Goodbye Dental Insurance Headaches, Hello In-house Membership Plans.
Our job as dental professionals is to solve our patients’ problems. If they have discomfort, we can alleviate it. If they have missing teeth, we can replace them. If their teeth are not white, we can whiten them. And if they have crooked or crowded teeth, we straighten them. So, when we don't have the solution to their problem, it can feel like a big loss.
We’re supposed to have ALL the answers
How many times has a patient looked to you for help when their insurance company denies coverage due to one of these reasons:
- There is a missing tooth clause
- It has been replaced within the last 5 years and is not eligible
- That is an “elective procedure,” and there is no benefit
Not having a solution to our patients’ insurance problems can start to take its toll, especially after saying “sorry, our hands are tied” for the thousandth time. But good news—we finally have an answer!
Insurance Companies value profit over patients
It is no secret that insurance companies are in the business of making money—they have shareholders to pay and profits to earn, afterall—so, our patients’ health isn’t exactly their top priority. Trying to provide prevention and restoration along with education about oral and systemic health is too often an uphill battle against insurance companies.
The Solution? Customizable, In-house Dental Memberships
Offering an in-house dental membership provides your patients with a way to get cost-effective dental care without the hassle of insurance dictating what's "essential" and denying coverage. Here's how to get started setting up a plan that works for your practice and patients.
1. Devise a plan that is equitable for the practice and the patient
2. Encourage patients to use the plan. The simple equation below shows how to review the cost difference in their existing plan vs. the membership plan. Where dental insurance charges a monthly premium on top of deductibles and copays, Dental Memberships charge patients a reasonable annual fee that allows the practice to offer reduced costs of procedures and additional benefits. Lower costs + greater benefits = huge incentive to join.
- Premium per month X 12 months: $720/year
- Deductible: $50/year
- Co-pay of each visit (usually excluding prevention): $600/year
- Approximate cost for this hypothetical patient situation: $1,3770/year
3. Share the AMAZING benefits of the membership plan! By enrolling in the membership plan, the patient allows the Doctor to diagnose and deliver recommended treatment, rather than letting the insurance company dictate by what is favorable to the stockholder. Wouldn’t you rather have your dentist make the decision that is best for you over an insurance company? Plus, just look at all these benefits:
- No deductibles
- No waiting period
- No missing tooth clause
- No limitations—all elective procedures are covered
- No monthly premiums
- No maximum allowable
- No alternate benefit clause
- No frequency limitations
- Periodontal procedures are always covered
- One low annual fee (may be provided for individual, couple or family
4. Train your team on how to present the plan and benefits to the patient.
- Put the plan together,
- Have your media and educational materials prepared
- Roll play extending the offer to patients
5. Offer your plan to other businesses in your area. As we know, offering benefits to employees as small business owners can be a grueling process. Help eliminate some of the hassle by extending the membership plan to other small business owners to offer their employees. Some employers will pay the membership fee for their employees. Other employers will pay a portion of the cost.
6. Incentivize patients and employers to join. Try offering:
- Fluoride as a courtesy to all members annually
- Velscope as a courtesy to all adults once a year
- Hold a membership drawing for any member who posts on social media talking about the benefits they’ve gained with your plan! Whether that is the amount of money they have saved, the increase in necessary or elective procedures that they have had completed since joining the membership plan or how many years they have been a member, there are plenty of ways to keep it interesting.
It’s time to give your patients what their insurance plans cannot. A Dental Membership Plan for your office not only helps educate your patients about oral/systemic health while saving them money, but it also improves your team’s efficiency. With fewer claims to file, narratives to write, follow-up phone calls to make and eligibility/benefits to obtain, your employees will have more time to do what they do best—care for patients.
If you need help with all or any of these steps, reach out to us at [email protected] or give us a call: (708) 732-2162. We can't wait to kick-start your in-house membership plan!