Every dentist hopes that patients are organically attracted to your top-quality work and great bedside manner, but many dentists get a large percentage of patients due to dental benefits. As with employer dental benefits, union dental benefits are a deciding factor in which practices some patients will decide to give their business to. For many dental practices, union dental benefits are worth understanding and catering to.
Union Dental Benefits Are a Deciding Factor
Union workers are more likely to have defined benefits and a defined-benefit pension than non-union workers. 67% of union workers have a defined-benefits pension, while a whopping 85% of non-union workers don’t. Health insurance and dental benefits are similar, as 62% of union workers have union dental benefits and only 33% of non-union workers have dental insurance through work.
Thanks to the prevalence of union dental benefits for union workers, appealing to their insurance providers is worthwhile if many employees in your area belong to a union. Employees who receive the benefits enjoy the opportunity to choose from a number of dental practices and save money, while the unions enjoy competitive rates and saving members money.
Breaking Things Down for Patients
If your dental practice knows how to cater to patients with these dental benefits, you might be able to attract many loyal patients. It’s important to understand how to break benefits down and make them easy for patients to understand. Union dental benefits can involve numerous different contracts and plans that all have different coverage amounts.
When you work with patients who are taking advantage of union dental benefits, ensure that you do an adequate job explaining the differences between covered and non-covered procedures. Emphasize that procedures that are not covered by benefits are still often necessary for optimal health.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
If you are catering to patients with union dental benefits, you should ensure that all of your front desk and billing employees are prepared to answer the most commonly asked questions. Some of these include:
- Do my dental benefits really make a difference if every visit carries a balance?
- Why aren’t my x-rays, exams or cleanings completely covered?
- Why did my dental insurance company choose a less-expensive treatment over your suggested dental treatment?
- Why do my union dental benefits not cover all treatment costs?
Many patients don’t fully understand what their dental benefits do and do not cover, so asking the above questions doesn’t always mean they are upset. Breaking it down gives you a chance to win a loyal patient.
Cater to Your Patients 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.