Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Industry Practice Matters DENTAL TRIBUNE | OctOber 20116A How health-care financing works for practices and patients A 2011 report released by the Institute of Medi- cine, Advancing Oral Health in America, indicates that uneven and limited access to dental health care and coverage is a major factor contributing to the poor state of oral health across the nation. Especially in today’s economic climate, it’s no surprise that financial concerns are a major obsta- cle for patients in getting the dental treatments they need. Not everyone is covered by insurance, and patient costs are high. As a result, patients will often delay treatment or ignore provider recom- mendations and choose less than ideal procedures. But when outside financing options are avail- able, patients have the opportunity to start treat- ments they might otherwise delay. And, they will usually choose more comprehensive procedures because they can spread payments out over time. Providers, nonetheless, still find themselves asking why a patient financing program would benefit their bottom line, especially when they already accept major credit cards. The financing experts at Citi® have partnered with Henry Schein, the largest distributor of health care products and services to office-based practitioners, to demon- strate the advantages available to practices and their patients through the Citi Health Card Pro- gram. Boost business There has never been a better time for dentists to increase both optimal treatment acceptance and procedures, all while reducing costs for their prac- tice. Thousands of health care providers in various industries already use patient payment plans to bring more success to their practices. And for over 16 years, Citibank and Henry Schein have backed such convenient plans. The Citi Health Card is a perfect example. Its payment plans are designed to increase sales, create patient loyalty and generate first-time pur- chases. In addition, the program improves cash flow by expediting the payment process for provid- ers, as treatment fees are electronically deposited within two to three business days. Because of this, providers are able to stay focused on patient care, rather than collections. Also, the card offers the lowest no- interest and budget plan merchant discount rates in the dental industry, giving practices the potential to save money over other credit card or payment programs. And, there are no enrollment fees, mini- mum volume requirements or special equipment requirements. New features include an Internet-based system for faster application and transaction process- ing, system-generated transaction receipts, online reporting and management tools, and security features that protect staff access and account information. Ultimately, dental practices and patients who participate in the Citi Health Card Program have the freedom to make treatment decisions based more on health care concerns and less on financial ones. Patients can finance treatments or additional procedures, and it’s just one more reason for them to stay loyal to a practice. Help patients Having a separate account for health care treat- ments gives patients peace of mind by allowing them to concentrate on their health instead of financial concerns. The Citi Health Card gives them flexible pay- ment plans that enable patients to get the care and treatments they need right now, and down the road. Patients value the flexibility of low monthly payments and no down payment. Plus, the card can be used as needed for additional treatments and for other family members. The program also provides patients the ben- efit of having a separate revolving credit card for health care expenses so they can keep their bank-card credit lines available for everyday use. Get started Citi Health Card’s patient financing program makes the patient application process easy. Pro- viders or patients can submit consumer applica- tions by phone or online, and eligibility deci- sions are made quickly so treatments can begin immediately. Get support Participating providers receive comprehensive program information, including simple train- ing guides and sales presentations for patients. Complete training and support materials are available online, and enrollment comes with access to online resources that help train new staff members and maximize the benefits of the program. The program also features dedicated custom- er service support as well as daily and monthly settlement reporting. Dental providers who are interested in enroll- ment or additional information should call (800) 443-2756. DT (Photo/Provided by Citi Health) ticipation in the conference. Following the initial three days of live online presentations, recordings of the webcasts will remain acces- sible to active-AMED-member regis- trants for up to three years (as long as the content remains current and accurate). AMED membership is not required to register for the virtual conference, but members receive a discount. Guest registrants have access to the recorded presentations for 30 additional days following the live webcasts. Visit microscopedentistry. com/meeting11 for registration details. Dental Tribune America readers can use the code NM-DTRIBUNE to extend early bird pricing to Nov. 1. Goal is global collaboration Nathan Skaggs, an AMED adminis- trator, says a primary reason behind going virtual with the meeting is to “open up forums for research and sci- entific exploration so we can collabo- rate around the world. It’s a unique strategy for people to participate with AMED from around the globe — at a reduced cost.” On the live meeting days, the AMED website will feature three sep- arate tracks of live webcasts stream- ing simultaneously from presenters in locations around the world. Attendees will be able to post questions and comments visible to the presenter and other viewers during and follow- ing individual presentations. Viewers aren’t locked in to any single track and can jump back and forth based on their interests. Skaggs says the presentations’ interactive component also will be part of the recordings, which will archive to the site after the live streams. Presenters will continue to be available for questions and com- ments as long as the presentation remains on the site. Previous and new viewers will be encouraged to con- tinue discussions via the site. In a sense, the approach means the conference won’t really end after the three days. In fact, Skaggs says AMED plans to post presentations from a previous annual session held in Japan to open that event to a broader audi- ence. Ultimately, the website might have several recorded conferences available and open for registration. Skaggs says AMED will continue to host physical events, too, but will like- ly include live and recorded streams as part of such events. C.E. credit available A total of 30 C.E. credits are poten- tially available through viewing the webcasts. Those viewing live web- casts will receive certificates of atten- dance. Self-instructional C.E. credits are available to those who complete the required qualification steps after viewing recorded webcasts. Individu- als pursuing C.E. credit are encour- aged to check with their licensing board to confirm eligibility. All aspects of microscope-centered dentistry are covered during the three days of corporate forums, clinician presentations, and academic- and clinician-research presentations. Subject matters cross all disciplines and specialties, creating an inclusive forum devoted to exploring how pre- cision dentistry can best serve patients and practices. The “Foundations and Expansions” theme refers to how the profession’s embrace of innovative tools, such as the microscope, scanners, digital radi- ography and cone-beam-computed tomography occurs only when such advancements align with practition- ers’ core intellectual skills and philo- sophical perspectives. Online exhibit hall The virtual meeting also includes an online exhibit hall, which will feature product and service information via text, pictures and video — along with opportunities to chat with company representatives during the three days of live meetings. Following the live dates, these online exhibit-hall “booth” pages will remain accessible through at least March 1, 2012, when the new cycle begins. Live-stream schedule This listing of presentations isn’t divided yet into the three separate live-stream tracks that will enable delivery of simultaneous live presen- tations via the website, much like a live conference with many sessions running concurrently. All presentations will be recorded so “attendees” missing a live stream can view the recorded webcast later. f DT page 1A g DT page 10A