A revamp is needed in the dental and healthcare industries to solve challenges with insurance companies, one dentist says.
Noel Liu, DDS, of Secure Dental in Chicago, recently spoke with Becker's about his biggest concern in the dental industry.
Editor's note: This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is your biggest worry about the dental industry?
Dr. Noel Liu: My biggest worry in the dental industry are the reimbursement by insurance companies and participation requirements which in-turn affects cost of treatment and ultimately the outcome. Patients often find themselves caught in the middle when they need the treatment and based on their insurance coverage and/or frequency limitations, they get caught in the limbo and cannot move forward with treatment when they max out their benefits. On the other end of the spectrum, patients who have dental insurance just don’t utilize them at all. Based on historical data, the insurance companies end up making a huge profit for their investors at the expense of the population in the majority. The fear is it will only get worse until a complete revamp of the entire healthcare system, including dental, is taken into account. Until then, patients who require extensive treatment will be looking to self-fund their entire treatment on their own and the system will go on in a circle.