While you hope that patients flock to your dental practice because of your quality work and excellent bedside manner, there’s a good chance that many of them are there because of employer dental benefits. The majority of individuals and families choose a dentist based on coverage, which means that if you don’t understand employer dental benefits and how to cater to patients, you might be missing out.
Employer Dental Benefits Matter
A whopping 2/3 of employees consider dental benefits to be an extremely important or very important part of weighing the merits of an overall compensation package. 34% of employees are only somewhat satisfied with current benefits, and almost 25% are not satisfied at all. As with most things, employers generally get what they pay for in terms of coverage. Larger networks offer a greater number of practices to choose from, which saves employees and employers money. Larger networks also save money on claims on the employer end.
Patients Still Struggle
While patients care about dental benefits, many of them still struggle to understand exactly what they are. With so many different contracts and plans, dental insurance is anything but cut and dry. Every set of employer dental benefits specifies what procedures are covered. When speaking with patients, make it clear that “not covered” does not equate to “not necessary.” You should always be prepared to educate patients on why coverage should not be the only determining factor in oral health.
Answering Common Questions
You should work with your front desk staff and other employees to have answers ready for the following commonly asked employer dental benefit questions:
- Why doesn’t my dental insurance cover all treatment costs?
- Why aren’t exams and cleanings 100% covered, like the literature for my employer dental benefits plan says?
- Who comes up with the amounts for allowed payments?
- Why does insurance make a difference if every visit carries a balance?
- Why did my insurance company switch out the suggested treatment for something less expensive?
- Why aren’t you in network?
Remember that many patients are not hostile when asking the above questions, but struggling to reconcile what they have been told about dental benefits with the reality of the situation.
Choose the Right Practice Management System with APEX
The experts at APEX Reimbursement Specialists can help you to explore the best insurance carrier options for your continued growth and sustained success. Contact our team today by calling (410) 710-6005. We look forward to working with you to make your practice a more profitable place.