As a dental consultant for 20+ years, there are things I know for sure, things I think I know and things I know I don’t know but will BS my way through until I actually know better. We call this developing competence.
But under the category of things I know for sure is that most front desk employees dread the “Do you take my insurance?” question, especially when the answer is, No.
I also know that before I get my hands on them, most employees respond to this query honestly but brutally with, “We’re out of network but you can come in anyway.” Predictably, when patients hear that, they hang up.
So not a great response.
This prompted me to train teams to use alternative language so that insurance stops being the barrier to scheduling. I advise them to eliminate the “out-of-network” phrase because it’s so negative and instead use a more positive framing, “We’re an independent provider with your plan.”
I then provide additional verbiage so the patient is reassured that they can still use their benefits, the practice will still file the paperwork and that patients experience at the practice will be well worth any additional co-pay.
Brilliant, right? I am an Expert, Scripting Queen!
Uh Oh.
Last week, I got an email from a frustrated employee who wrote:
We’re finding that many patients truly don’t understand what “Independent” means and think it means that we’re participating or that we are “in network.” Then they’re surprised when they owe more after we bill their insurance. Multiple patients tell me that they feel like we are being sneaky or beating around the bush when they flat out ask if we are in-network provider.
Yikes!
So here is the life lesson for all dental leaders, fellow consultants and anyone else who deems themselves an EXPERT. Welcome feedback. In fact, invite it. And if someone shares they don’t like something you said or did or even the way you breathe, put aside the ego blow because your ego is not your amigo.
Feedback is just data. You can agree, disagree or ignore it but if you discourage employees from speaking up, you cut off the flow of vital information. When you do that regularly you develop a leadership blind spot which absolutely hinders your success. Sadly, my previous boss overtly and covertly punished folks who offered even minor critical feedback. But she was unaware that she was doing that because no one would risk giving her feedback about her response to feedback. As a result, everyone in the company knew things she did not know and she didn’t know that she didn’t know those things. (Bet that sentence took a bit of deciphering.)
This insight guided my response to this employee. I had two goals:
- Encourage this employee to continue being honest with me.
- Ensure that the front desk verbiage resulted in more appointments with patients who understood and disregarded the fee difference issue.
I began by empathizing with her about these disappointing and stressful patient interactions and thanking her for sharing all this with me. I told her that I’d love to hear how she would like to adapt the script so that it resulted in patients’ understanding the benefits and limits of coming to an “out-of-network” practice and nevertheless schedule an appointment.
She responded that she doesn’t know yet how to improve the script. And this is totally fine with me. Why? Because she’s engaged in the process of learning. She discerning what works and doesn’t work – she’s actively figuring it out. This is how we all grow. We don’t know until we do.
By the way, if you’re now curious about my insurance verbiage, email me [email protected].
