As countless sources have restated for years, “You can pay now, or you can pay later!” Said in different ways, spanning centuries from Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde, we compiled three particularly apt examples:
“Our debts don’t leave us much in terms of choice. We can choose to pay now or try to pay later. But the longer we wait, the steeper the bill.” ~ Ziad K. Abdelnour
“Denial is a save now, pay later scheme.” ~ Gavin De Becker
“We can pay now to prevent or we can pay later to treat” ~ Martin J. Blaser
And that last one in particular should deeply resonate with dental professionals! We preach the benefits and advantages of preventive oral care…and subtly mention the dire consequences that could result from neglect. But we’re not the only ones!
Fathers have been harping on the importance of regular oil changes to their kids for generations. And one thrown rod or blown engine can be a costly lesson in this arena. The same holds true for insurance, whether homeowner or renter protection from theft and disaster. All it takes is one robbery or flood, and you see THOUSANDS of dollars of damage, only to realize those monthly premiums were probably a good investment, after all! Come to think of it, in almost every instance we could imagine, the investment into “prevention” FAR outweighs the financial consequences of “treatment.”
Even on the “little” things, you can pay a few coins for a metered parking spot, OR you can incur a substantially higher fine. However, it’s usually on your major investments – home, vehicles, business – or your health, where you can QUICKLY get into big bucks to remedy a situation that the proverbial ounce of prevention could have saved you!
YET…we see private dental practices who choose to gamble on possibly their BIGGEST investment – their practice(s) – when it comes to hiring a compliance consultant to “pay now.” Instead, they choose to roll the dice that one of the baker’s dozen of state and federal agencies tasked with regulating the dental profession, won’t ever visit THEIR practice. After all, there literally THOUSANDS of dental offices across the state of Texas, alone…not to mention those in the other 49 states that fall under federal jurisdiction.
A pretty safe bet, right?!? Yeah…not so much! In our many years working with dentists, we have NEVER seen one who hasn’t had several compliance inspections. Some offenses are relatively minor, and a simple “correction” notice is issued. However, OTHERS carry a much steeper price to “pay later.'“ Many things easily overlooked by even the most diligent dentist, can start a running tab for each offense and compound into four-five-or even six-figures!
When compared with a few hundred dollars every quarter, these “ounces of prevention” sound like a real bargain as opposed to the it-WILL-happen “pounds of cure.” At this point, it may seem as if our goal is to scare the living daylights out of dentists. But that is not the case! We KNOW many good dentists, who provide impeccable patient care and keep meticulous records, who nonetheless are NOT experts in all things compliance…after all, they’re experts in dentistry. We simply want to partner with these dental professionals to keep their practices functioning efficiently, legally, and PROFITABLY!
There’s a reason proverbs, adages and cliches have become so well-known. Chances are, it’s because they ring of the truth – often hard-learned. So, doesn’t it make sense to pay now for professional compliance services, rather than pay the government MUCH more later?!?