The term “HMO,” or in this case, “DHMO,” sometimes comes with a bad rep. The spirit of DHMOs, traditionally, was to hold down the cost of dental care by charging lower premiums. Which sounds great. But over time, this type of plan has earned a somewhat negative connotation. That’s because the way DHMOs are structured—where providers are paid a fixed amount each month, whether or not care is provided (capitation)—it can be viewed that providers aren’t incentivized to give quality care. There’s a feeling that providers are just concerned with getting patients in and out of the doors so they retain their bottom line.

Also, most DHMO plans require participants to be assigned to a provider and often endure long waiting periods to get in to see that provider. This can cause frustration and dissatisfaction in the dental plan. In fact, studies show that 50 percent of capitation plan participants are not satisfied with their plan. That’s a lot of unhappy customers.

But guess what? That really isn’t always the case. DHMOs really don’t have to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

There are DHMO models out there that take the needs of your clients, their employees and their families to heart. A good example is one that provides members with an open-access network. This type of model allows participants to:

• Choose whichever in-network dentist they like
• Switch providers whenever they want without notifying the carrier
• Experience no waiting period, no rosters, no delay for the care they need

In the fast-paced world we live in today—where people want goods and services immediately—an open-access model is a good fit for your clients. It takes the best features of the most popular plan styles and combines them into a unique model that’s an easy sell for you.

When it’s time for you to shop around DHMO plans, consider offering your clients an open-access plan. You may be surprised by the reaction you get. Instead of trying extra hard to sell a traditional DHMO plan, which may be met with resistance, try pitching an open-access model. You just might see your clients’ eyes light up. Because…after all…not all DHMOs are bad!