It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year By: Sally McKenzie, CMC, President, McKenzie Management

Ahhh, yes. It’s getting to be that time again. The trees are turning, window displays are sparkling with holiday treasures, and staffs already are talking about time off between Christmas and New Year’s. But before anyone is allowed to coast into the trailing months of 2002 let us not forget there are some compelling year-end strategies that can have you popping Champagne corks for more than one reason on New Year’s Eve. In fact, as that popular holiday melody goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” particularly if you have patients on indemnity insurance plans.

Many patients have unused funds for dental care that, when coupled with patient financing plans like those offered through CareCredit, can have them happily securing the treatment they need and the treatment they’ve long wanted as special holiday gifts to themselves. Informing patients of this often forgotten fact quickly makes you a hero. They are thrilled to learn that they have “bonus” dollars that can be used for necessary dental care. Add to that sweet deal a risk-free offer, which allows them to secure interest-free financing for the necessary treatment as well as any additional services, and visions of dental care will be dancing through their heads.

I readily advocate the use of patient financing companies because you want to do everything within reason to make it easy for the patient to accept treatment and easy for you, the doctor, to receive payment. Moreover, I encourage patient financing options in addition to accepting major credit cards because patients typically only have about $300 in credit available. And, frankly, many don’t want to use that for dental work during the holidays when they need it available for other reasons–namely holiday shopping.

However, if patients have a separate line of credit specifically for their dental care needs, you are free to diagnose based on the patients’ dental needs and wants and not on what’s left over in their wallets. Furthermore, some patient financing companies offer interest-free financing for up to an entire year. Free money has widespread appeal, just ask the major automobile dealers. Patient financing for dental care is significantly beneficial to both the patient and the doctor. Comprehensive treatment is more readily accepted, and you receive payment in as little as two days.

Dear ____: Did you know that each year insurance companies make millions of dollars off patients who forego necessary and preventive dental care? Many individuals who are paying for dental insurance do not realize that their plans provide coverage up to a certain dollar amount annually. Consequently, some patients are not scheduling the dental treatment they need, deserve, and have insurance to cover. Thus, the insurance revenues allocated to pay dental claims on many patients are never used, and, unfortunately, those dollars cannot be carried over year-to-year. The bottom line: What the patient does not use they lose. Clearly, it pays in many ways to schedule the preventive care or other dental treatment that you need. We are here to help you secure the insurance coverage available to you on every dental procedure you schedule. Our computer estimates that you still have $ xxxxx in unused dental benefits. Give us a call today, and together let’s make sure you are in excellent dental health. As a special incentive for you to take charge of your dental care, we are offering a ____% reduction on dental treatment completed by January 1, 2003. Give (name of appointment scheduler) a call at 555-5555. I look forward to seeing you again and sharing some of the many innovative means we now have available to provide you with superior dental healthcare. Sincerely, Dr. Best Dentist in USA P.S. Find out about additional interest-free financing options for dental care. Check with _____ in my office for all the details.

Educating your patients about available insurance funds as well as interest-free financing options are means of helping the patient get past the financial barrier to receive the treatment they need and want. Remember, the last thing a patient wants to do is throw away their insurance coverage. Give them a reason to use it. Follow these steps and plan to have some very grateful patients.

Generate an “unscheduled treatment plan report.”

Identify those patients who still have unused insurance benefits.

Use the letter I’ve prepared for you above.

Merge the letter into your database. If you have trouble with the merge process contact your software provider.

Add a P.S. that says, “Take your insurance dollars further with interest-free treatment financing. Ask Peggy in my office for all the details.” Remember you are doing your patients a favor by helping them to take full advantage of their insurance coverage.

Chill the Champagne.

Patients want quality dental care they can afford, give them multiple reasons to secure that care from you.

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Sally McKenzie, Certified Management Consultant, is a nationally-known lecturer, author. She is President of McKenzie Management, which provides in-office analysis of the business, clinical, and hygiene department; conducts on-site staff training; and offers a full line of educational management books, audiotapes, and videos.

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