The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

What You Need to Know About PPOs and IPAs

Episode #440 with Dr. Barrett Straub

There's an old story of what success looks like in dentistry. You're always busy, packed with patients, making millions, and have tons of PPOs. But if you're here listening, you already know something’s wrong with that picture. And in this special edition podcast, Kirk Behrendt and Dr. Barrett Straub introduce ACT’s new PPO Roadmap, a guide for insurance independence to help you work smarter without the fear of dropping bad PPOs. Don't stay stuck in high-volume dentistry! If you're ready to take control of your life and practice, listen to Episode 440 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Learn to work smarter, not just harder until burnout.

Don't chase patients and production without strategy.

You can provide great service without giving it away.

Knowledge will remove insurance independence fears.

Your life should always come first.

Quotes:

“We, as leaders, have egos. We have pride. And I think, sometimes, we tell ourselves, ‘I should or can be all things to all people. I should be the leader that can be a visionary and the implementor.’ And what I've learned through this is no one can be everything. No one can be perfect at all phases. And when you surround yourself with the right people that have skillsets that fill in your blind spots, it’s amazing. Not only can you accomplish more, but work is more enjoyable.” (11:50—12:23)

“We, by no means, are anti-PPO. We are pro-insurance independence. And so, sometimes, the narrative in dentistry becomes, ‘You've got to cut all your PPOs. You've got to become fee-for-service. It’s the only way to do it.’ And we love fee-for-service. I personally have been doing it my whole career. I love the model. However, every practice is unique, and every dentist is unique, and they’ve got to find their own sweet spot.” (17:05—17:32)

“We’re launching the idea of insurance independence. And what that means is you have enough payers, 100% payers, where you get 100% of your fee that if you stopped all your PPOs the next day, you could still be profitable enough to pay your bills.” (17:34—17:54)

“We all became dentists, and we bought our own practices, and we’re business owners, in part, for freedom. We want to control our own destiny. We want to practice the way we want, with who we want, on who we want.” (18:20—18:32)

“If we really think about the number of lives we can impact — a small impact, a great impact — every day, we come across so many people. It’s a great profession.” (19:11—19:21)

“When you sign up for a PPO, you're saying, ‘I accept a 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% discount. I'm going to write it off.’ And I'm willing to do that because the belief is that the volume of new patients or the volume of people accessing my practice, because I'm on the list, will outweigh the write-off. That, by definition, is a high-volume method. So, whether dentists know it or not, or made a conscious decision or not, they're in the high-volume game.” (21:31—22:07)

“Once you're in this vicious cycle of the high-volume game, it’s hard to get out because you're working harder — because you have all these patients that you need to see. And you've got to see a lot of them because you're writing off 30%. And when that happens, a patient that has no insurance that wants to pay you full fee, they can't get in for six weeks because your new patient schedule is booked out. So, they go elsewhere. And so, it becomes harder, and harder, and harder to break out of that. All the while, your margin is shrinking.” (24:46—25:17)

“Dentists, we need to stand back and look at our practices as if we’re a third party looking in and say, ‘Some of this stuff doesn't make sense. I have to think smarter and think differently about who I allow in my practice and the business...

Verbal Skills to Move Away from PPOs

Episode #439 with Jenni Poulos

Dropping bad PPOs can be daunting. But there is one thing you can do to make the process a little more comfortable — utilizing verbal skills. Different words carry different weight, and Kirk Behrendt brings back Jenni Poulos, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, to explain how a small change in language can make a big difference in perception. By improving your verbal skills, you will build trust, value, and confidence. And, ultimately, you will retain the patients you want to keep in your practice. To learn how, and to learn more about ACT’s free Say This, Not That resource, listen to Episode 439 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Language matters — your words carry weight.

Your team needs to be aligned on language.

Think of ways to phrase things with a positive spin.

Tell patients what you can do, not what you can't.

Eliminate fear and communicate confidently.

Quotes:

“The things that we say do carry a lot of weight. The language that we use — people have preconceived notions. They have stories that they tell around words. So, the language that we use matters. The safety that language can build, the trust that it can build, it is going to help your team navigate their own fear and stress around this and help move your patients through any fear and stress that they have about this transition [from PPOs]. So, you need to practice this, to lean into this, to give it plenty of time to have this transition be successful.” (3:14—3:50)

“The person that answers your phone doesn't represent your business — he or she is your whole business if I don't know you. And the care and skill and eloquence of someone at the phone determines a lot of your success.” (3:58—4:12)

“We don't think about this. Our clinical team comes in with extra school. Our hygiene comes in with extra school. And our administrators come in, and they are expected to execute a ton of tasks every day that they’ve received no additional training in. And we, as dentists, as managers, as those running the practice, we’re responsible for filling that gap and giving that training to our admin team members.” (4:41—5:12)

“Everyone on your team needs to be aligned around the language that you are using when you decide to make these transitions [from PPOs]. And you're going to practice, practice, practice, practice, and everyone is going to be comfortable and confident with the message that you're delivering.” (5:17—5:35)

“I absolutely believe that when we make the decision to transition away from PPO in-network status, this conversation begins chairside with our patients. There's a different level of trust that exists, oftentimes — not oftentimes, the majority of the time — between doc and patients, between hygienists and patients. And we don't want our admin bearing the brunt of this conversation. We want our clinical team to be starting the conversation about this transition [from PPOs] from a place of what our core values tell us about how we practice dentistry and why we are making this transition, and then we can move it up to the front for admin to fill in gaps.” (5:48—6:34)

“Many, many docs that I have been lucky enough to take through this transition of decreasing their dependency on insurance, the first question always is, ‘I don't even know where to begin this conversation.’ There's so much fear tied to it. And I would say, ‘What does it mean for you to practice dentistry with your core values at the forefront?’ Because when you can answer that question, you can succinctly tell your patients why this transition — because just like you said, you didn't get into dentistry to join a thousand PPOs and to write off a third of your paycheck. But I bet your core values tell you quite a bit about why you got into...

5 Reasons You Do Not Bill Medical for Dentistry

Episode #438 with Laurie Owens

There is a list of dental procedures that medical insurance might pay. So, why do dentists avoid billing medical? Today, Kirk Behrendt brings back Laurie Owens, director of medical billing at Devdent, to share five reasons you don't bill medical, why you should start, and what you can do to increase claim acceptance. And the benefits go beyond reimbursement! To learn how medical billing can add value to your practice, listen to Episode 438 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Get a complete health history of your patients.

Understand why a procedure needs to be done.

Ask the right questions — not yes or no questions.

Don't give up billing for medical after one try.

If your claim is denied, call and find out why.

Medical billing won't answer all of your problems.

Quotes:

“We sometimes are so rushed in dentistry that we forget that these are people with stories. And literally, medical billing is telling their story. And I think if we [don't] slow down a little bit and realize that there could be a story here, we’re not going to get it. We’re going to just rush, rush, rush, fill the schedule, and not realize there was a story that we missed.” (3:13—3:38)

“My number one [reason you don’t bill medical], you have an incomplete health history. And sometimes, it’s not the practice’s fault. But here’s what the patients think: ‘This doesn't have anything to do with my mouth.’ But are we asking? Are we making sure they understand the importance of — there's actually a video out by Delta Dental that talks about how many diseases the dentist can find. This is not something the medical doctor finds, it’s what the dentist can see. And people see their dentist more than their medical doctor. I've seen my dentist five times more than my doctor. So, if that's the case, and you know that these are all within the scope of your license, why should you not be paid for them?” (8:18—9:11)

“Are you letting your patients know, ‘This complete health history provides us enough information that if we can maximize your benefits through medical, we would have the documentation to do so’?” (10:11—10:22)

“We have to learn how [a health condition] has affected their lives in order to be able to tell the story. If you have a cancer patient, and now you're seeing them, and they can't eat because of the sores in their mouth, and you don't know it, how is that really effective treatment planning for a patient? It’s not. So, we have to ask them how these things have affected their lives, how they're physically feeling — especially if they have to change medications.” (13:04—13:35)

“A lot of people will say, ‘Well, it’s a lot of work.’ But did you know it could help your dental insurance claims too? By being thorough, you are helping your dental claims go through faster when you have all this documentation.” (14:10—14:25)

“In medical, they say, ‘If a patient says it, put it in quotes.’ You don't have to say that that's what you said. If the patient says it, put it in quotes. But asking the right question — quit asking yes or no. Ask them to tell you about it. ‘Tell me about when they found your diabetes. Tell me about when the doctor diagnosed that GERD for you. Tell me what happened. When was that? Were you older, younger? Did you have any other complications, other than what we’re sitting here for today? Tell me about that.’ They're always interested.” (14:27—15:04)

“[Reason] number three [for not billing medical], you're only looking to fill the schedule. Now, I'm all for filling the schedule. Please don't get me wrong. I agree, you should fill the schedule. But my number one is, if I say, ‘The doctor has some open time today,’ then, apparently, he’s not very good at his job. Or you're going to...

How to Create a Healthier, Happier, & Higher Performing Culture

Episode #437 with Judy Kay Mausolf

People want to work where they're happy. And if your existing team looks stressed and miserable, how can you attract the kind of people you want — or anyone — to work in your practice? It all starts with leadership, and Kirk Behrendt brings in Judy Kay Mausolf, known as “the velvet hammer,” and owner and president of Practice Solutions, to share ways to create a healthier, happier, higher performing practice. Do you want a happy career in dentistry? To find out how to achieve it, listen to Episode 437 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Build your practice around your core values.

Hire people based on your core values.

Gel your existing and new team members.

Set realistic agreements on how to interact.

Talk about things before it becomes an issue.

Constant communication is key.

Quotes:

“If your existing team members are stressed and they're not happy where they're working, how are you going to bring somebody new into that situation and keep them?” (10:14—10:21)

“Everybody says — I don't care what state I'm in — they're like, ‘Oh my gosh, Judy Kay, you don't get it. You can't buy team members.’ It’s like, yeah, you can if you try. But you can't just run a little ad that says, ‘Wanted, 8:00 to 5:00.’ You have to be creative. Some of the best ways to find team members are on Facebook, with the team doing videos and talking about, ‘Come join our team! Hey, we’re really a fun place to work.’ And it might also mean that we’re investing outside the dental industry. We’ve kept the dental industry a secret. We haven't really shared what an amazing career it could be.” (10:22—11:00)

“[Your practice] has to be healthy. We have to be able to come to work and work in an environment where we feel safe, where we can trust leadership, where we feel respected, we feel appreciated. Those are conceptual words, so often, that aren't attached to actions. And that's one of the things that, in the Culture Camp, we define, ‘What does that look like? Don't just use the word. If we’re going to show each other respect, how do we show each other respect on a daily basis? What does that look like in measurable actions?’ And there's not a separate standard for the doctors. Everybody’s on the same page when it comes to this.” (22:31—23:15)

“What's the attitude? What's the energy we bring in the door when we step across the threshold? We’re responsible for that energy. And if we’re a doctor or manager, we are the leaders. We have to set the tone. We have to lead by example.” (23:16—23:27)

“We want to attract people that want to work in our practice. We want to have the best of the best in the industry. And if it’s a healthy place to work — people want to go where they're happy. I mean, it’s as simple as that.” (23:31—23:41)

“People think happy is fluff, but it’s not. And happy isn't just about — you can't just say, ‘Be happy, damn it!’ It doesn't work that way. You have to get rid of stress. You have to build respect and trust. And those are key in feeling happy in the practice.” (23:42—23:58)

“Happy is the attitude and the fun. We teach body patterns, changing body patterns when we’re stressed to positive body patterns. We talk about what are some things we can do for each other to lift each other up if we have interesting patients. And what do we do when the wheels do fall off? How do we not kick each other and support each other? Because the wheels are going to fall off.” (24:02—24:33)

“High performing is about the communication being everything. How do we keep each other in the loop, and what are things that we need to create as part of processes that happen consistently so that we don't get so busy that we don't take the time? Because that's what I hear all

Understanding Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry

Episode #436 with Dr. Marty Jablow

Artificial intelligence isn't taking over dentistry — yet. But it is changing what dentists can do. AI can enhance your dentistry, and Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Marty Jablow, president of Dental Technology Solutions and “America’s dental technology coach,” to explain how AI can improve diagnosis, boost treatment planning, and help you to help your patients in brand new ways. If you want to take your dentistry from Jurassic Park to state-of-the-art, listen to Episode 436 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

AI is an enhancement for dentists, not a replacement.

Understand why you need a particular piece of technology.

Ask yourself what the technology is going to do for you.

Choose the technology that is right for your practice.

You don't need a high budget to be high tech.

Don't be on the trailing end of technology.

Quotes:

“We’re in a place now where we’re not necessarily doing something new, we’re just finding better and more efficient ways to do them.” (4:10—4:18)

“If we take it out of dentistry, there are many places — there's radiology of the brain and things like that — where [AI is] as good as a radiologist. What that does is it opens it up for other people in places that may not have that expertise to get that expertise. If I'm in some unforsaken place that doesn't have that kind of person available, well, that may mean that I can use this AI to make a better diagnosis than I would maybe on my own.” (9:23—9:53)

“When I've used [AI] real-time in my office, it might point out areas that I need to look at. It’s not necessarily making the final diagnosis. That is still left to me. Takes a human being to do that. It’s complex. But with that, it points out areas that are suspect. And with that, then I can use other data points — see, that's the whole thing. To me, it’s all about how many data points can I have to make the best decision possible. Well, the AI is looking at these radiographs and making that determination from the radiograph.” (9:55—10:34)

“Ultimately, do I think [AI] will lead to a decrease in dentists? Yes. Will it be any time in the next 10 years? The answer is probably no. But ultimately, yes, because technology is going to catch up with a lot of things. It won't catch up with abuse, neglect, and all of those things. That, it won't be. And accidents. But what it will do, and I've seen some of this, we’re going to have more precision in what we do.” (13:08—13:36)

“If I can place something in a patient’s mouth and have a laser drill the very minimum to get things accomplished, and then restore it almost in the exact same manner, it’s going to be beneficial to everyone.” (13:42—13:56)

“[AI] may not take the doctor out of the room — it’s the number of doctors that you need in the room.” (14:44—14:49)

“Whenever you're going to implement or want to acquire new technology, there's one important question: what is it going to do for you? That's first off. And then, is there an ROI? Now, not all ROI is necessarily money. Sometimes, dentists need something to kick them in the butt to get excited about dentistry again, or something new and different, or that kind of thing. So, when I look at that, I kind of look at it the same way. But the first thing is, what are you asking it to do for you? Is it going to make your life more efficient? Is it going to give you better treatment? Is it going to give you better outcomes? What is it going to do? Because if you can't answer that question, why do you need it?” (16:40—17:25)

“You have to pick what works for you. And why do you do it? So, an example would be, depending on the cost of your crown, can you make enough money to justify the mill? I think everybody can justify an intraoral scanner. But...

Selling Your Practice Under Ideal Conditions or Under Duress

Episode #435 with Paul Sletten

Selling is one of the most important things you will do in your practice life. But whether you're the seller or the buyer, you want to ensure ideal conditions. And to help you in that process, Kirk Behrendt brings back Paul Sletten from the Sletten Group to share his expert advice so you can plan, prepare, and transition successfully. You will likely sell your practice only once. To learn how to do it right and under the best conditions, listen to Episode 435 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Have a plan for selling under ideal conditions.

Also have a plan for selling while under duress.

Be prepared so that you have more options.

Buying from needy sellers is very dangerous.

Fixer-uppers are usually dangerous situations.

Don't buy or sell on your own — get an expert!

Quotes:

“If the seller comes to the closing table in a financially needy position, they’ve got to score a big win. Look out, buyer. Because it’s liable to be a biased process, a stacked deck, if you will, because they’ve got to scratch every cent out of the sale of that practice.” (3:33—3:55)

“If they’ve done a great job planning and implementing their plan financially over their career, the sale of the practice — even though it’s a big number, typically, in a healthy practice — is really only the icing on the cake. So, if you're going to have a win-win outcome, you can't have someone needy sitting at that closing table.” (3:57—4:19)

“I think an ideal selling price for a practice is what a talented buyer can afford to pay for it. Reducing the debt, retiring a debt over a reasonable period of time, say seven to 10 years, and getting an ever-improving lifestyle in the process so they're not an indentured servant while they're paying off the practice, I think that's what a practice is worth.” (5:17—5:46)

“I don't think I can ask [a dentist if they need the money from the sale] early in the process. But as you're going through the process, certainly. That's a question we ask everyone that we’re helping to sell a practice, ‘What kind of condition are you in for your retirement, and what sort of a contribution does the sale of your practice need to make?’ And we get right on that topic upfront. And sometimes, in those situations — sometimes, not always — the seller is going to come to us and literally tell us upfront, ‘Here’s what I need out of the sale of my practice.’ And we very nicely let them know that this isn't the way it works. Your practice is going to be worth what it’s worth based on a whole bunch of criteria, and we’re going to do a formal practice valuation.” (7:06—8:03)

“Ideal conditions would be where you have a healthy owner and a practice trending well. Maybe it’s a little bit flat, but it’s not in decline. So, it’s a healthy practice. You've got a good team in place; you have a good reputation; you have a good net profit; you have good patient numbers. Or in the case of a specialty practice, you've got a good referral base and that kind of thing. So, it’s all systems-go. It’s something that someone is going to be able to step into and ride it into their own successful career because it’s really doing well. That's what we call ideal conditions.”  (8:19—9:07)

“Duress is when the owner of the practice is ill, or is injured, or had died, and the practice has been impacted in a huge way by those conditions. And so, here, you have a real high, strong sense of urgency to get it sold as fast as you possibly can. You still want to sell it to the right person and all of that. But everybody needs to have a plan for selling under ideal conditions, and a plan for what to do if something bad happens, God forbid.” (9:11—9:53)

“We’ve had so many situations that we’ve had to deal...

It’s OK to Not Be OK

Episode #434 with Dr. Gina Dorfman

How much do you trust your team members? Do you question their abilities, or do you find them capable? Do you delegate, or do you feel better off doing everything yourself? If there is one ingredient for success in anything, it’s trust. And Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Gina Dorfman, co-founder and CEO of YAPI, to reveal how trusting her team at the highest level led to running multiple successful businesses. For her advice on how to build the ultimate dream team, listen to Episode 434 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Find the right people for your practice.

Share your vision with your team.

Trust your team of being capable.

Designate adequate time for training.

Give them the right to make decisions.

Quotes:

“People always ask me one question, ‘How do you get all of this done?’ And the secret is, I don't do anything. I just have people around me who are absolutely amazing.” (4:47—5:00)

“I'm nobody without the people around me. And I sincerely mean it.” (5:18—5:24)

“First, it starts with vision. If we want our people to come to work and build what we want them to build, our vision needs to trickle down to them. And we’re doing a very, very bad job at doing this as a profession, as dentists, because we talk to our patients and — I mean, I get it. Throughout the day, we hear things like, ‘Doc, this tooth didn't hurt until you touched it. And nothing personal, but I don't like the dentist.’ And so, what we do is we hide. We hide in our offices.” (10:46—11:27)

“We tell the story to ourselves that unless we do it ourselves, no one is going to do it better than us. And even if they could, by the time I teach them how to do it, and by the time we get all the quirks solved, it’s better and faster to do it ourselves. That's a bad story.” (13:23—13:50)

“You [start to believe the story you tell yourself]. And you believe them so much that you keep telling those stories to yourself. And your team starts to believe those stories because they see that you have no confidence in them.” (14:12—14:24)

“You have to delegate, and you have to trust your team to get the job done.” (16:32—16:39)

“Dr. Howard Farran says that you have to delegate authority. And in my office, we call it a $200 decision. So, in my office, every team member has the right to make a decision. And if I lose $200 because of that decision, it’s going to be just fine. The worst thing that can happen is they come to me asking questions all the time, because then I can never leave the office. How can I go to Maui for 30 days? How can I run a software company if my team cannot make decisions without me being there?” (16:41—17:24)

“We’re struggling to even hire people right now. But I think the fact that we are afraid to delegate, and we’re doing a lot of jobs that are beyond our pay grade, I think that's a problem for us.” (17:51—18:06)

“You have to have the right person with the right training. And I see it all the time. It’s like, ‘Oh, well, if the hygienist has downtime, she should call the recall.’ Uh-uh. No. No — not unless she has the right verbal skills.” (19:21—19:37)

“How many people get to answer a phone in a dental practice before they get trained on doing that?” (20:08—20:15)

“I cannot tell you how many times we've trained an entire team on how to use a software that is designed for the whole team to use while they're still checking patients and doing things. And I get it, production is important. But it’s also important to delegate time to non-production, training your team to getting better.” (21:16—21:41)

“When you have 20 years of people liking you, you're doing something right. I have seven associates, and all of them have been referred to me by previous associates. That's — you're doing...

How to Not Spend Money on Marketing and Still Get Great Results

Episode #433 with Minal Sampat, RDH

You don't need to spend a crazy amount of money to market effectively. Whether you're a new practice with little money to spend, or an established practice looking to change your marketing strategy, today’s episode is for you! Kirk Behrendt brings in Minal Sampat, author of Why Your Marketing is Killing Your Business, to share some of her marketing secrets that you can start implementing today. To master effective marketing for different budgets, listen to Episode 433 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Understand your target audience and how to speak to them.

Know which marketing strategies will work for your practice.

Your current patients are the top two for new patient referrals.

Find ways to internally market to your current, loyal patients.

Avoid overspending on websites and things you don't need.

Don't be afraid to try new things.

Quotes:

“The reality is, all marketing works, and all marketing does not work. There are practices and companies out there who will say, ‘Do print mailers! Print mailers are amazing! We get hundreds of patients from it.’ And then, we have practices that are like, ‘Absolutely not — never do print mailers! They're horrible for us! They never work for us!’ It’s true with everything. So, what is right for you? What is not right for you? How do you get around it? And what I realized was that my real success came from not adding more marketing but leveraging the marketing businesses were doing, specifically, practices were doing.” (7:30—8:02)

“The number-one thing in marketing is, know your audience. But in our field, in dentistry, we never talk about knowing your audience. When I ask a GP practice who your audience is, they're like, ‘Well, age two to 85, whoever comes in.’ But that's five different generations. They all react to things differently. They buy differently.” (10:41—10:58)

“Video is powerful because they get to see you. They get to connect with you. They get to see your smile. They get to see who you are as an individual. You could do the makeup. You could add the filters. You could do all of that. But the video is something where your personality is going to come through.” (11:25—11:41)

“According to Forbes, the average user spends 88% more time on a website with a video than without. Why? Because we’re nosy people. Think about it. All the listeners who are listening, if you go to a website and there's a video, you press the play button. You just do, every time, because we are nosy people. That's why social media is so successful. But when your website does not have a video, you just keep scrolling.” (13:08—13:34)

“I would help practices who call me and say, ‘Minal, we need to get on social media! Can you help us?’ Now, I am a social media coach. So, clearly, from a business perspective, I should say, ‘Of course! 100%, get on social media!’ But I never say that. I always come down and say, ‘Why do you want social media? Why do you think you need it? Do you need it because your competition has it? Do you need it because your granddaughter is telling you you need to be on TikTok? What is the reason behind it?’ And they're like, ‘I don't know. We just keep hearing it.’” (13:43—14:09)

“Where are your patients coming from? Who are your patients? And let's say that we run a whole analysis, and they're like, ‘Well, the majority of our patients are in the senior population. We have X, Y, and Z, 65 and above patients. That's our bread and butter. That's who we see.’ So, I'm like, ‘Okay. Well, if that's the case, then we have to break this down and say, where do I spend money? Do I go to TikTok? Do I go to Facebook? Do I go to Instagram?’ And then, you start figuring things out and say,...

Trends in Insurance Reimbursement

Episode #432 with Dr. Roy Shelburne

Everything you know about dental insurance today — well, it may be different tomorrow! So, to help you stay ahead of the trends and changes and protect your practice, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Roy Shelburne to share his expert advice. There are ways you can maximize your reimbursement, and it starts with one thing: read and understand your contracts! If you want to collect every cent you're entitled to, listen to Episode 432 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Dental insurance rules are constantly changing.

Always read and understand your contracts.

Double and triple-check your documentation.

Audits are done for a reason, not at random.  

Be prepared when communicating with insurance.

Quotes:

“What you know about dental insurance today, the rules are going to change tomorrow. The codes are going to change tomorrow. So, we have to continually keep our focus on understanding and doing it correctly.” (4:36—4:52)

“[Insurance companies] like claims that are clean. They don't like to have to send it back and ask for other information. It’s harder for them and it’s more expensive for them. So, that's the reason why they're concerned about having it done the right way.” (8:29—8:42)

“So many dentists look at the contract and only review the fee schedule and think, ‘Okay, I can live with this fee schedule.’ But, in fact, there are all kinds of other limitations or restrictions on that plan that have a broader effect on the reimbursement scheme. So, they aren't aware. It’s like, ‘Well, this says it’s going to pay at this amount.’ However, there's also a different section in that contract that says, ‘Oh, and by the way, under this situation, we can't pay. Under this situation, we can't pay.’ So, it’s understanding, first off, the restrictions and limitations not only in the fee schedule, but also the way the contract is set up.” (9:18—9:59)

“The contract, primarily, is seldom read. Or if it’s read, it’s misunderstood. And secondarily, the contract that you've signed with the insurance company gives them the right to change that contract with 30 days’ notice. So, not only have dentists not read the contract when they signed on originally, those letters that the insurance companies send to their network dentists periodically could have some very significant modifications to that contract where they're letting you know it’s changing, and the person who gets that letter, or the doctor who gets that letter, looks at it and goes, ‘This is junk mail,’ dumps it in the trash can, when the contract has been changed and it’s been disclosed in that letter that you haven't read.” (10:14—10:56)

“The concern is, we’re talking about inflation and how it is now increasing at a not foreseen rate. Maybe, what was it, in the ‘80s, it was similar to this? But now, do the costs for dentists go down? Absolutely not, as far as you have to pay teams more money. We have to be competitive in the employment market today. And as far as the supplies, they’ve gone out the roof. And what has been the trend with reimbursement? Has it increased? No. Absolutely, it’s going down. How do you make that work? How do you work harder and make less? And how many additional patients do you have to see, and what's your capacity?” (13:39—14:33)

“As far as the EOB, I think it’s meant to be obtuse, to be able to not follow. The more confused you are, the less likely you are to go ahead and counter, to appeal that denial.” (18:34—18:46)

“Ignorance is no excuse. And honestly, the bottom line, you're going to bleed a whole lot of money on the table if you don't pay attention.” (20:30—20:36)

“In my experience, although they say it’s a random audit, I don't think that's a thing. It’s an audit that is caused,...

There is No “Plan B”

Episode #431 with Dr. Zachary Sisler

We’re conditioned to have a plan B, just in case. But if you're putting time and energy into plan B, then plan A is doomed to fail! And to prevent that from happening, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Zachary Sisler to share how you can create the best plan A for your life and practice. Remember, there is no plan B — just invest and succeed in plan A! For advice on how to make that happen, listen to Episode 431 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Give your time and energy to plan A.

Plan A needs to continuously evolve.

Commit to the process for progress.

Don't have a plan B with office hours.

You don't need a plan B with PPOs.

Become super clear with your vision.

Have clarity about who you are.

Quotes:

“When you learn the importance of “there is no plan B” and all your attention goes into plan A, you realize how much time and effort and energy you're going to have to put into it.” (2:33—2:44)

“I think there's this tendency to, ‘Well, what if my initial plan doesn't pan out? I do have to have some kind of backup. I do have to have some sort of . . .’ I'm like, ‘Well, if you need a backup from the moment you start, are you really as clear as what you think you are on your vision, or clear as what you think you are in how you're going to take this practice to where you want to take it?’” (4:05—4:28)

“The moment I take my energy off of plan A and focus it to plan B, plan A is doomed to fail.” (4:32—4:37)

“The quote from Atomic Habits is, it’s about your commitment to the process that determines your progress. So, to me, getting better in those finite little elements each day, one little aspect, pays dividends exponentially in the end.” (9:01—9:22)

“I think you can do a my-way-or-the-highway in a loving approach. So, the way I would say that is, when we faced resistance, it wasn't like, ‘You don't want what we’ve got to offer. Get out.’ No, it’s not that. You're still giving them, ‘Hey, you know what? We care about you. We wouldn't recommend this if it really wasn't in your best interest. So, someday, when you're ready, we’re going to be here for you.’ That right there has planted so many seeds and, really, just going on good faith, has provided so many benefits for our practice.” (13:51—14:28)

“There was no plan B with [setting my office hours]. And was it scary? Yeah, it was scary. You sit back and you think, ‘Oh, man. What's going to happen?’ But again, I think we related it back to our core values and our vision. So, when we say that we want to be relational with people, when we say that we want them to feel uplifted when they come into the office, it’s not just because I want that at the office. I want my family to feel that too. And guess what? My family needs to see me other than at 9:00 p.m. on a Thursday night when I got off work. I want them to get some of the best hours too.” (17:08—17:45)

“You need to figure out what you want your life to look like, and then revolve your plan around that. So, what I mean is, I went to dental school with people who, as they were coming out of school, they were like, ‘I'm only going here. I'm going back to where my family is at. That's my only option,’ and they weren't very open-minded from the standpoint of what their vision was. And some people might say, ‘Well, they were committed to that plan.’ I'm like, ‘Yes, but it’s because that's all they ever knew. It’s the only area they ever grew up in. They only know where all the grocery stores are.’ So, to a degree, when you're figuring out your vision, part of it is, envision as if you could have the life you always wanted. And then, work backwards from that.” (22:57—23:55)

“For these young dentists who are sitting there thinking like, ‘I don't even know what to...