'But You Don't Accept My Insurance As Full Payment'

A new patient asked to speak with me at her cleaning appointment. After cordial greetings were exchanged she told me that I was the first dentist that did not accept her insurance as full payment. I told her that dentists that offer a higher quality of dentistry never participate with insurance companies. "But all of my previous dentists participated and I never had to pay anything." I really should have been more diplomatic but I wasn't and responded with, "I am sorry but your previous dentists must have been mediocre and I am not."

The public MUST understand that when a dentist is a participating dentist, there must be compromises in the amount of time spent with the patient, the quality of the work by the dentist, the number of patients that the dentist treats at one time,the quality of the materials used, or the quality of the dental laboratory that the dentist hires to make the crowns or veneers.

Some aspect of quality MUST be lowered if the fee is going to be lowered.

It just makes sense...The less you pay the less you will receive. And this is not news to anyone.