Handling the Insurance Objection

There is one question that can kill the entire case presentation - “Will my insurance cover this?” Many offices get off track when the patient asks this question. Instead of following through with treatment recommendations or finding out if there are other objections, they pass the patient to another team member to talk about insurance. They assume that if the answer to the insurance question is ‘no’ that the patient won’t want treatment. This is not the time to end the conversation with the patient; it is really when the treatment conversation should begin.

There is a very simple way to approach the insurance objection. Simply say: “With any insurance it is a possibility that a recommended treatment may not be covered. However, the cost of not getting treatment will be much higher.” Tell your patient that “insurance is designed to maintain a healthy mouth. If you need a restorative procedure like a root canal, insurance only provides a minimal cushion to help. But, once your mouth is healthy, your insurance will help you keep it that way.” When this can be said by the doctor, it is so powerful.

Make sure that you are thorough in telling the patient what the risks are for NOT getting treatment. Patients will naturally want to avoid future pain or the possibility of more extensive work that may result from not getting recommended treatment. The conversation becomes less about insurance and more about the patient’s health – which is exactly where you want the conversation to go.

By taking the insurance question head on you will have higher case acceptance and healthier patients.