As a normal part of running a small business, dentists have to deal with increasing costs of materials, lab fees, payroll and other dental practice management expenses.
Basic business economics says that as your costs rise, so should your fees. But that’s not necessarily been the case for many dentists.
Jim and Julie discuss some of the realities surrounding whether or not dentists have raised their fees:
“Raising my fees just puts an onerous burden on my uninsured patients, and does not raise revenues on the majority of procedures. Rather, it just increases the amount I have to write off,” complained a Michigan Dentist. “I’m getting closer to dropping participation with all ‘managed cost’ programs.”
“I know I need to raise my fees, but people are constantly complaining of cost,” says a Georgia Dentist who hasn’t raised fees in over two years.
“I feel dental offices should always raise fees to reflect the current annual rate of inflation. We keep our fees in line with local and regional averages and adjust ours annually to keep up with inflation,” said an Ohio Prosthodontist.
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How long has it been since you’ve raised your fees?