How Membership Plans Help Solve the Patient Dental Care Problem
Uninsured patients don't go to the dentist. They stay away. And there’s data to prove it.
When we look at our customer base of 20,000+ dentist partners that operate across all 50 states, including 7 of the 10 largest DSOs and 300+ group practices, their membership plan patients significantly outperform uninsured patients; they accept more treatment and receive more care, resulting in a significant revenue impact to the practice.
Membership plans vs. dental insurance
The bottom line is that uninsured patients want to go to the dentist; they need to go, but they don't. And it often boils down to one thing: cost. They're terrified of the expense without insurance coverage. That's the problem we're tackling for 80 million Americans (and likely climbing) who lack dental insurance. Membership plans improve access to care by providing simplicity, affordability and transparency that relieve patients from the anxiety associated with pursuing dental care.
As a result, membership plan patients:
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visit their dentist 78% more than uninsured patients;
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accept 2.4x more procedures than uninsured patients; and
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generate 2.7x more production than uninsured patients.
The other side of the coin is insurance. Since about 80% of dental practice revenue is tied to insurance, dealing with insurance is a necessary evil for most dental practices, and it's only getting more difficult. In today's inflationary climate, stagnant insurance reimbursements run into skyrocketing operating costs, making many insurance plans unprofitable.
So, patients desperately need care but think they can't afford it, and practices struggle to stay afloat with shrinking insurance margins. That’s why a dental membership plan is an excellent coverage alternative to offer patients, putting practices in control of reimbursements and providing patients access to the care they need.
Dental membership plans are like other subscriptions
Dental membership plans, like your Amazon Prime subscription, Netflix account, or Costco membership, are simple and accessible. There are no complicated insurance agreements, just a straightforward, easy-to-understand plan between a practice and its patients, who can subscribe in minutes and get the care they need without the fear of hidden costs.
It puts a group or practice in control of reimbursements while offering quality care under a membership model that makes financial sense to everyone. And there’s plenty of data to support dental membership plans. Our practices see a 66% increase in cash production after implementing a membership plan, and membership plan patients show up for 95% of their appointments (versus the 80% average for cash-pay patients).
Using a membership plan to attract and retain new patients
We often hear that practices struggle to find and retain new patients. Our team works with our groups and practices to reactivate dormant patients, attract new patients, and retain new patients using the benefits of their membership plan. For example, many dormant patients do not visit because they do not have coverage and are very concerned about cost. The membership plan addresses these concerns by providing coverage that makes care affordable. On average, over 50% of new patients never visit again after their first visit. If you move your new patients to a membership plan, you can be confident that over 90% of those patients will visit again.
Where we come in
You're not alone in the transition to the membership model; we're here to guide and support you every step of the way, ensuring you are confident in the decisions you make for your practice.
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Affordability and Accessibility
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Membership plans can eliminate common insurance hurdles like deductibles, waiting periods, and annual maximums. They can also serve as an add-on to an existing insurance benefit, providing additional coverage for services not fully covered.
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Transparency and Simplicity
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Membership plans have transparent, upfront pricing, making it easy for patients to budget and plan for dental care, eliminating the anxiety associated with unexpected dental bills.
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Competitive Advantage:
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A membership plan can differentiate a dental practice from competitors, providing a unique selling proposition to attract patients seeking affordable, quality care.
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Dental membership plans offer a compelling solution to the challenges patients and practices face. By providing affordability, transparency, and a simplified alternative to traditional insurance, these plans empower patients to access necessary care while enabling practices to grow. The data demonstrates the positive impact of membership plans on patient behavior and practice revenue, debunking common misconceptions and highlighting their potential to transform the dental care landscape.
Dave Monahan is the CEO of Kleer and Membersy.
Get started, today.
Our experts will show you how our advanced, cloud-based membership plan platform—coupled with resources, tools and support from the experts at Kleer, can bring your practice phenomenal results.
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more visits
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more treatment accepted
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more production
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more collections