Does this sound like your practice?
You have a fantastic team who cares sincerely for your patients and wants to help them save as much money as possible – so they start talking patients out of re-enrolling in your dental savings plan.
I work with an office where every third year (when the comp exam/FMX are administered) the member-patients save $125 on preventive services. In the 2 years in between when the comp exam and FMX are not provided, the same patients actually pay $7 more for preventive services due to the plan enrollment fee. So, the team members suggest to patients that it may not be worth it to re-enroll if they have already completed their initial treatment plan.
Seven dollars.
Did I mention that this same dental office provides it’s plan members a 10% to 12% savings on almost every basic and major service? Stated bluntly, it only costs $7 to have a 10% to 12% discount on basic or major service.
Just think of the offsetting savings if the patient needed only a one-surface composite filling that year!
Talking a patient out of your plan participation is short-minded and has the potential to backfire and cost your patient more money in the long run, regardless of your team member’s best intentions.
No one is a fortunate teller who can guarantee a dental emergency or unexpected concern won’t arise.
If you’re experiencing something similar in your practice, here are a few questions you can ask to right-side you’re team’s outlook:
- How many of you pay for car insurance each month and have NOT had an accident this year?
- So then how much did you spend on premiums for your car insurance that you didn’t use?
- Are you glad you pay for coverage in case something unforeseen does go wrong?
When you draw a parallel to any type of insurance they may have (medical, extended warranty protection, life insurance) it makes a payment of $7 seem ridiculously insignificant and outrageous to talk someone out of paying for a dental savings plan!
The recurring revenue you receive from your plan enrollment fees is not only vital to the financial health of your practice but is also a growing asset in your business. Please keep your ears open for anyone on your team who is inaccurately advising your patients in an attempt to ‘help’.
I’d be happy to schedule a quick, free consult so I can share my insights and help you get started.
