So the health funds were uncomfortable when they agree to cover people against a percentage of the cost of your dental bill as they had no control over the costs involved. So they decided to get some power. They would offer to send a huge amount of their clients to a friend of mine. Lets, to protect his identity, call him "Mr Dentist-not-so-outstanding" . Mr Dentist-not-so-outstanding is a nice enough guy but he has some shortfalls that get in his way when trying to attract his own patients. Perhaps a few too many mistakes. We won't list all the shortfalls he has but they are there. Perhaps a little greed. Maybe a bit abrasive. The health funds don't mind as all they want is control . Yes they want control. Not only do they want the fees for Mr Dentist-not-so-outstanding to be discounted down but they want to imposed extra rules and limitations on him in return for a flow of patients walking through his front door that he didn't really earn.
Well OK, that concept can work for a while, until the funds use their power to squeeze their dentist harder and harder to the point that profit can't be made by my friend, the dentist, if he follows the rules of excellence. Well Mr Dentist-not-so-outstanding is a smart person. He won't let himself work for next to nothing. So he makes use of his imagination and intelligence to cut corners to "make a crust". For a while the health funds are happy, the patients are happy and the dentist is happy. But then the "house of cards" falls down. The patients start to see the result of the corner cutting. The health funds start to see that a lot of their funds are being spent on the return work and complications. My dentist friend despairs at what he are being forced to do is not what he dreamed about as university students. That dream was being part of a worthy profession in the pursuit of excellence. No one in this triangular relationship is happy!
Well Dr Adrian Longworth (Dentist) is well aware what it takes to provide true care, service and long-lasting outcomes. It takes excellence in your approach to everything as we were taught at university. The cost must be considered. But not as the primary issue. Adrian using a drive to excellence, will take better care of your money in the long run. Less failures, less suffering is what we want first and foremost. Adrian knows that he could not offer you the same level of excellence at the reduced rates a health fund offers. After researching the pros and cons of becoming a preferred provider he has consciously and ethically chosen to remain independent of the health funds. To run his race alone. This way, we will never be pressured by insurance companies to cut those corners.
So you can claim your refund from your health fund if you see Adrian for dental advice. But unfortunately the gap will be bigger to some extent. But perhaps that difference is made insignificant by the extras Adrian's "running alone" commitment will bring.
Dr Adrian Longworth (Dentist), ph 08 95922077, 90 parkin St, Rockingham, Western Australia.