INSURANCE-FREE?

As I travel the country speaking to dentists regarding a variety of subjects, from Cosmetic Dentistry to developing aspects of, or establishing a “Niche” cosmetic practice, the predominant issue dentists remark to me is that they are concerned with insurance. Specifically, how to become “insurance-free.”

According to the NADP (National Association Of Dental Plans), 160 million patients enjoy dental benefits amounting to over 64% of all dental dollars, and according to Roger Levin, a practice management consultant for over 900 medical and dental professionals, this figure is growing. Insurance is not going away, and is of great importance to dental professionals and patients.

Having been “free” of insurance since 1999, and the poster child for Dental Practice Report’s Mar/Apr 2000 “Insurance Free” issue, insurance has been a non-issue in my practice. So I sometimes forget the great consternation we experienced when planning this monstrous task. Assuming the risk, we embarked on our journey and began executing our plan to become “insurance-free.” As I am writing this story, I am conjuring up the same somatic feelings I had when we began to experience the pain and fallout resulting from our decision, before eventual freedom was won. I have alluded to this being a battle, and it is. Traditional dental practices are waging a constant battle with insurers and patients over benefits and allowances, with the dental practice absorbing much of the fallout.

Allow me to emphasize that freedom is what we all seek throughout life in one way or another.

In just about anything we do, we are seeking freedom. Freedom from illness, freedom from repression and government, freedom to enjoy our liberties. It is no different for dentists. At that point in our lives when we came to that “eureka” moment to become dentists, we decided to achieve the “freedom” awarded to that identity known as “dentist.” We wanted the freedom to have the education, income, skills, values, and lifestyle of that identity we suspected dentists enjoyed. Being “insurance-free,” is one professional freedom many desire, few achieve.

For a great many dentists, it seems insurance has been The largest obstacle to profitability, treatment acceptance, and professional satisfaction. Liberating ourselves from the “shackles of bondage” insurance appears to have on dentistry is a daunting, seemingly insurmountable task. Yet, many benefits await the practice willing to make this difficult decision and wage the battle. The goal of more freedom awaits the practitioner who can withstand the trials to become “insurance-free.”

What is Insurance-Free? What Freedoms?

I’ve discovered that “insurance-free” can mean different things to different dentists. I was recently reminded just how “free” our practice is when visiting a podiatrist for our daughter. We signed in on the clipboard behind the glass windows and