Letting Go of "No" - Guest Post from Summer Veit Consulting
In dentistry, we choose to provide the best care for our patients. We greet them, we listen, we create optimal treatment plans, we communicate, we educate, we comfort, we watch for that “I need suction hand raise” with a smile. Every day, we make the choice to serve our patients with hopes of establishing trust and bettering the health of our communities. It is a choice we make every day, to provide the quality of care that we do.
There is a sense of empowerment when we realize that most of what we bring into our lives is by choice. As you reflect on the choices you make, one choice that is possible to make instantly is your perspective towards positivity. How important is it that we lead our lives with a positive mind set? Energy is a lake we are all standing in, positivity is the strongest ripple effect we can make. If every day, we step into our lakes with positivity, it is guaranteed to affect those around you.
Sometimes patients approach us with questions that feel like they require a negative response. Let’s say a new patient calls you and asks, “Do you take Blue Cross Blue Shield?” If you are not contracted with Blue Cross, the answer that may feel appropriate or honest at the time is “No.” I sincerely hope that this is not the answer that your office is giving. In my career, I have heard many responses to this question, many of which are pretty painted ways of saying the same thing: “No.” “We are out of network.” “We do take it but we are not in network.”
What we need to remember, prior to answering a question, is the person’s reasoning behind it. The caller that asks if we “take” Blue Cross, in layman’s terms, is really asking if we are “Contracted” or “In Network”… or to be quite blunt, “Will it cost me more money to come and see you?” We do not yet know why that’s an important factor to them. Maybe it’s a financial situation, maybe they want to refer a friend who has Blue Cross, or maybe, they’ve had a difficult situation in the past with contracting and are learning to navigate how to ask the right questions in dentistry.
When a new patient calls your office, please remember they have probably done what most of us do prior to going anywhere: look you up on the internet! They have likely visited your website and/or read your Google or Yelp reviews. They have spent time making a decision on whether or not they want to give your office a shot. Calling you to ask you if you take their insurance is a compliment and the next step they are taking is agreeing to establish care. So, what happens when we answer their question with negativity? Their prior ideas of meeting your doctor or visiting your practice may slowly feel like it’s not the right decision. But is that true? Just because you may not be contracted with their insurance, does that mean you are not the right dentist for them? Does that always mean they are not the right patient for you? (Within reason, we all know there are some folks better suited to go where they are in network if that is their strongest motivator.)
What would happen if the caller asked if we took Blue Cross and we said “Yes!” Don’t worry, I am not telling you to mislead potential patients, what we follow up with is extremely important. Leading the follow up communication with positivity is what will set the tone for a potential positive and prosperous relationship. “We DO take Blue Cross Blue Shield! Dr.________ is considered to be an ‘Out of network provider’ which means sometimes, your out of pocket expenses could be higher. We have several patients at our practice with Blue Cross Blue Shield who find their coverage to be effective as they continue to choose to receive excellent care at our office.”
Many times, when I’ve had this exact conversation, patients either interject with a question, or there is somewhat of an unsure pause. I like to follow up with, “After scheduling your first appointment, I would be happy to do a one-time complimentary benefits check to see what your coverage would look like at our office!” Please note: only after someone has scheduled should you spend your time exploring their benefits and following up with them (emphasis on the “after” they schedule, and emphasis on the “one-time”.) Because I have now lead the conversation with positivity, introduced the positive and honest notion that others with their insurance receive care here, AND that I’d be willing to look into their benefits (after scheduling their first appointment) most patients are delighted to see what else we can provide them with that they may not know about. The patients who are truly only interested in receiving care within their insurance limits or finding inexpensive dentistry, will make that clear and you will understand if the potential patient is a good fit for the practice or not.
It is estimated, on average, that a single new patient is potentially worth $20,000 to your practice. With each great new relationship, revenue stream and potential referrals, the possibilities are endless! How much time and money are you currently investing into networking and marketing to attract new patients? How much for social media? Mailers? How about new patient specials?
You are doing yourselves a disservice if you spend your time and hard-earned money inviting new patients into your practice with incredible effort, only to have your staff represent your office with negativity. Although this is likely not intentional, positivity IS a choice and I encourage you to explore your verbiage with me and invite your staff to learn how to communicate with intention. You deserve it, your staff and patients deserve the education, and we all deserve to feel the ripple effects of someone else’s positivity.