1. How do you find out if the customer has coverage and how much their deductible is?

2. Where can I find the fax numbers?

3. If customer has called job in to Lynx and Lynx sent to a different shop can I still do the job and direct bill?

All this preaching direct bill but no one wants to help out.

ATX, we recently got off the SGC network and are billing insurance companies directly. Unfortunately, we are only about a week into doing so. Like you, I wish there was some here that would volunteer some information, instead of just preaching. To answer one of your questions...we have been finding out about coverage and deductibles by calling the agents. After we get that info, we've been basically telling them to figure out where we can send the bill to, or it's getting sent to the agent. We've had some luck so far, but time will tell with other insurance companies. Unfortunately, most agents are completely clueless puppets, but some are stepping up and finding out the info we need, because they don't want to deal with it. Hope this helps. I would be very interested to talk to another owner that is going through this same process, if anyone is willing to share information.

Hard to reply with so little info. Knowing who the insurance carrier is might give you some more help....

Maybe you should have done your homework first. You are doomed to fail if you are this poorly prepared.

Yeah i think there should have been more homework done on your end before you ditched the networks. Direct billing is not what people think. You dont just magically find the number to the insurance and send them the bill and its paid in full. It will be sent right back to SGC and they will short pay you. How you fight back is where it counts. Make sure you have a proper assignment of benefits wording in your work orders and it is all based on the rules and laws in your area, talk to an attorney or an appraiser that can help you. As for me i live in Florida started direct billing since i first started and it was the best decision i ever made, insurance companies know who we are now! good luck to you!

This is where you need to get the customer first before they call. Why would they have already sent to different shop if they asked for you in the first place. The insurance will need to be called back and tell them that you are the shop doing the job and that you do not recognize them as the entity you will be billing. The customer also has to be involved in this as they have to request your shop as doing the work. Some networks (LYNX) will deal with you as you may come to an agreement on the price and find that billing thru them can still be utilized.


Just like medical Ins. you need to explain that if Ins. does not cover something that the customer can be billed. This is where customers get spooked by going out of the normal process that the Ins. pushes sooo hard. Some customers don't like causing riffles but others fight for what they know is right and that they want quality when it comes to fixing their vehicle. Windshields are not just a oil change that if something is done wrong the car engine seizes up and dies. This is your customers life they are putting in your hands to replace professionally and back to sometimes better than factory standards.. If a shop is a hack shop than I don't believe they should be trying to direct bill for poor workmanship so we better be able to back up our work and be educators in what we do.

Thank you

If I can answer any questions, feel free to call me at (866)323-2193.

ATX, I was curious to see how direct billing was going for you.

DrysetWillie, most of the shop owners that direct bill had to shed the blood sweat and tears to get the info.required to direct bill. They learned company by company how to work each one and lost a lot of sleep not to mention tied up a lot of money for long stretches of time during this hit and miss learning period. Other shop owners would like them to add to that exorbitant amount of time by posting in depth direct bill seminars on this forum. Most participants are pulling for their colleagues,so to speak,but when it's worded that way can you see why there is a reluctance to produce wholesale info. on direct billing?