Dentists are flocking to electronic funds transfer (EFT) for claim payments, with a new report finding a 43% jump in those payments from 2022 to 2023.

There were 278 million EFT dental claim payments in 2023, up from 194 million a year earlier, according to the 2024 CAQH Index Report. Released Feb. 12, 2025, the CAQH Index uses data gathered in 2023 and is the industry source for tracking health plan and provider adoption of fully electronic administrative transactions—including claim payments—and the opportunity for future savings.

“For several years, Nacha has been working with dentists, educating them on the value of EFT claim payments and encouraging them to make the switch and use EFTs instead of paper checks and virtual credit cards. This significant increase reported by CAQH shows these efforts are bearing fruit,” said Brad Smith, Nacha Senior Director, Industry Engagement and Advocacy. Nacha has developed resources, including several case studies with dentists who successfully use—and in many cases insist on—EFT.

More EFTs mean more money saved by dentists, as the Index noted. 

“Dental spending decreased 4% due to the large increase in EFTs, lower use of paper checks, and lower costs associated with using EFTs,” the report said. “By using EFTs, the dental industry has already avoided spending $251 million annually—the most for any task reported.”

But there is still work to be done, Smith added. “Manual claim payments remain the primary method for dental practices, which is the complete opposite of medical practices,” he said. 

In late January, Nacha reported 2024 healthcare claim payment volume of 510 million, up 4.3% from 2023. 

Healthcare practices can learn more about switching to EFT payments on Nacha.org.