Write-off
A write-off, also called an adjustment, is the part of a fee a practice does not collect because a contract or its own policy rules it out. The most common kind is the difference between the billed fee and the insurance-allowed amount for an in-network patient.
Why it matters to the front desk
Three things are easy to confuse. A contractual write-off is the in-network difference between the billed fee and the allowed amount, which the practice cannot charge the patient. A discount is the practice's own choice. A bad debt write-off is a patient balance the practice gives up trying to collect.
Out of network is different: the practice is entitled to its full fee, and charging the patient the difference is standard, so no contractual write-off applies. Whether a given difference is billable to the patient or a write-off depends on the specific plan contract, which is why staff check network status and benefit details before quoting a balance. On a given line, the patient's responsibility is the fee minus what the insurance pays minus the write-off, so a wrong write-off changes what the patient is asked to pay.
Related terms
Insurance Verification
Checks a patient's dental insurance with the payer, for one patient or the whole day's schedule, and returns coverage and benefits in a summary you can download.
See how Insurance Verification works