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Ways to Make Their Hygiene Appointment Valuable To Them

First let us ask the question: What value do you bring to your hygiene appointment?

I recently had the opportunity to observe several good hygienists who were providing a great prophy but that was all they provided for the patient visit. I think hygienists and patients forget that the hygienist is a healthcare provider.

When a patient looks at their statement they see charges for a prophy and exam. Some patients look at the dollar amount and think the cost is a lot. Many patients will view the appointment as “just a cleaning appointment.” This will affect future appointments. Patients don’t see the value in keeping the prophy appointment. Patients think it’s okay if I cancel my appointment because it’s “just a cleaning.” We need patients to see the value in the prophy appointment. We need to education our patients, so they see the value they are receiving from their healthcare provider. Complete and post the following codes to show this value on the patient statement.

  • Oral Cancer Screening D0431

You may be doing a simple screening but are you explaining each time why you are doing this screening. Are you posting the code for oral cancer screening?

This brings value and urgency to the appointment. I.E. smokers, diabetes

  • Periodontal Charting D0180

Part of educating your patients is telling them what the perio charting numbers mean before you chart at each visit. This way the patient knows 1s and 2s are healthy and so on. This way the patient already has an idea if something is going on with the health of their gum tissue. Be sure to post the comprehensive periodontal evaluation.

  • Oral Hygiene Instructions D1330

Many hygienists speak to their patients about home care, oral hygiene aids as well as over the counter rinses. By charting this code you are adding value to the patient appointment and you have covered yourself legally.

Most hygienists will say, I just don’t have the time for all of that. I agree, if you are given 30-45 minutes for the hygiene appointment. The truth is a 60 minute hygiene appointment out produces a 30 minute or 45 minute patient visit. When adding this value to the patient appointment your patient will think twice about canceling their cleaning appointment.      Statistics show that by bringing more value to the patient visit, you will increase patient retention.

Think about this as free marketing. Patients will walk away with an increased trust level, the best oral health care, and they will tell friends and family where to go for a thorough cleaning and exam.

How to be Patient Focused in an Insurance Driven World

We need to focus on educating the patient and putting the patient’s health first

Your Team must understand that you are not an Insurance driven practice. You are a Patient focused practice. Let’s get your team involved in educating your patients. The number one responsibility of your team should be patient needs.

This is what we hear in dental offices:

Patient calls “No, we don’t take that insurance” Front desk “Your insurance won’t cover that” and from the operatory “Let’s check your insurance to see if that’s covered”

We know it’s important to review benefits with patients but educating the patient on the need for treatment and the benefits for treatment should come first. You and your team drive the insurance conversations. Give your team great verbal skills, a refresh.

New Patient calls the office: Hi, I’m looking for a new dentist. Do you take Delta?

Team member: Hello, thank you for choosing to call our office. What is your name? Hi Kim, let me tell you a little bit about us and then I can answer any questions you may have. Dr. Smith has been in practice for 30 years. We understand the dental office is not the most enjoyable place to visit but we do our best to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. We are an insurance friendly office and our goal is to maximize your benefits while in our office. Most important question for you is how can we help you with your dental needs?

Delta Question: We don’t have a contract with Delta but that doesn’t mean you can’t come to our office. Be honest. Your contract with Delta will pay for cleanings, exams and x-rays. Fillings and crowns may have 10-25% out of pocket but we can check your dental benefits for you and we offer options outside of your benefit coverage. Our commitment is making sure you are healthy and can afford treatment.

New Patient calls the office: Hi, I need a crown, but I don’t have dental Insurance.

Team Member: You called the right place, thank you for choosing our office. Let me tell you a little bit about us and then I can answer your questions…

If you don’t have insurance, we offer payment options. Our commitment is making sure you are healthy and can afford treatment.

Remember these patients call because they were referred to you or they chose you for their dental care. Get your team effective and efficient when they get that opportunity to speak to your patients.

Treatment Acceptance

Why don’t we talk to patients about diagnosis?

Talk to your patients about the benefits of treatment and the results of holding off on treatment. Why do you need a crown? What benefits do you get from the crown? If you wait, could the tooth fracture?

Your Team should be passionate about helping patients, educating the patients, “What happens in your mouth affects every place in your body!”

The doctor and hygienist should educate the patient regarding the diagnosis and recommendations. Don’t just write the diagnosis in your notes, educate your patients.

Get the whole team involved!
Assistant: Once you get this crown done your going to feel so much better.
Front desk: Wow, the crown is going to look beautiful.
Treatment Coordinator: Getting the 2-surface filling done now could save you money in the future due to the decay…

Your staff represents your vision for your practice every time they have a conversation with a patient.

We need to change the way we think about Dental Insurance. Insurance companies refer to coverage as Dental benefits and so should we in the office. We should be positive with our patients regarding dental insurance.

FYI

Insurance companies tend to reimburse at a higher rate when you are not in network.
Dental Diagnostic codes will be used in the ADA claim forms in the future
Insurance Contracts       Read Your Contract!

  • Is your contract auto renewable or do you need to revisit once a year?
  • Are you signed up?
  • Non-covered services – collect from patient or write off?

Do not sign contract, negotiate this write off

  • Negotiate contract fees before you sign and submit

Do an Insurance Analysis every 12 months

  • Gross production – write offs
  • New patients from In-network insurance companies
  • How many of those new patients are active?

Educate your staff and patients regarding why you are not in-network with all Insurance companies

Example, if you were contracted with the dental insurance company, you would have to downgrade to metals with silver/mercury. They look bad and leak. The advantage to being an independent provider is so you can continue to use the best materials that last a long time for your patients.

First Pacific Corporation CEO, Steve Rallison, Announces Retirement; FPC Names New CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salem, OR October 5, 2018

First Pacific Corporation (FPC), a dental practice management and financial services company, serving dentists across the US since 1961, has announced a “changing of the guard” at the helm of the 57-year-old company.  As planned, Steve Rallison, MHA, has retired as FPC’s CEO and will now serve on the Advisory Board. FPC has greatly benefited from Rallison’s extensive experience leading and directing healthcare organizations to success and will continue to leverage his expertise as an Advisory Board member. FPC’s former Senior VP of Sales and Chief Operations Officer, Shaun Lowry has been selected as the new CEO.

When reflecting on his time as FPC’s CEO and the future of the company Rallison stated, “For the past two years I have worked diligently to ensure FPC’s ability to successfully compete in today’s dental marketplace. I believe we now have the right plan, team, and foundation in place to keep FPC moving in the right direction. I am confident Shaun will lead the implementation of FPC’s forward plan with great energy and focus. I look forward to supporting Shaun any way I can as he transitions into his new role as CEO and am honored to join FPC’s Advisory Board.”

On the Advisory Board, Rallison will joined by FPC Founders Jack & Pam Scott, as well as FPC’s long-term Corporate Attorney, Douglas Alexander.

Pam Scott had the following to say about the transitions taking place, “Steve Rallison lead FPC through a transition in not only our management, but also of creating new and cutting-edge opportunities to help dentists make positive improvements to their practices. It’s been a positive journey with Steve, one that has us now expanding beyond what we’ve been doing for the first 50+ years of business. We are grateful Shaun has a solid understanding of our core values and has demonstrated his abilities to help us stay the course into our future expansion.”

As FPC’s former Senior VP of Sales and Chief Operations Officer, Lowry was selected by FPC’s Advisory Board and Owners to fill the CEO.  Lowry has a successful background in sales leadership and a proven record of leading companies to sustainable growth and prosperity. The culture of innovation and collaboration Rallison cultivated while serving as FPC’s CEO is something Lowry is committed to continue forward as he leads FPC into the next chapter of this company’s future.

When ask about his new role Shaun expressed, “FPC is an amazing company that has provided critical financial and practice management solutions to dentists and their patients for over 57 years.  I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to continue this legacy and contribute to the continued success of FPC and our clients.”

First Pacific Corporation provides dental offices with practice management solutions such as funding, revenue cycle management, patient financing, and innovative technology; improving production and revenue, maximizing profitability, and enhancing patient care. To learn more about FPC and their services call to schedule an appointment with a local representative today 800-544-2345.
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Contact: Samantha Bruce Phone: 503-588-1411 Email: samanthab@firstpac.com

Increase Production and Improve Patient’s Oral Health

Improving Treatment plan acceptance is the fastest way to increase production and improve patient compliance. It is a well-known statistic that if a patient walks out the door without scheduling their next appointment your chances of getting them scheduled drops about 50%. So we ask ourselves, what should we do with the 50% of patients who do not schedule? How can we get through to them and connect on the level necessary to get them not only scheduled but committed to keeping their appointment.

FPC’s dental practice management software, Aspire, has a number of reports to track those patients who “fall through the crack” (much like their teeth) and walk out the door without scheduling or they request a predetermination prior to scheduling. It happens. We, as a team, need to improve our treatment presentation and change the patient’s way of thinking from NEED based dentistry to WANT based dentistry! However, we know we all have those exceptional patients. So, to catch those exceptions, follow these recommendations to get that one or two extra cases a week to improve the bottom line and more importantly your patient’s oral health.

  1. Print your treatment plan report, either target a particular treatment class or all treatment plans.
  2. Pull the patients chart or review their Smart Chart/Clinical notes in Aspire prior to calling. Be sure to show them that an effort was made to know about their needs. Show them that you care about them and their family, look for notes that could open up a conversation, like a new baby or recent wedding.
  • Scheduling Coordinator: “Hello Mrs. Johnson, this is Debbie from Dr. Smith’s office. How are you and the new baby?”
    • Get the person engaged in conversation by mentioning something about them/family or about the work they had done or that needs to be done.
  • Scheduling Coordinator: “The doctor asked that I call you. He noticed that you didn’t schedule the treatment he discussed with you last visit”
    • Let the patient talk, it is important they feel the conversation is about them, not about you scheduling them.
  • Scheduling Coordinator: “What day is best for you? Do you like mornings or afternoons”
    • No open ended questions. You want to be as efficient as possible to get them scheduled and keep phone time to a minimum. Answer any questions and address any concerns they may have.
  1. Overcome all their objections when it comes to Finances, Fear, Time, Value or Trust with your office.
  2. Remember: “Listen to schedule” not “listen to reply”! Hear your patient’s needs.
  3. Only put an experienced person on the phone when trying to re-engage a patient and their treatment plan.
  4. Be sure to keep track of your success so we can constantly improve the process and we learn what works best for your office.

Please talk with your Practice Advisor today and request additional training for you and your staff on “How to get the patient to say YES!”

Accounts Receivable Management

As a Practice Advisor for FPC, I enjoy teaching a practice how to manage their accounts receivable.  This can be a dreaded task each month if the AR is growing instead of turning. If the office is producing but not collecting efficiently on that production, cash flow will be limited.  When this happens, bills won’t get paid, supplies are restricted and payroll is affected.

Why do some offices struggle with month-to-month collections?  Some of the reasons may be:

  • Insurance does not pay what is estimated.
  • The patient walks out without paying in full or their co-pay, resulting in an outstanding balance.
  • The patient defaults on an agreed upon payment plan.
  • The Insurance was not billed in a timely manner or was billed without the proper documentation, causing a delay in payment.

Together with FPC patient billing and OTC (over the counter) office collections, an ideal collection ratio is 95-99%.  The AR should not include anything over 30 days.  This would mean that the AR should be no higher than the average monthly production.  If your office is struggling with collections, here are some suggestions:

  • Develop and implement a strong financial policy and stick to it. If you need to replace your current one, make sure all patients are notified at their next appointment and require a signature of acknowledgment. Make sure your staff fully understands the financial policy they will be enforcing which includes collecting the patient’s portion at the time of service.
  • Use the insurance estimation feature in Aspire to provide your patients with a clear “estimate” of what their insurance will pay and what they will owe. All patients who are presented with a treatment plan need to sign and date it for future reference.
  • All insurance claims need to be submitted in a timely manner with all proper documentation and attachments.  If you are not currently using the NEA fast attach feature in Aspire, ask your Practice Advisor to help you with setting this up.
  • Aspire aging and insurance tracking reports need be ran consistently every month. Refer to the FPC Success Calendar for suggested schedule. Make sure all outstanding patient balances are being paid for as agreed upon. If there is a missed payment, call the patient.

I can’t stress enough how important consistent account follow-up is to the revenue recovery process. Of course, FPC is helping you with this as well.  Together we make a great team!

  • Properly train your staff how to collect and answer billing questions should they arise. If your staff is knowledgeable, your patients will trust their collection efforts.

ACCOUNT FOLLOW-UP

When running your aging report, insurance tracking, or referring to the CARA report (found in E-Tools), I recommend focusing on the “Largest” and “Oldest” accounts first.

Largest-These accounts owe the practice the largest amount of money and will most likely not pay in full.

  • Play detective. Find out why the balance is so large. Maybe there is an outstanding insurance claim needing attention or the insurance denied the claim due to no coverage.  Know exactly what you’re talking about before calling the patient.  If you make sense when explaining their balance, they are more likely to understand your request for payment.
  • Set up a payment plan that will both benefit the patient and your office. Getting the balance paid sooner will help the patient save on finance charges and lower the AR sooner.   As a last resort, offer payoff incentives such as a cash discount.  Getting at least 80-90% of the balance paid in full is better than nothing and will still result in lowering the AR.

Oldest-These accounts are over 90 days.

  • Once again, play detective. There is a reason for every balance. If you are cross-referencing with your insurance tracking report, you can see if there is an outstanding claim.  Remember, there is a time limit for filing claims after the treatment is completed.  These claims must be taken care of before they expire.
  • If the balance is the patient’s responsibility, find out why they haven’t paid. Sometimes, a friendly phone call is all it takes. For those patients avoiding payment, the worst thing you can do is avoid communication.  If you’re not comfortable discussing collection options with your patients, delegate the task to someone who is. The longer these old balances sit there, the harder they are to collect.
  • Now run your 60 day and 30 day overdue reports and repeat the process, but only if you have finished the 90 days. The more recent the treatment, the easier it is to collect.

Start now!  Even the largest AR can be cleaned up and managed. Once systems are in place, collections will become routine and part of your everyday effort to increase cash flow and profitability.

Meet Dr. Jeff Osborne CDO

Dr. Jeff OsborneWe’d like to welcome Dr. Osborne as our new Chief Dental Officer (CDO) of FPC. As the CDO Dr. Osborne will provide both strategic and operational advice to executive leadership and owners to help develop new services and refine current service offerings to improve production, profitability and enhance patient care for practices. Dr. Osborne comes to FPC with a wealth of knowledge as a dentist as well as a consultant. Dr. Osborne currently serves on the Expert Review Panel for the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, Smile Source Inc Director of Insurance and Third Parties, as a lecturer for American Sleep Dentistry/Prosomnus/Smile Source Inc./ Dentsply, and as an Independent Reviewer for MedConfirm, MCMC, Genex Services, OccMD (Worker’s Comp and injuries). Dr. Osborne owns and operates Legacy Dental Associates, PC in Frisco, TX and is a current FPC client as well. Thank you for stepping up to fill this role for FPC and all our valued clients Dr. Osborne!