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5 Tips To Get Dental Patients To Complete Treatment Before Their Insurance Runs Out

5 Tips To Get Dental Patients To Complete Treatment Before Their Insurance Runs Out
by Helen B. Funk

It's that time of year again, when dental practices should inform patients that they'll lose their insurance benefits if they don't use them before December 31. Patients will appreciate you for it.

A new year provides us with a fresh start and endless opportunities for change. For dental practices who are contracted with dental plans, the new year means that patients have had their benefits reset and are ready to tackle dental treatment that they’ve either postponed or could not afford last year. As 2017 comes to a close, many dental practices face the dilemma of getting patients to accept and complete dental treatment: “USE IT OR LOSE IT.”

Here are five tips to get patients to complete their pending treatment before their insurance expires.

Patient education

Your team should be trained to educate patients regarding the consequences of delaying treatment, as well as sharing the details of their dental insurance. Since dental issues never get better with time, we should encourage patients to complete treatment as soon as possible so they can avoid more painful, extensive, and expensive treatment. Therefore, when patients are escorted up front to check out, it’s important that the front desk is aware of each patient’s treatment plan, benefit details, and remaining annual maximum. Then they’ll be prepared to 1) have a conversation with patients regarding their insurance benefits and explain what happens when they do not use them, 2) explain what can happen when dental treatment is delayed, and 3) schedule an appointment.

Dental insurance: use it or lose it

Keep patients informed about the details of their dental insurance by sending a newsletter. This way you’re able to target your patient base on a large scale and educate them about the benefits of completing treatment as soon as possible, as well as encouraging them to use their benefits before they lose them. Most patients do not know anything about their dental insurance benefits and it becomes dental practices’ responsibility to let them know that if they don’t use them they will lose them.

Read full article on Dentistry iQ.