iMaxX: Smarter Billing For Orthondontics
An AI-powered solution to reduce in-network discounts, enhance claim submissions, and boost practice production.
The Challenge
Orthodontic practices face significant revenue losses due to inefficiencies in their billing processes. Recognizing this, the business saw an opportunity to innovate and develop a solution to address these gaps. Outdated and disconnected billing tools leave Treatment Coordinators, the backbone of orthodontic practices, struggling to navigate complex carrier rules and manually verify billable procedures. This inefficient process not only creates frustration for staff but also results in missed revenue opportunities, directly impacting practice growth. The challenge was clear: design a product that simplifies billing, empowers staff, and drives measurable results.
Business Goals
To meet this challenge, we aligned the product design with three strategic objectives:
Empower Treatment Coordinators: Equip staff with tools that simplify insurance complexities and enhance their confidence in handling billing tasks.
Optimize Revenue Streams: Maximize carrier allowances and reduce in-network discounts with AI-driven insights.
Streamline Workflows: Introduce automation and intelligent backend processes to minimize administrative burdens and improve operational efficiency.
My Role & Team
Product Designer & Researcher, collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team. My responsibilities included conducting user research, mapping workflows, designing intuitive interfaces, and iterating based on feedback to ensure alignment with both user needs and business goals.
The team included:
Product Manager: Defined the vision and strategy for the product.
Engineers: Implemented technical solutions and ensured seamless integration within existing systems.
Subject Matter Expert: Provided insights into billing trends and carrier rules to inform the product logic.
Stakeholders: Offered strategic input and aligned the solution with broader company objectives.
Together, we aimed to create a tool that not only optimized billing workflows but also empowered Treatment Coordinators and drove measurable revenue growth for orthodontic practices.
Discovery
When I joined the project, the first thing I did was talk to the people experiencing this problem daily. I sat down with 10 Treatment Coordinators, listening to their challenges and watching them navigate their tools.
Through these conversations, three key insights emerged:
Coordinators needed clear and consolidated data to make decisions quickly.
Switching between tabs and resources was a major source of frustration.
A disconnected workflow created avoidable errors and missed billing opportunities.
One Coordinator told me, “I spend more time looking up carrier rules than I do talking to patients.” That stuck with me.
My goal was clear: build a system that reduces this administrative burden so Coordinators can focus on what matters most, the patients.
interviewing Treatment Coordinators
The Design Process
With these insights, I focused on creating a solution that would not just streamline processes but empower Coordinators to work with confidence.
1. Understanding the Workflow
I started by mapping the Coordinator’s journey from patient consultation to claim submission. This exercise highlighted key friction points where data disconnection and outdated tools slowed their progress.
2. Concept Development
Two core features emerged as essential to solving these issues:
Integrated Procedure Selection:
By embedding billable procedure options directly into the treatment page, I eliminated the need for disruptive modal pop-ups or extra tabs.
Coordinators could see carrier-specific rules applied dynamically, reducing guesswork.
Organized Accordion Design:
The Additional Cost Modal was redesigned to present information in intuitive, actionable categories like “Included in Treatment Fee” and “Billable Additional Costs.”
This approach not only improved usability but also scaled seamlessly with future needs.
3. AI-Driven Logic
At the core of the solution was AI-driven logic. Using tools like InRule, I collaborated with developers to implement dynamic, rule-based AI logic that dynamically applied carrier-specific rules, ensuring Coordinators always knew what was billable. This wasn’t just about automation; it was about eliminating errors and instilling confidence. When a Coordinator selects a procedure, they can trust that the system has already done the heavy lifting, checking carrier agreements and rules.
This system:
Analyzed carrier agreements in real-time to determine billable procedures.
Reduced manual research by surfacing accurate billing decisions instantly.
Ensured no revenue opportunities were missed.
4. Testing and Refinement
Prototypes were tested with treatment coordinators to validate the designs. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Users preferred the Inline Checkbox Workflow for its:
Immediate Visibility: Displaying billable procedures directly on the treatment page saved time.
Important Data First: Reduced cognitive load with prioritized information.
Guided Workflow: Labels and summaries minimized guesswork, boosting confidence.
Feedback Slide Deck Presentation - This slide deck captures user feedback and testing insights that informed the iterative process for this project. It highlights key findings, design revisions, and the impact of feedback on the final solution.
“This finally feels like a tool that works with me, not against me.””
Design System Integration
To ensure consistency and scalability, I utilized OrthoFi’s design system to craft the components used in the prototype. The included image showcases the design system elements I referenced, highlighting my ability to align designs with established standards. This approach not only ensures visual and functional harmony but also streamlines future updates and collaborations.
By leveraging the design system, I was able to create an intuitive, user-focused interface that aligns with both user expectations and business objectives. Following this, you’ll see how these elements came together in the final design.
Final Design
A culmination of iterative testing, user feedback, and thoughtful integration of the design system, this solution effectively addresses critical user needs and business objectives. It simplifies workflows and delivers measurable results for orthodontic practices and their teams.
Key Design Features
User-Centered Innovations:
Inline Checkbox Workflow: Streamlines procedure selection with immediate visibility of billable items, reducing decision-making time and boosting confidence.
Prioritized Information Display: Reduces cognitive load by presenting the most important data, ensuring users can focus on what matters.
Guided AI-Driven Workflows: Minimizes guesswork with labels, summaries, and billing guidance that empowers users to work efficiently and accurately.
Consistency through Design Systems:
The included design system showcases the foundational components to create a cohesive and scalable interface. These elements ensured visual harmony, functional clarity, and easy adoption by users.
Optimized for Real-World Impact:
Thoughtful integration of user feedback resulted in intuitive workflows that reduce frustration and enhance effectiveness. Every feature reflects a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Treatment Coordinators and orthodontic practices.
Business and User Wins
This carefully crafted design produced tangible improvements for both practices and their teams.
For Orthodontic Practices:
Increased Revenue: Production growth equivalent to two additional patients starts within two weeks.
Streamlined Onboarding: Faster training with minimal disruption, allowing teams to adopt the tool seamlessly.
Optimized Billing: AI-driven guidance significantly reduced errors and maximized carrier allowances.
For Treatment Coordinators:
Faster Decision-Making: Immediate visibility into procedures sped up selections, saving valuable time.
Improved Confidence: A well-organized interface reduces reliance on external tools and resources.
Reduced Frustration: Intuitive workflows alleviated administrative burdens, creating a smoother day-to-day experience.
“In just two short weeks with iMaxX, we’ve already experienced a production increase equivalent to nearly two additional patient starts. The training for my staff was quick and easy, and fit nicely into their workflow. Higher production with no additional burden on the staff. That’s about as good as it gets.”