Dentaltown December 2020 - 32

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Out-Of-Network (OON) Didn't Go Well?
After seeing many success stories, a Townie wonders if all the OON praises are too good to be true

Gormanjh
Member Since: 03/28/14
Post: 1 of 219

There are so many good stories of people who have gone OON proclaiming that they should
have done it sooner and it's the best thing since sliced bread. Is there anyone out there who went
OON and it was a complete disaster, or a really bumpy road? Anyone who regrets the decision,
or had to go back to being in-network because it just didn't work? If you are out there, would
you be kind enough to share your stories? ■
7/18/2020

Orange Tang Clan
Member Since: 10/13/11
Post: 7 of 219

Most of the success stories focus on how wonderful it is in the more immediate aftermath.
That's because most current patients will probably stick with you for the time being. The problem is probably more magnified several years down the road, as the patients who disappeared for
various reasons don't get replaced by as many new patients. I also find that most of the OON
fee-for-service offices that I've looked at are not particularly appealing from a buyer's standpoint.
They usually don't have much of a hygiene department and the patients that are there are loyal to
the current dentist. Once it's sold, the new owner will have to consider going in-network if they
want to grow the practice. This involves giving the patients that you just paid for a discount in
the interim while you try to build it up. I'd rather buy a PPO practice with tons of patients so
that you won't feel the initial patient attrition that happens in transitions so much. ■
7/18/2020

dalmacija
Member Since: 04/14/15
Post: 8 of 219

I bought an OON office. We will see how it goes. I worked for a dentist who was OON for
a while; he claimed he was tired of sitting around doing nothing. ■
7/18/2020

Gormanjh
Member Since: 03/28/14
Post: 9 of 219

Part of being OON, I would think, is navigating those plans that don't allow for OON
benefits. Another side to this are those plans that reimburse OON providers differently than
they do in-network providers. For example, an 80% benefit for preventative vs. 100%. ■
7/18/2020

Orange Tang Clan
Member Since: 10/13/11
Post: 11 of 219

I think people have been conditioned to consider only in-network dental providers because
of how their health insurance works. In- vs. out-of-network makes a big difference for medical
insurance; many people don't get much of any out-of-network coverage. While most dental
plans make very little, if any, difference from the patient's perspective if they go in- or out-ofnetwork, they are convinced that they have to go see someone on their plan because that's how
their health insurance works. So they devalue the personal relationship with their dentist in
favor of getting their insurance's company CEO a bigger year-end bonus. ■
7/18/2020

DECEMBER 2020 // dentaltown.com

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Dentaltown December 2020

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