PART 3
The Dentist’s Playbook: How to Stop the Leaks Without Burning the House Down

Good news.
You don’t have to go out-of-network tomorrow, terminate every plan, or flip a table in the break room.

This is about control, not chaos.

Step 1: Audit How You’re Getting Paid

Ask your team (or yourself):

• Which plans pay via ACH?

• Which send paper checks?

• Which send virtual credit cards?

Then ask the most important question:

“How much are we losing just from payment fees?”

Most practices are shocked by the answer.

Step 2: Choose “No-Fee by Default”

Many plans already offer:

• ACH or EFT

• Direct deposit

But they won’t always volunteer it.

Your new rule:

If there’s a no-fee option, that’s the option.

Anything else requires a conscious, documented decision.

Step 3: Train the Team to Spot the Traps

Your front and back office should know:

• What a virtual card looks like

• That it’s okay to pause and ask questions

• That “this is how it came” is not a reason to accept a fee

Empowered teams prevent silent losses.

Step 4: Use Momentum, Not Anger

This is where the new opt-in movement matters.

You don’t need to yell at payers.
You need to say calmly:

“We’re aware of the updated standards around fee-based payments.
Please confirm our ACH enrollment and remove any virtual card payments going forward.”

That sentence alone changes the tone of the conversation.

The Bigger Win

This series isn’t just about virtual cards.
It’s about a shift.

Dentists are no longer accepting:

• Hidden discounts

• Passive enrollment

• Or “that’s just how it works” explanations

The industry is slowly being forced to acknowledge something radical:

Dentists are allowed to understand, and control, how they get paid.

Final Takeaway from the Series

You negotiated your PPO fees.
You invested in systems.
You trained your team.

Don’t let the last step, the payment, be where profit quietly disappears.

Because the goal isn’t to fight insurance every day.

The goal is simple:

Do great dentistry.
Get paid what you agreed to.
And stop paying extra just to access your own money.

Benjamin Tuinei
Founder, Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
📞 888-808-4513
Services: PPO Fee Negotiators, PPO Fee Negotiating, Insurance Fee Negotiating, Insurance Credentialing, Insurance Verifications
Websites: www.VeritasDentalResources.com, www.VerusDental.com