“I would like to have it done, I just can’t afford it.”

“I know I need to get this taken care of, I just don’t have insurance.”

Sound familiar? Many times we do a great job with case presentation, only to miss the opportunity for completing treatment due to financial concerns.

Remember, questions about cost are good questions. It is a signal that our patients are interested in what we are talking about.

The problem is that we don’t know what to say when we get the “How much does it cost?” question. Often even talking about money makes us uncomfortable, so the patient becomes uncomfortable too.

Having a system or realistic financial options for patients can help alleviate any discomfort this discussion creates.

The first thing I do when asked about money, is to ask another question right back. I often respond with, “Is cost a concern for you? or “Would you like information about our no interest payment options?” When they respond that they would like more information, this is when we pass them over to the “financial expert” within our practice.

Many patients feel the pinch of economic concerns so we must evaluate our financial options and make sure we are able to fit treatment into even a tight budget. We should also be able to offer multiple payment options for them, including third party financing. Too often we recommend this as a last resort.

Having a good financial system in place ensures we can overcome objections about cost without losing out on the opportunity to serve our patients.