Paper checks are about to cost you — it's time to switch to EFT

If your office is still receiving insurance payments by paper check, this one is worth two minutes of your time. The big carriers are quietly making paper checks slower and more expensive — and the offices that switch to electronic funds transfer (EFT) now will never feel it.

What's changing

Delta Dental

EFT becomes Delta's standard payment method on January 1, 2027. Delta Dental of California and its affiliate companies — covering New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and many other states — have announced a $15-per-week administrative fee for offices that keep receiving paper checks. That is up to $780 a year, just to keep waiting on the mail.

Aetna

Aetna is moving away from paper checks entirely for out-of-network providers in several states — a clear signal of where the whole industry is headed.

Guardian

Offices we work with are seeing Guardian batch paper checks into just two check runs per month. Miss a run by a day and a payment that used to arrive in a week can sit for three. That is real damage to your cash flow and your aging report.

The ADA is actively pushing back on paper-check fees — but don't wait on that fight to protect your cash flow.

Why EFT wins, every time

• Faster. Payments land in your account in days, not weeks. No mail float, no "the check must be lost."
• Safer. No checks sitting in a mailbox. Check fraud and mail theft are exactly why carriers are abandoning paper.
• Cleaner posting. Pair EFT with electronic remittance (ERA) and payments post to the ledger cleanly, with less manual keying and fewer errors.
• Free. Standard ACH enrollment costs you nothing. Paper is becoming the option you pay for.

You won't lose your EOBs

This is the first question most offices ask. When payments come electronically, the EOBs are pulled right from each carrier's provider portal — viewable and downloadable any time you need them for posting, patient questions, or appeals. No more digging through the mail pile or filing paper EOBs.

The myth that keeps offices on paper

"If I sign up for EFT, the insurance company can take money out of my account."

We hear this one all the time, and it is simply not true. EFT enrollment authorizes deposits only. Carriers cannot reach into your account and pull money back out. Don't let this rumor keep your office waiting on paper checks.

We'll get you enrolled — free of charge

You don't have to tackle the enrollment paperwork yourself. Atlantic Dental Consulting will handle your EFT enrollments with each carrier at no charge. All we need from you is:

• A dedicated bank account for the deposits
• A copy of a bank validation letter, or a voided check
• A copy of the owner doctor's ID

Once you're enrolled, the office can create read-only user access for whoever posts your payments — your in-office team, or ours. Read-only means exactly that: payments can be viewed and posted, and nothing about your banking can ever be changed.

The easiest win of the year

Faster deposits, a cleaner aging report, zero junk fees — and someone else does the paperwork. If your office is still on paper checks, this is the lowest-effort improvement available to you right now. Reach out to Atlantic Dental Consulting with those three items and we'll get your enrollments started.