Considerations and preparations for making managed care part of your practice

The decision to integrate managed care into the traditional FFS practice is one that requires careful consideration. Should you decide that it offers your practice an attractive opportunity to fill empty chairtime while positioning the practice for positive growth, now may be an opportune time for involvement. Furthermore, embracing a new mind-set could prove to be an invaluable business move-change is essential, no matter which path is taken. Most consultants believe that dentists who expand their horizons now will maintain a competitive edge over those who stick with more traditional methods of operation. As with any industry, it is important to aim for where things are going, not for where they have been; the positive focus should be on the dental practice of the future. According to Reengineering the Corporation (HarperBusiness, 1993) by Hammer and Champy, businesses today must not forget the three Cs: customers, competition, and change. The book points out that the customers are in charge, the competition has intensified, and change is a constant. The decisions made now regarding the direction of dental practices will determine how dentists deal with the forces in this uncharted future.