makes The Truth Decay Podcast different? We’re not dentists moonlighting as insurance experts, or consultants who haven’t touched a claim in 10 (or never) years. We’re billing professionals with thousands of hours inside dental software, solving real problems for real practices. And we’re not afraid to call out bad advice, broken systems, or wishful thinking. This podcast is a no-fluff, no-spin, no-nonsense space where dental professionals can get actual answers—without being talked down to or sold to. Whether you’re a solo provider building systems from scratch, a seasoned office manager trying to tighten up AR, or a team lead training new front desk hires, we’re here to help you sharpen your knowledge, simplify your workflow, and serve your patients without second-guessing your financial systems. Want resources? Every episode includes access to bonus scripts, checklists, and downloads at thetruthdecaypodcast.com. Subscribe, download, and get ready to finally understand the stuff no one ever teaches you in dental school—but that can make or break your practice.

  1. Mar 11

    Ep 27: Dental Claim Timely Filing Limitations - The Easiest Money You Will Ever Lose

    In the wild world of Dental Billing, here is one reason for dental claim denials that makes us irrationally angry every time we see it. Not because it's complicated. Not because insurance did something sneaky. But because it's 100% preventable. Timely filing. (nooooooooooo) The denial that basically says: “You did the work… but you waited too long to tell us about it.” (which suuuuuuuucks) Which means the treatment was completed, the claim existed, the revenue was earned… …and then the deadline passed. Money gone. In Episode 27 of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen break down one of the easiest revenue leaks in dentistry — and why so many offices still fall into it. Because timely filing isn’t really about insurance rules. It’s about SYSTEMS. (Baby, spoiler alert: it's always about systems.) When claims sit for weeks… When rejected claims aren’t monitored… When no one checks the unsent claims report… That’s when deadlines quietly pass and thousands of dollars disappear. poof In this episode we cover: • What timely filing actually means • Why deadlines vary wildly between carriers • Why in-network offices can lose 100% of the revenue • Why out-of-network offices face brutal patient conversations • And the simple systems that make timely filing denials almost impossible Insurance companies already have plenty of reasons to deny claims... In dental billing, we got 99 problems every day. Don't let timely filing issues be one of them. 🎧 Episode 27 is live now on all podcast platforms 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7YDo_fI7Y4 📩 Questions? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com

    Ep 27: Dental Claim Timely Filing Limitations - The Easiest Money You Will Ever Lose

  2. Mar 4

    Ep 26: Old Fees, Bad Estimates: When Your Fee Schedule Is Stuck in the Past

    My dental billing brochachos, let us paint a very real picture, we in the biz see every single day: You post an insurance payment from a carrier you’re in-network with… and it’s higher than what you estimated. Sounds like a win! Woohoo! Until you realize: • There’s now a credit sitting on the patient’s account. • You under-collected at the time of service. • Your estimate was wrong. • Your reporting is about to look reeeeal messy. Here’s what actually happened. Your fee schedule in the PMS was outdated. In Episode 26 of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen pull back the curtain on a quiet systems issue that distorts estimates, inflates adjustments, and makes your numbers unreliable. Because consider this: Insurance does not calculate payment off whatever fee happens to be in your software. It calculates payment off the contracted allowed amount tied to your agreement. So if your practice management system is using old contracted fees — or submitting UCR, which Sara has a beef with, come fight her — your estimates are built on the wrong foundation from the start. Which means: You’re collecting the wrong patient portion. You’re adjusting production later. And you’re making financial decisions based on numbers that were never accurate to begin with. (agh!) In this episode, we break down: • Why outdated PPO fees create credits and under-collections • How bad fee data quietly wrecks your reporting • What to check inside your PMS immediately • Why fee schedules are legal contract terms — not suggestions • And how (yes) you can negotiate them If your adjustments feel high or your estimates feel off, this might be why. Come take a listen! 🎧 Episode 26 is live on all major platforms 📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzIJV7yFY9g 📩 Questions? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com

    Ep 26: Old Fees, Bad Estimates: When Your Fee Schedule Is Stuck in the Past

  3. Feb 25

    Ep 25: Care Vs. Coverage - Stop Letting Dental Insurance Run Your Financial Conversations

    What up, my fellow enamel enthusiasts! Riddle me this: What’s one of the biggest collection killers hiding in plain sight inside dental offices? It’s not insurance. It’s not patients. It’s how you start the conversation. See, the minute you lead treatment planning with, “Let’s see what your insurance covers…” —You’ve handed control of the narrative to a third party. You’ve shifted the value of the doctor’s diagnosis from clinical necessity --> a benefits summary. And when the claim doesn’t pay? Now the patient is confused. Now they’re questioning the diagnosis. Now your statements are getting ghosted. Because somewhere along the way, you accidentally taught them that coverage equals necessity. In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen break down the difference between a Care-First Communication Approach and a Coverage-First Communication Approach—and why that distinction directly impacts your ability to collect. If your financial conversations start with benefits instead of health, you’re quietly devaluing treatment before the patient ever says yes. You’ll learn: • Why leading with insurance creates distrust when claims get denied • How coverage-first language makes treatment sound optional • What care-centered communication actually sounds like • Why “we’ll see what insurance says” kills your leverage • How conviction (not clinical expertise) builds patient trust • Why offices that lead with care collect faster and with fewer complaints Sara and LaRae also address the fear of “scaring patients off” by talking about money upfront—and why avoiding the conversation creates far more damage than having it. Because here’s the truth: Patients don’t leave over cost. They leave over confusion. So let's clear up that confusion, bay-bees! 3 Listen today and let us know what you think. ⸻ 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyInp6t_vxo 📩 Questions? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com

    Ep 25: Care Vs. Coverage - Stop Letting Dental Insurance Run Your Financial Conversations

  4. Feb 18

    Ep 24: X-Ray Vision - Billing Dental Radiographs (for Full Payment!)

    Okay, dental billing friendos: You took 4 bitewings and six PA X-rays, billed them correctly, and still got denied because insurance saw it and went, ‘oh hey, process those bad boys as an FMX.’ We've all seen it before - that math ain't mathing, yet that's what happens. Because if you're not paying attention to how those images are billed, bundled, processed, and frequency-limited, you could be accidentally triggering denials, flirting with write-offs, and surprise patient balances—just for trying to get clear, diagnostic pictures! How dare you! In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen unpack the (potentially) messy issue of dental X-ray billing: what makes an FMX an FMX, when bitewings and PAs get bundled (whether you like it or not), and how a few smart tweaks to your billing workflow can save you cash, claims, and chaos. They'll break down: Why billing multiple X-rays often get processed as a D0210 (FMX)How frequency limitations turn potential benefits into a denied claimWhy you should never bill insurance "just to see if they'll pay"The carrier math behind X-ray bundling (and how to work with it)How to ethically bill individual images without triggering FMX processingWhen and how to talk to patients about potential out-of-pocket portions You’ll also get a deep dive into: The difference between diagnostic needs and benefit policiesWhy X-rays deserve to be valued (and paid for!)Scripts and tips for leading a care-centered financial conversation If your front desk is tired of surprise denials, your ledger is full of FMX write-offs, or you’re just ready to take control of how X-rays get submitted and paid—this one is for you. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPrf3KP0jKY 📩 Questions? hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com #DentalBilling #FMXConfusion #DentalInsurance #DentalPracticeManagement #TruthDecayPodcast #RevenueCycleManagement #DentalClaims #BillingTips

    Ep 24: X-Ray Vision - Billing Dental Radiographs (for Full Payment!)

  5. Feb 11

    Ep 23: Scaling the System - When SRPs are Necessary But Not Covered

    “Wait — My Dental Insurance Didn't Cover It?” 😬 (SRPs, Denials, and the Conversation You Forgot to Have) For those SRPs, you thought you did everything right. Diagnosed the periodontal disease. Treatment planned SRPs (appropriately) and explained the necessity. "We'll send this to your insurance." Provided great care to your patient. And then… 💣 The claim got denied. The patient got big mad. And your front desk is stuck holding the billing grenade. Sound familiar? That’s because scaling and root planing (SRP) lives in a weird gray zone: ✅ Absolutely clinically necessary. ❌ Often doesn't meet criteria for insurance coverage. In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen break down the messy overlap between clinical care and coverage criteria—and how to stop the chaos before it starts. Because here’s the truth: SRPs are absolutely essential to treating periodontal disease. But when you center the conversation around what insurance “might” pay—instead of what the patient needs—you set yourself (and your team) up for frustration. 🎧 You’ll Learn: Why SRPs get denied even when treatment is spot-onThe most common insurance criteria for SRP approval (and how to document them)What to say before the appointment to set clear expectationsThe difference between care-centered and coverage-centered languageHow one missing detail in your charting can cost you the claimWhen to appeal—and when to skip the fightWhy “surprise billing” is really a systems problem, not a patient one Listen now and learn how to protect your team, your treatment plans, and your bottom line—one clean claim at a time. 🎧 Available on all podcast platforms 📺 Watch the Full Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIJvdeFtq1U 📥 Download Your Free Resource: “SRP Billing Playbook: Scripting Ideas, Charting Tips + What the Carriers Usually Require” → thetruthdecaypodcast.com 📩 Want us to tackle your burning billing questions? Email: hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com More tools + training: sddentalsolutions.com #TruthDecayPodcast #DentalBilling #SRP #PerioBilling #DentalInsurance #CleanClaims #PatientPortions #BillingTransparency #PrivatePracticeTips #RevenueCycle

    Ep 23: Scaling the System - When SRPs are Necessary But Not Covered

  6. Feb 4

    Ep 22: Clean Claims, No Chaos: Getting It Right the First Time

    🚫 This Claim Is a Mess, Bro: How to Stop Getting Denied We know by now I love my silly questions.... what’s faster: submitting a clean claim—or spending six months appealing a denial, involving three people, five headaches, and one existential crisis? Exactly. In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen are on a mission to save you from the unnecessary chaos of dirty claims. Because despite what you may have heard, most denials aren’t inevitable. They’re preventable—with better systems upfront. This one’s not about blame. It’s about billing systems that actually work—systems that protect your time, your money, and your team’s sanity. You’ll learn: ✅ What actually defines a “clean claim” (and why it’s not just “submitted”) ✅ The most common errors that get claims kicked back—and how to fix them ✅ Why 5 extra minutes on the front end saves you weeks of rework ✅ The documentation checklist every office should have ✅ How to time your claims for consistency, not chaos ✅ Why boring billing is usually the best billing ✅ And why “insurance just doesn’t pay” is often a polite way of saying “we missed a step” If your team is stuck reacting to denials instead of preventing them, this episode is your roadmap to revenue stability—one clean claim at a time. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA0R0fcgQ2s 📥 Download your free resource: • “Clean Claims Checklist: What to Send, When to Send It” → thetruthdecaypodcast.com 📩 Have a question? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com #DentalBilling #CleanClaims #RevenueCycleManagement #DentalPracticeSuccess #DentalOfficeEfficiency #TruthDecayPodcast #SDDentalSolutions #ClaimDenials #InsuranceBilling #PracticeManagement #DentalTeamSuccess #DentalAdminLife #AppealLessCollectMore

    Ep 22: Clean Claims, No Chaos: Getting It Right the First Time

  7. Jan 28

    Ep 21: Stop Dying on the Wrong Hill - How Dentists Waste Energy and Miss the Point

    Running a dental practice means making a hundred decisions a day: Where to push, what to fix, when to fight back, and when to let go. But if you’re constantly stressed, stuck on repeat with the same issues, and burning energy on the wrong things... it’s time to ask: Are you climbing the right hill… or just setting fire to the wrong one? (We have thooooughts...) Because let’s be honest: You’re fighting SRP denials like they’re a federal crime… But the real problem? Patients never knew they owed anything in the first place. You’re charging full UCR fees on in‑network Invisalign… Then yelling at the insurance company when they pay what you signed the contract to accept. Sound familiar? In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast: Talking Dollars and Sense, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen get real about something every dentist needs to hear: you’re probably wasting emotional energy on the wrong battles... while the real leaks are happening right inside your systems. We break down: Why obsessing over individual claims won’t fix systemic problemsThe difference between a one‑off error and a recurring process failureHow to recognize when you’re reacting emotionally and when you’re strategizing smartlyWhat hills are actually worth dying on… and which ones are just burning timeHow to move from a culture of avoidance to one of accountability This isn’t just about denials. It’s about energy, systems, and leadership, and why the right focus starts at home. You’ll learn: 🎯 What it really means to choose your battles wisely 🎯 How recurring issues point to broken processes, not bad luck 🎯 The patterns your team is silently begging you to fix 🎯 Why blaming individuals won’t stop the cycle — but fixing systems will 🎯 A simple “hill audit” to map where your energy is going 🎯 How to turn one‑offs into learning opportunities, not stress loops Whether you’re stuck relitigating the same denials every week… or you’re ready to level up your systems so they catch problems before they start, this episode gives you the clarity to lead with strategy, not emotion. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikF7L-QntVU → thetruthdecaypodcast.com 📩 Have a question? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com #TruthDecayPodcast #DentalPracticeManagement #SystemsNotSymptoms #DentalBilling #DenialManagement #DentalLeadership #ProcessImprovement #PrivatePracticeLife #DentalOfficeSuccess

    Ep 21: Stop Dying on the Wrong Hill - How Dentists Waste Energy and Miss the Point

  8. Jan 21

    Ep 20: From Copay to Collections - What Your AR is Trying to Tell You

    It’s not the economy. It’s not your fees. It’s the 90+ day column on your AR report that’s quietly setting your practice on fire. Well, Dr. Dentist, lucky you... you have us to help! Gird your loins, bc it's time for an AR audit — and a system reset. In this episode of The Truth Decay Podcast, Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen tackle the real root of AR chaos: broken systems. They’ll show you how to identify the leaks, clean up the mess, and build a billing flow that will take your AR report from looking like a CVS receipt to a clean, controlled report you’re not afraid to open. You’ll learn: ✅ The AR aging benchmarks that reveal when you’re in trouble ✅ Why co-pay chaos becomes AR disaster ✅ What to do when statements are ignored like junk mail ✅ 6 silent system failures that bloat your AR ✅ How to build a multi-touch follow-up process that actually works ✅ Why this isn’t about bad patients — it’s about broken workflows ✅ And how to get your revenue actually flowing again If your AR feels overwhelming, inconsistent, or just totally neglected — this is the episode that gives you clarity and control. 🎧 Available on all major podcast platforms 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XulQZWWkvvI → thetruthdecaypodcast.com 📩 Have a question? Email us at hello@thetruthdecaypodcast.com 🌐 Learn more at sddentalsolutions.com #SDDentalSolutions #DentalBilling #Dental #Dentistry #RevenueCycleManagement #DentalPracticeManagement #InsuranceVerification #DentalInsurance #ARManagement #PracticeGrowth #DentalOfficeSuccess #ClaimManagement #PrivatePracticeLife #BillingSolutions

    Ep 20: From Copay to Collections - What Your AR is Trying to Tell You
See All (27)

About

The Truth Decay Podcast: Talking Dollars and Sense with Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen Your weekly shot of clarity in the chaotic world of dental billing, insurance systems, and ethical financial strategy. Hosted by Sara Baker and LaRae McMullen, The Truth Decay Podcast tackles the real financial pain points facing dental teams today. If you’re tired of sugarcoated advice, inconsistent workflows, and watching insurance companies dictate your patient relationships... this show is for you. We cut through the fluff and get brutally clear on the issues that matter most: Insurance verificationPre-determinationsBilling best practicesFront-desk processesBilling systems to make collections easierClaims follow-upAR systems that actually workAnd how to train your team without losing your mind Every episode follows a tight format designed for real-world action: The Drill Down – We start with a real problem or case study straight from the trenches.Dollars and Sense – Next, we break down the solutions: tools, workflows, scripts, and strategies that actually work.Recap & Reality Check – Then we zoom out and call it like it is: what matters, what doesn’t, and what’s next.Top Takeaways & Action Steps – You walk away with 2–3 truths and two things you can implement this week.Sign Off – With chitty-chatty, gratitude, and just enough attitude to keep it honest. What makes The Truth Decay Podcast different? We’re not dentists moonlighting as insurance experts, or consultants who haven’t touched a claim in 10 (or never) years. We’re billing professionals with thousands of hours inside dental software, solving real problems for real practices. And we’re not afraid to call out bad advice, broken systems, or wishful thinking. This podcast is a no-fluff, no-spin, no-nonsense space where dental professionals can get actual answers—without being talked down to or sold to. Whether you’re a solo provider building systems from scratch, a seasoned office manager trying to tighten up AR, or a team lead training new front desk hires, we’re here to help you sharpen your knowledge, simplify your workflow, and serve your patients without second-guessing your financial systems. Want resources? Every episode includes access to bonus scripts, checklists, and downloads at thetruthdecaypodcast.com. Subscribe, download, and get ready to finally understand the stuff no one ever teaches you in dental school—but that can make or break your practice.

Information