Dentists are now acting like dealership service departments

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

http://consumerist.com/2012/10/02/investigation-claims-some-dental-chains
-providing-unneeded-work-to-milk-medicaid-cash-cow/

³You have people who are not dentists coming up with a business plan
that¹s based on metrics. They try to get new patients in who haven¹t been
to the dentist in a while, and they¹ve already calculated how much
revenue the average new patient should generate.
If you happen to go in and you don¹t really have anything wrong with your
mouth and you¹re a new patient you¹re not fitting the model. That creates
pressure for the dentists to find things that are Œwrong.¹²

[jim beam]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
http://consumerist.com/2012/10/02/investigation-claims-some-dental-chains
-providing-unneeded-work-to-milk-medicaid-cash-cow/

�You have people who are not dentists coming up with a business plan
that�s based on metrics. They try to get new patients in who haven�t been
to the dentist in a while, and they�ve already calculated how much
revenue the average new patient should generate.
If you happen to go in and you don�t really have anything wrong with your
mouth and you�re a new patient you�re not fitting the model. That creates
pressure for the dentists to find things that are �wrong.��

is this news? what part of "graduating with $250,000 to $500,000 of
student loans" doesn't make it obvious that a dentist /isn't/ anxious to
take advantage of this, um, "opportunity"?

[homepc]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
http://consumerist.com/2012/10/02/investigation-claims-some-dental-chains
-providing-unneeded-work-to-milk-medicaid-cash-cow/

³You have people who are not dentists coming up with a business plan
that¹s based on metrics. They try to get new patients in who haven¹t been
to the dentist in a while, and they¹ve already calculated how much
revenue the average new patient should generate.
If you happen to go in and you don¹t really have anything wrong with your
mouth and you¹re a new patient you¹re not fitting the model. That creates
pressure for the dentists to find things that are Œwrong.¹²

Funny you mention this. My dentist recently moved over to a new office,
or dental clinic. When you walk in it's set up almost like an auto
dealership! It's huge!!! There is big money being made, no doubt about it.

[GrumpyOne]

Post by Elmo P. Shagnasty
http://consumerist.com/2012/10/02/investigation-claims-some-dental-chains
-providing-unneeded-work-to-milk-medicaid-cash-cow/

³You have people who are not dentists coming up with a business plan
that¹s based on metrics. They try to get new patients in who haven¹t been
to the dentist in a while, and they¹ve already calculated how much
revenue the average new patient should generate.
If you happen to go in and you don¹t really have anything wrong with your
mouth and you¹re a new patient you¹re not fitting the model. That creates
pressure for the dentists to find things that are Œwrong.¹²

Marketing is part of medical training...

JT