In my ideal utopia, all patients would place a high value on their dental health and happily schedule all treatment recommendations without hesitation. As my 16 year-old daughter would say, “good luck with that!” We all know it doesn’t quite work that way. Patients often need some motivation to schedule treatment, especially when the condition is asymptomatic.
The truth is that patients know very little about their dental insurance as evidenced by the fact that each year, hundreds of millions (billions?) of dental insurance benefits go unused and necessary treatment remains uncompleted. Consider sending an ‘End of the Year Insurance Letter’ to your patients who have dental insurance.
Below is a sample:
Dear {insert patient’s name}:
We hope you had a wonderful summer! Are we approach the end of the year, we are writingto share a tip that can help you take full advantage of any dental insurance benefits you may have.
The way your dental insurance benefits work is that you are provided a certain dollar amount of benefits each year. If you do not use those benefits you lose them! (Unused benefits do not carry over to the next year). Many people do not realize this and let hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars worth of benefits go back into the insurance company’s bank account. While treatment is never dictated by insurance, if you have any treatment that remains to be completed, or you have any dental concerns at all, it would be very useful for you to come in before the end of the year.
Our goal with every one of our patients is to help you enjoy great oral health. That means that you look good, you feel good, you have strong teeth and gums, and you enjoy the benefits of a healthy, attractive smile for a lifetime. If you would like to make an appointment, just give us a call and we will find a time that is convenient for you. Just remember that when the clock strikes 12 midnight on December 31st, you will lose any unused dental benefits. We are happy to help you get the full benefits that you are entitled to under your dental benefits policy.
Here’s to helping you achieve excellent dental health!
Best regards,
{insert Doctor’s name}
Please feel welcome to use this letter as-is or modify it to suit. The ideal timing to send this letter is right after Labor Day. This give patients enough time to respond and will help to pre-empt a frantic rush during the last week of December. Keep Smiling!
