Why It Pays to Offer Patient Membership Plans

Your patients have plenty of options when it comes to finding a way to pay for dental services. They can opt for dental insurance through an employer, choose a dental membership network independent of your dental office, or pay out of pocket. And then there are patient membership plans for non-insured patients, a perk that you can offer that delivers better benefits than all other payment options combined.

Why It Pays to Adopt an In-House Membership Plan

National and regional dental membership networks are not the same as in-house dental membership plans. They might claim to make dental care more affordable with significantly reduced rates, but they operate like traditional insurance providers that limit the dental care that’s possible for a patient. Patients must choose from participating dentists to become part of a network and then show their membership card to receive dental discounts.

While patients might benefit from a plan like this, dentists do not. It’s your job to promote your patient membership plans for non-insured patients and make it clear that this is a healthcare plan option that will pay for itself, year after year.

How to Market Your In-House Dental Membership Plan

The most successful marketing plans hit people emotionally, not necessarily financially. Dental care is a very personal thing, but it’s also an incredibly important part of healthcare that you want everyone to be able to afford. Your practice benefits greatly when you offer in-house dental membership plans, reducing the time you and your staff must spend on claims – a burden that pays for itself immediately.

As you promote your patient membership plans for non-insured patients, be sure to make the following known:

• Provide education on the importance of dental care: From gum disease to oral cancer, bruxism to tooth decay, having teeth looked at twice a year at a minimum is something that people can’t afford not to do.
• Explain in-house plans vs. membership networks: If your plan isn’t appealing to patients, it may be because they don’t understand why it’s better than what membership networks offer. If you offer customized options, make that clear. If you provide discounts and cosmetic dentistry perks, let it be known.
• Offer varied payment options: Patients like the freedom to pay the way they want to, so consider giving them the opportunity to pay a monthly fee, annual fee, or other combination, with benefits given to the patients who choose your preferred way of paying.
• Include cosmetic dentistry: One of the reasons people have such problems with traditional dental insurance is that it doesn’t cover any cosmetic dentistry treatments. Your in-house plan can, if you want. Your patients will thank you. Other options: Every sign up earns a free teeth whitening. There are always ways to sweeten a deal.

Help Your Patients Afford Dental Care

Attract uninsured patients with transparent pricing and benefits, no deductible or waiting period, no annual spending cap, and perks for paying ahead or paying for a year in advance. Deliver packages of preventive dental care services and then some, venturing into restorative and cosmetic dentistry territory. It’s your dental practice – you can do whatever you like. You can do even more with the support of Independence Dental DSO. Contact us to discuss.