Navigating the Dental Insurance Maze: Key Insights from the "Do You Take My Insurance?" Webinar
Dealing with patient insurance inquiries can often feel challenging. Steven J. Anderson, founder of the Total Patient Service Institute, and Kleer and Membersy's Director of Partnerships, Chris Herring, discussed how to shift the focus from the complexities and limitations of insurance to building strong patient relationships during our recent webinar.
This session offered invaluable strategies and verbal skills for transforming potentially awkward conversations into opportunities to build trust and ensure patient acceptance. Did you miss the webinar?
We’ve compiled the key discussions and actionable advice to provide dental practices with a roadmap to confidently address their patients' most pressing insurance questions.
The initial call: unveiling common pitfalls
The webinar started by revealing a case study analyzing real phone calls to dental practices when potential new patients asked, "How much is a cleaning?" The findings were eye-opening and highlighted several common missteps in dental practices:
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Insurance First: A staggering 76% of the time, the practice's first question was, "Do you have insurance?" This immediately positions insurance as the primary focus, potentially creating a barrier for patients without it or those simply inquiring about pricing.
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Lack of Personal Connection: 92% of the calls never asked for the caller's name, missing an opportunity to establish a personal connection from the outset.
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Unwelcoming Approach: 76% of the time, the practice didn’t thank the caller for calling, a simple gesture that can significantly impact a first impression.
- Immediate Price Focus: 88% of practices gave the price immediately, often without gathering any information about the patient's needs or building value. These statistics underscore a crucial point: focusing solely on insurance at the beginning of a patient interaction can be detrimental to building a relationship and ultimately securing a new patient.
Re-engineering your verbal skills: what to say instead
The speakers discussed the importance of consciously re-engineering the language used for insurance.
Here are some key "never say this, say this instead" takeaways:
- Instead of: "We're not in network with your insurance, "-> Say: "We are an unrestricted provider, which means we can work with most types of insurance."
This positive phrasing emphasizes the practice's ability to assist the patient.
- Instead of: "Your insurance will only cover..." -> Say: "Your insurance savings are estimated to be..."
This focuses on the positive aspect of insurance benefits.
- Instead of: "You're maxed out,"-> Say: "You've maximized your benefits for this period."
This is a gentler and more professional way to convey the same information.
- Instead of: "Your out-of-pocket cost, "-> Say: "Your portion of the investment."
This framing avoids the negative connotation associated with "out-of-pocket."
By adopting this more positive and patient-centric vocabulary, practices can shift the conversation from limitations to possibilities.
Tackling the "Do You Take My Insurance?" question head-on
The “Do you take my insurance?” question is unavoidable in the healthcare industry. Steve introduced two key psychological principles to help you feel confident when responding to customers.
1. The Law of the Herd: People tend to do what they perceive others are doing.
2. Over Here Psychology: We often believe more in what we overhear (from a third party) than what we hear directly.
Applying these principles, the webinar offered a step-by-step approach to answering the question, "Do you take my insurance?":
1. Build Rapport First: Thank the patient for calling, introduce yourself, and ask for their name.
2. Err on Familiarity: Instead of asking "Are you a new patient?" try, "How long has it been since we've seen you?" This creates a warmer initial interaction.
3. Acknowledge and Inquire: "You asked about insurance. Can I ask who your benefits are with?"
4. Apply the Law of the Herd (If True): "Great! We have a lot of patients who have [Insurance Company Name] benefits."
5. Explain Your Unrestricted Status: "While we don't happen to be *in-network* with [Insurance Company Name], we are an *unrestricted provider*, which means we can work with most types of insurance."
6. Leverage "Over Here Psychology" with a Pivotal Question: "Would you like to know why patients with [Insurance Company Name] benefits choose our practice?" This naturally leads to highlighting the practice's strengths and value beyond just insurance coverage.
7. Share Your "Why": Prepare a list (as a team) of reasons why patients with out-of-network benefits choose your practice (e.g., exceptional clinical care, experienced doctors, amazing patient service, convenient hours). Frame this as "What they tell us is..."
8. Transition to Appointment Scheduling: Seamlessly move to scheduling the appointment after sharing the benefits.
This structured approach allows practices to address the insurance question directly while simultaneously building value and reassuring the patient.
Addressing other common insurance objections
To say there is a plethora of insurance questions to tackle in dentistry is an understatement. Here are a few tips on handling commonly asked insurance-related questions:
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"I want to see what my insurance will cover first.”
Instead of simply agreeing to a pre-determination, ask: "So, it sounds like you don't want any surprises, am I right? Would it help if I were to give you a good estimate of what your insurance savings will be, so you have a more accurate feel for your portion?"
- "What will my insurance cover?"
Similar to the previous point, focus on providing an estimate of their insurance savings and their estimated portion.
- "I don't have insurance." / "I'm losing my insurance."
This presents an opportunity to introduce membership savings plans. Ask: "Would you be interested in taking a look at our membership savings plan that will help you with your routine services and give you savings on any needed dental treatment?" "My insurance covers 100%." Gently address this by saying: "It sounds like you have great benefits! Would it be helpful if I could give you an update on what we estimate your insurance savings to be based on the information your insurance company provides us?" Be prepared to educate patients who may have had different experiences at previous practices, emphasizing the importance of charging the patient's portion as per insurance contracts. "I'm not going to do it unless my insurance covers it."
First, ensure you've understood what the patient wants. Then, connect that desire with the treatment and ask: "So, based on what you said you wanted [mention their desired outcome], if there are some things we talk about that you need to stay healthy that your insurance doesn't cover, what would you like to do?" You can also emphasize that the insurance company shouldn't make the final decision about their health.
The power of membership plans
Chris highlighted the significant role that membership plans play in a comprehensive insurance strategy. These plans offer patients without traditional insurance an accessible way to receive regular dental care and can be an attractive option for insured patients seeking more predictable costs or coverage for services not fully covered by their insurance.
Key benefits of implementing a membership plan include:
- Increased Patient Loyalty: Patients in a membership program feel more connected to the practice.
- Improved Patient Behavior: Studies show that patients with a benefit plan are more likely to visit the dentist regularly.
- Enhanced Revenue Growth: Membership plans can lead to a significant increase in cash production.
- Marketing Opportunities: Membership plans can be a unique selling point to attract new, uninsured patients.
Wrapping up the webinar, one message rang clear: practices that thrive in managing insurance questions and increasing case acceptance share four key traits. They prioritize training, not just once, but regularly and with intention. They build consistency by embedding that training into weekly team rhythms. They lean into coaching, recognizing the value of outside perspective and continuous improvement. And they measure what matters, using data to drive smarter decisions.
When teams commit to these four pillars, they’re not just answering insurance questions; they’re building trust, boosting production, and setting the stage for long-term success. Ready to empower your team and improve case acceptance? Start by evaluating your training cadence and support system, or connect with one of our Kleer and Membersy experts to map out your next steps.
Get started, today.
Our experts will show you how our advanced, cloud-based membership plan platform—coupled with resources, tools and support from the experts at Kleer, can bring your practice phenomenal results.
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