Can I offer out-of-pocket treatment to a DMO patient?
Yes, and most dentists never read far enough into their own contract to realize it. Check your provisions. Almost all of them say that once you have told the DMO patient which option the plan covers at no cost to them, you are free to present every other option at your regular out of pocket fees. If you can’t find that language, write the plan administrator or president directly and get it in writing. They almost always say go ahead, because if the patient elects something better, the plan pays nothing and everybody wins. Will every DMO patient upgrade? No, that’s not who picks a DMO. But if 10 to 15 percent do, that’s real money. Have the honest conversation and give them the choice.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.