You went to dental school to learn how to provide exceptional oral health care to your patients, but you probably didn’t learn much about negotiating with insurance providers. As a private practice dentist, however, you need to understand how the PPO (preferred provider organization) system works so you can negotiate dental reimbursement rates that are adequate to ensure your practice continues to grow. At Everest Advocates, we are experts at helping dentists negotiate dental insurance rates, and we can help you understand the system to maximize your profits.
Build a Foundation for Your Negotiations
The best way to begin the negotiations process is to start with effective information. At Everest Advocates, that means we start by researching your practice, reviewing your current billing codes and services, and building a case for higher dental reimbursement rates. In addition, we will compile a list of all the insurance providers that interact with your dental practice, whether as an in-network provider, or an out-of-network provider. We gather information about when you started working with PPOs, how many patients you see that are part of each PPO plan and other pertinent information. We then develop a plan for your office that fits your needs.
Identify Areas Where you Have Leverage
An important part of any successful negotiation is understanding areas where you have leverage, so you can use that to improve your standing. Many providers are willing to negotiate fees as they improve their provider numbers in the areas they market. We can help them in this process.
We can also help you identify what kind of area you practice in, whether it’s a rural or metropolitan area. Medicaid offers higher dental reimbursement rates to providers who work more than 25 miles from a metropolitan area, so if you own a rural practice, Everest Advocates might be able to negotiate dental insurance rates that match the higher Medicaid reimbursement schedule.
Negotiations and Accepting Offers
Everest Advocates has the knowledge and experience to get you connected to the right people that will be able to sit down at the table and actually negotiate dental insurance rates. Once you get to this step, you can also rely on our experience to help you identify what offers are valuable, and which ones you should pass up, and get them all in writing so you have a new contract in place with effective dates that are clearly outlined
Revisit Negotiations Regularly
Once your new reimbursement rates are in place, the process isn’t over. It’s important that you continue to review your contracts every year to ensure that you are still getting the best possible dental reimbursement rates for your dental practice. Plus the experts at Everest Advocates can help you enforce the new fee schedule to ensure that your negotiation efforts are not wasted.
If you are tired of accepting the status quo when it comes to your reimbursement rates, call Everest Advocates to discover the secrets to effectively negotiate dental reimbursements that will increase your bottom line and help your practice grow. You can fill out our online form to request more information contact us directly at our office at 844.GO.4.APPS (844.464.2777).