Whether you’re an in-network or an out-of-network fee-for-service provider, patients are often surprised to learn dental insurance usually covers only a fraction of the cost of recommended care. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, most plans have an annual maximum in benefits of $1,000 or 1,500 ²¹, which can leave patients needing more extensive treatment with large out-of-pocket costs. Still, the cost of treatment — and what a patient’s insurance will or will not cover — doesn’t have to be a barrier to offering optimal treatment plans. With CareCredit’s integration into Open Dental, features like Batch Quickscreen make it easy for providers to facilitate a successful financial conversation that can help more patients move forward with comprehensive treatment plans.

With Batch Quickscreen, you can easily identify which patients are pre-approved or already have a CareCredit credit card, even before their appointment. See the patient’s Batch Quickscreen status in the Patient Information area of the Family Module or by adding the CareCredit Approval Status to the Appointment view. This lets you confidently present a payment solution during the cost conversation and can help give patients a financing option that may motivate them to accept optimal recommended treatment. Why is this so important? 47% of cardholders said they would have postponed or decreased their procedure’s scope if CareCredit was not available.²

Using CareCredit’s Batch Quickscreen is easy.
Here’s how:

1. Each night, your PMS automatically sends a request to determine the status of each scheduled patient with CareCredit. If the patient is not a current cardholder, CareCredit performs a Quickscreen to help determine if the patient will be pre-approved for CareCredit. This action is considered a “soft” credit inquiry and does not affect the patient’s credit bureau report.
2. Then each morning, the Quickscreen status will automatically display on your schedule. This is a great opportunity to review during your morning huddle when discussing patients coming in that day in need of treatment. Once treatment is complete, for patients that are pre-approved for CareCredit, simply share the pre-approval offer during their appointment. Just like sharing insurance eligibility, patients want to know what their financial options are for the best care possible.
3. If the patient decides to accept the pre-approved offer of credit, completes the application and is approved, the CareCredit transaction can be processed directly from the Payment Screen and it will automatically post back to the patient ledger. It’s that easy!

Today many patients are watching their budgets more closely. Providing easy access to financing for both fee-for-service dentistry or other out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance can help more patients move forward with optimal treatment plans. CareCredit’s integration into Open Dental makes it even easier for practices to integrate patient financing solutions into their daily routine while also improving efficiency. That’s a real win-win for both the practice and their patients.    

For more information about CareCredit’s Batch Quickscreen or other integration features, watch this webinar:

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of accepting CareCredit in your practice, visit carecredit.com/dental.

¹ “Common Dental Benefit Terms: What They Mean and Why They Might Come with a Cost.” Mouth Healthy™

² Cardholder Engagement Study Q3 2020.