Do patients ever read the paperwork their dentist office gives them?!
Question: Do patients ever read the paperwork their dentist office gives them!?
Along with the standard new patient paperwork (Personal info and medical history), we provide all our patients will certain financial policies or insurance information!. The forms are written in normal everyday terminology, not dental or insurance terms, and actually go into detail to help patients understand how dental insurance works and how our office deals with dental insurance!. I am really beginning to wonder if anyone actually reads these papers, because at least twice a day I have a new patient question me about something and I know that it was on the paperwork that we just gave them!. They usually aren't asking for clarification, but are questioning things I say about their insurance, which I know were clearly explained in the paperwork we gave them to sign!.
I'm just curious, do people usually read the paperwork before they sign it or do they just skim over it and sign without knowing what it says!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm just curious, do people usually read the paperwork before they sign it or do they just skim over it and sign without knowing what it says!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I've worked for an Endodotist and my brother who's a Cardiologist!. And know what you mean!. But I think it's a combo of other things as well!. To some why read what you can ask!. But to others they don't really understand the whole insurance thing!. Or they either can't read or have trouble with reading and their to embrassed to say anything!. So they just ask!. What most think their to pay is different then what they pay!. Example: When the insurance company say they will pay 80% of an exam doesn't mean the same we take it as!. How they work it is this: Say you went to the doctors and the bill was $100!. The insurance company will only pay 80% of what they think the bill should be!. So if they think your exam should only cost $40 instead of $100 then they will pay 80% of $40!. Not $100!. Which is about $32!. You are then left paying the difference unless you have a HMO insurance plan with a co-pay!. Your co-pay is all you payreguardless of the bill amount!. There are some procedures that may cost more and you may have to pay not just your co-pay but also a same amount of the difference!. Like some Radiologist readings aren't always covered and they will bill you and you have to apy!. There's alot of loop holes in the system and lots of physicans offices use them!. Here's an example of that!. Don't be surprise by this either!. Medicare and Medicaid!. Your on one of these!. You go to the doctors!. The bill is $100!. Medicare/Medcaid decide the cost should have only been $40!. So they pay the 80% of the $40 charged!. Which they pay $32!. Ok the office can charged you the difference between the full charge of $100 and the $40 they say it should be!. Causing you to pay $60 for your visit!. Yeah I know it sucks!. People on these insurances don't know that can be charged the difference until they get a bill!. How do I know this!? Because when I worked for my brother his wife work for him too!. She was a nurse and greedy as the word B*T*H!. She went to a seminar on it and came back gimming that she could charge the difference!. And she did!. Their was nothing the patients could do!. Can you believe that these old pepole on Medicare had to pay more money they didn't have cause of this!? So if anyone has questions then they need to start calling their insurance company and ask every quetion until they understand everything!. Or they need to go to their Human Resource Office and find out who handles the insurance and ask them!. Find out if your on an HMO or a PPO plan or if you even have either one!. There's still companys that you still pay 400+ a month for coverage and still have to pay a deductable!. Like you may have to pay the first 1,000 buck before the insurance will even kick in for the year!. Then if you have question start asking your employer or the insurance company themsleves!. And start reading all the information!. When people do this they can learn what they have and that there's a possiblity they might owe money before they have an exam of any kind!. Understand what your insurance plan is and what they cover!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Nope!.They never read these documents!. I worked in a dental office for 3 months and i wanted to slap some sense into the patients!. We would give them the HIPPA form, what we cover and dont cover and at the end they dont pay attention!. They sign, give back the forms and expect the greatest service possible since they were investing their time into this visit!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Probably not!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
HAHA I NEVER READ MY PAPER WORK !Www@Answer-Health@Com
The answer is no, people don't typically read the paperwork given at the dentist's office!. Dental insurance is kind of confusing to the average Joe!. Most dental offices are out of network and it makes you wonder why even have dental insurance!. The reading the paperwork issue is out of laziness and the overload of information!. Every time someone walks into a doctor's or dentist's office, they're handed something to read and often multiple things!. Sometimes it's the privacy policy and most people stop reading half way down the page!. Combine that with all of the information we're bombarded with on a daily basis and you have information overload!. Basically, it's easier for people to ask rather than read!.
On our web site we have online courses!. There is an extensive section for FAQs yet people still call with the same questions over and over again!. That's fine because we hire customer service reps and encourage them to call!. However, it's the same in that people have the information in front of them and would still rather speak with someone rather than hunt through a document to find the answer!.
The other thing in your situation is that maybe they haven't read the document yet!. If you give it them when they come and then they have the dental work done!. They may not have read between the time it was given to them and the time they are ready to leave!. I'm sure there are also some people who think you may give them a price break if they play dumb after the fact!. Just my humble opinion!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
On our web site we have online courses!. There is an extensive section for FAQs yet people still call with the same questions over and over again!. That's fine because we hire customer service reps and encourage them to call!. However, it's the same in that people have the information in front of them and would still rather speak with someone rather than hunt through a document to find the answer!.
The other thing in your situation is that maybe they haven't read the document yet!. If you give it them when they come and then they have the dental work done!. They may not have read between the time it was given to them and the time they are ready to leave!. I'm sure there are also some people who think you may give them a price break if they play dumb after the fact!. Just my humble opinion!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
people in general don't always read the paperwork, kind of like how most people don't read their credit card agreements or additional paperwork other than their statement from their bank!. maybe if there were checkpoints or something that gave an overview!.!.!. people can often just be lazy!. Also, consider the source!. If they were referred to your office, they might assume it's because of a network affiliation but at the end of the day, there's a contract in place and they've gotta pay!.!.!. no fraud on your office's part, they're just dense!. ;]Www@Answer-Health@Com
For the most part as far as the paperwork I am guilty of only scanning over it!. Not all dentists take all insurances so i make sure and ask at the begining of the appointment if i am covered and how much the total will be ahead of time!. If you tell them as well as give them the paperwork then they are left with no choice but to pay!. If they didn't read the papers nor listen to someone telling them that they are not completly covered then it's their own fault!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
They don't read it!. In my office we also give out information sheets about dental insurance, because we are also out-of-network!. I too get questioned on a daily basis about insurance issues when it is stated in black and white in their new patient paper work!.
This was the worst case of a patient not listening to us, not knowing his own insurance and not reading the paper work- This woman called up and wanted to make an appointment for her husband to get a filling!. It was explained to her that we could not schedule him for a filling until he had an exam and xrays and our doctor diagnosed the filling!. She was also told over the phone that we were not in-network with their insurance!. The guy comes in, I take all his xrays and the doctor does the exam!. He asked the doctor was he going to do his filling, BEFORE he even knew what his cost was going to be on it!. The dentist told him that I would go over that with him and left!. I explained that we needed to go over fees first, so that everything was understood as far as what he would have to pay that day!. When I gave him his treatment plan, he started questioning why he was having to pay more than 20% for the filling!. I explained that we were out-of-network and that his insurance didn't cover 80% of our fees!. He argued that #1 we never told him that we were out-of-network, even though we had not only told his wife but also had told him in the new patient paper work and then #2 that his insurance paid 80% of fillings no matter where he went and that he didn't have a deductible!. I showed him that his insurance had faxed us a benefit sheet showing that he had a $50 deductible and also that they paid based on UCR!. I tried to explain that insurance companies have their own set of fees, and won't simply allow a dentist to set any fee they want and still pay 80% of that fee!. He kept arguing and I finally told him that the longer we sat there debating over his insurance coverage, the less time we would have to do the filling!. He wouldn't stop arguing with me and I finally suggested that he call his insurance company and verify what I was saying!. He called us con-artists and said we were trying to rip him off!. My dentist had to escort him out of the office!. The guy had the nerve to come back the next day and demand that we hand over his complete chart!. We explained to him that state law requires us to keep the original chart and xrays and that we would have to make him a copy of the xrays which we require 48 hrs advance notice to do (Even though our state allows us 30 days notice) and that we charge a $10!.00 duplication fee (Even though the state would have allowed us to charge $25 for the FMX and $25 for the pano, plus up to $20 for the papers)!. He said that he was going to tell his new dentist that we refused to give him his chart!.
People don't read what they are given, but then they want to scream and yell when it gets thrown up in their face!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
This was the worst case of a patient not listening to us, not knowing his own insurance and not reading the paper work- This woman called up and wanted to make an appointment for her husband to get a filling!. It was explained to her that we could not schedule him for a filling until he had an exam and xrays and our doctor diagnosed the filling!. She was also told over the phone that we were not in-network with their insurance!. The guy comes in, I take all his xrays and the doctor does the exam!. He asked the doctor was he going to do his filling, BEFORE he even knew what his cost was going to be on it!. The dentist told him that I would go over that with him and left!. I explained that we needed to go over fees first, so that everything was understood as far as what he would have to pay that day!. When I gave him his treatment plan, he started questioning why he was having to pay more than 20% for the filling!. I explained that we were out-of-network and that his insurance didn't cover 80% of our fees!. He argued that #1 we never told him that we were out-of-network, even though we had not only told his wife but also had told him in the new patient paper work and then #2 that his insurance paid 80% of fillings no matter where he went and that he didn't have a deductible!. I showed him that his insurance had faxed us a benefit sheet showing that he had a $50 deductible and also that they paid based on UCR!. I tried to explain that insurance companies have their own set of fees, and won't simply allow a dentist to set any fee they want and still pay 80% of that fee!. He kept arguing and I finally told him that the longer we sat there debating over his insurance coverage, the less time we would have to do the filling!. He wouldn't stop arguing with me and I finally suggested that he call his insurance company and verify what I was saying!. He called us con-artists and said we were trying to rip him off!. My dentist had to escort him out of the office!. The guy had the nerve to come back the next day and demand that we hand over his complete chart!. We explained to him that state law requires us to keep the original chart and xrays and that we would have to make him a copy of the xrays which we require 48 hrs advance notice to do (Even though our state allows us 30 days notice) and that we charge a $10!.00 duplication fee (Even though the state would have allowed us to charge $25 for the FMX and $25 for the pano, plus up to $20 for the papers)!. He said that he was going to tell his new dentist that we refused to give him his chart!.
People don't read what they are given, but then they want to scream and yell when it gets thrown up in their face!.Www@Answer-Health@Com