Do you know how to answer the dreaded question, “Do you take my insurance?”
I have several offices that have asked me how to answer the question, “Do you accept my insurance?” when a new patient calls. This can cause anxiety for a practice, especially if they’re out-of-network with that particular insurance company.
Today’s tip is how to answer that dreaded question, “Do you accept my insurance?”.
The first thing you want to do is:
· Let the patient know you can utilize their insurance in your office.
· Reassure them, saying something like, “You have a PPO and that means you can go to any dentist that you choose.”
· Be sure to tell them you’d love to have them as a patient.
If they ask:
· What does that mean?
· Will it cost me more money?
A good response is:
· We have several patients who come here out-of-network and they don’t have any trouble using their insurance here.
Teams should be prepared on how to answer this question. The financial aspect is probably the portion that causes the most anxiety and it’s ok to tell the patient some services will have a slightly higher out-of-pocket expense and others will have little to no difference.
Be sure to take the conversation back to rapport building and learning more about what that patient is looking for, in addition to utilizing their insurance.