The 7 Steps to Negotiating PPO Fees

Negotiating techniques vary depending on what setting you are in. However, there are simple negotiating techniques that do apply to most negotiating settings. For PPO negotiations, it’s not as simple as “just asking for a fee increase.” Negotiations in this setting are about how to ask and what to ask for.

During this course we open with covering a few negotiating techniques that are applicable to PPO negotiations by drawing from negotiating examples within the legal and professional sports field. This negotiating overview is key in understanding the mindset that you should have prior to negotiating on your own as well as understanding the negotiating techniques employed by those with whom you are negotiating with. This part of the course sets the framework for the specific 7 steps in negotiating PPO fees.

Once the basics of negotiations, as it pertains to dental insurance, is covered, we dive right into the 7 negotiating steps, starting with your preparation work. As with dental procedures, good preparation goes a long way in providing long lasting quality dentistry. The same is true for negotiations. Preparation is no different than laying the foundation and framework for your negotiations as most items in your preparation work will set you up for optimum negotiating outcomes.

During these 7 negotiating steps we cover specifics regarding leverage, who to talk to at the insurance plan, what form of communication should you use, how to effectively “counter-offer”, how to properly accept a negotiated contract, how to enforce under paid claims, and how to set your sight for future negotiations. With each of these topics are detailed guidelines and protocols that if followed, will ensure for successful negotiations.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn negotiating techniques that are applicable in most negotiating settings
• Understand specific negotiating techniques as it pertains to dealing with the dental PPO world
• Learn a proven step by step process on how to increase/negotiate your own PPO fees
• Persistence can often be more important than leverage when negotiating PPO fees
• Understanding the cycle of negotiations and went to renegotiate