Choosing to Love Insurance: Finding Joy with a “Gotta Wanna” Attitude
In September 2025, I had the privilege of attending AADOM’s 20th Anniversary Conference in Austin, Texas. If you’ve never attended an AADOM conference, you need to add it to your bucket list. It was three days packed full of education, networking, and camaraderie. Picture thousands of like-minded professionals under one roof, sharing best practices, supporting one another, and celebrating the impact dental office managers make every single day.
One session in particular stood out: “Get Paid More: Mastering Coding, Cash Flow & the Dental Insurance Game,” presented by Tiffany Wesley (FAADOM, RMTC) and Jim DiMarino (DMD, MSEd, CDC, FACD). It was packed with valuable insights—how to avoid common coding errors, strategies to keep accounts receivable under control, and ways to communicate confidently with insurance companies to ensure offices receive the reimbursements they deserve.
But what made the deepest impression wasn’t just the content. Midway through the presentation, Dr. DiMarino paused and asked a simple question:
“Who here loves insurance?”
Without hesitation, my hand shot into the air. As I glanced around the room, I realized I was the only one.
“Yes,” I thought, “ME! I LOVE INSURANCE!”
Later, another attendee approached me—she just had to meet the person who said they actually love insurance. For her, insurance was the most frustrating part of the job. For me, it was the opposite. That encounter sparked a reflection: Why do I love insurance?
A LESSON FROM A POPCORN MACHINE
The answer to that question goes back decades.
When I was 15, I spent summers working at a church camp concession stand. At the end of each week, we had to break down and scrub the popcorn machine until it looked brand new. I hated it. I grumbled, complained, and dragged my feet through the task.
One Friday, Johnny Millsap, the camp caretaker, noticed my frustration. When I admitted that cleaning the popcorn machine was the bane of my existence, he laughed and gave me advice that has stayed with me for life:
“Terri, you’re approaching it the wrong way. You need to have a ‘gotta wanna’ attitude. When you change how you approach the task, you’ll find joy that’s been hiding there all along.”
At 15, I rolled my eyes. But the next Friday, I gave it a try—and Johnny was right. The job didn’t change, but my attitude did.
WHY I LOVE INSURANCE
Of course, falling in love with insurance didn’t happen overnight. But in my 30+ years in the dental industry, I’ve realized one thing: insurance isn’t going anywhere. For the foreseeable future, it is woven into the fabric of how we provide and receive dental care.
So, we have a choice. We can complain about it, resent the paperwork, and let the frustration drain our energy—or we can choose to embrace it, master it, and find purpose in it.
I choose to embrace it.
Here’s why:
Clean claims equal faster reimbursements. Every time I file a clean claim, my office gets paid more quickly. That efficiency means we can focus on patient care instead of chasing down delayed payments.
Knowledge is power. The more I understand insurance rules, coding, and plan differences, the more confidence I have in advocating for my patients and protecting the practice’s bottom line.
Problem-solving brings satisfaction. Every claim denied is an opportunity to figure out why, learn something new, and apply that knowledge the next time.
A positive attitude sets the tone. When I choose to enjoy my work, that energy is contagious. My team feels it, my patients benefit from it, and our practice thrives because of it.
Insurance is often called a “necessary evil.” I call it my happy place.
BRINGING IT BACK TO CHOICE
That popcorn machine lesson has followed me through every role I’ve held. Tasks don’t always change—but our approach can.
Loving insurance is a conscious choice I’ve made. It doesn’t mean every day is easy or every claim is perfect. But it does mean that I approach the challenge with curiosity instead of dread, determination instead of defeat.
And you know what? That choice makes me better at my job. It allows me to serve my doctors, my patients, and my team with excellence.
THE TAKEAWAY: WHAT'S YOUR ATTITUDE?
Life constantly presents us with tasks we’d rather avoid. We all have our “popcorn machine moments.” But as Johnny taught me, we get to decide how we’ll approach them.
So, I’ll leave you with this challenge: the next time you face a task that feels like drudgery, stop and ask yourself—can you shift your perspective? Can you find your own “gotta wanna” attitude?
I choose to love insurance. I choose to love learning, problem-solving, and helping practices thrive.
The question is: What will you choose?
