Unlock Hidden Revenue: Optimizing Your DSO Schedule for Increased Profit
Maximizing revenue in your dental service organization (DSO) isn't just about scheduling appointments; it's about filling them with the right patients for the right procedures and under the right payment structures. By dissecting your schedule through the lens of procedure profitability, patient demographics, and payer types, you can unlock hidden revenue streams and transform your practice's efficiency.
Let's dive into optimizing your DSO schedule to ensure every chair is a revenue-generating opportunity. Start by defining your most productive day. In doing so, you're taking control of your practice's revenue potential and identifying new growth opportunities.
There are three primary ways to make every appointment count.
- Procedures: You need to know which procedures bring in the most revenue. Run those reports, filter out the basics, and stack rank your highest-producing services.
- Patients: It's crucial to understand who is coming in for those procedures. Are they retirees with more flexible schedules and potentially higher clinical needs? Are they stay-at-home parents or working professionals and students who might be less consistent with scheduling? This understanding empowers you to prioritize effectively.
- Payer Type: This is a big one. What kind of insurance do your patients have, or do they have any at all? Segment them into cash-pay, those on membership or discount plans, and those with the highest paying PPO or dental insurance.
Even with dental coverage, many patients delay care because of the cost.
According to findings from The State of Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S., 41% of patients between the ages of 19 and 64 reported delaying dental care due to cost in 2024. Here’s a further breakdown:
- 32% of patients with health insurance and dental coverage reported delaying care due to cost.
- 60% of patients with health insurance but no dental coverage reported delaying care due to cost.
- 68% of patients with no coverage indicated they delayed dental care due to cost.
Naturally, this has a direct impact on your schedule. Uninsured patients tend to be the worst offenders and have the highest no-show and attrition rates; even if they come in for that first appointment, many do not return.
But dental membership plans give you an advantage.
This is where the power of dental membership plans shines. Based on the data we've seen across thousands of dental practices, patients on membership plans exhibit the most optimal behaviors. They have the highest visitation rates (close to 90%!) and accept the most procedures. As a result, they generate the most revenue for your practice. Our analysis shows that membership plans outperform the vast majority of traditional payers in terms of both production and collections. Members are truly your prime-time patients.
Design your ideal day — and fill it with the right patients.
To define what your most productive day should look like, prioritize those highest revenue-producing procedures, understand your different patient groups and how their schedules and reliability could vary, and recognize the immense value of your membership plan patients. Actively work to convert your cash-paying patients to your membership plan, which can significantly improve their engagement and your revenue. Additionally, optimize and prioritize appointments for patients with your higher-collecting insurance plans.
Consider using soft blocks on your schedule to reserve prime time slots for your membership patients and those with high-paying insurance. Ensure you measure your membership plan's success and have the right systems to support it. Empower your front office team to understand the importance of a membership plan and give them the necessary tools to prioritize it.
Finally, be proactive. Don't wait to start implementing these strategies. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll see the benefits in your schedule and your bottom line. Ultimately, it's about understanding the impact of every procedure, patient, and payer on your schedule and then optimizing accordingly to make the most of every patient walking through your door.
Turn more patients into prime-time performers.
Start building more productive days—book a personalized membership plan consultation with Kleer and Membersy.
Dan Crawford is the Director of Emerging and Strategic Markets at 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