When was the last time you talked to anyone about the life-changing benefits of dental insurance? If you just spit your coffee out laughing at the thought, then you are in good company. We all know that dental insurance shouldn’t even be called insurance. It is misleading to patients and irritating for us. All dental ‘insurance’ does is help patients offset some of their dental costs. It does not define what is, and is not necessary from an oral health standpoint (although patients think if something isn’t covered it must not be necessary). To make the situation even better, people who forgo buying into 3^rd party payer plans generally don’t go to the dentist. They end up clogging up ER’s and making everything more expensive.

Research from the Department of Health and Human Services shows a staggering 85.9% of Affordable Care Act enrollees are opting out of dental coverage. The number of insured patients decreased from 60% in 2003 to 53% in 2011. Dental disease is the number-one disease in the Nation, yet based on the reduced number of enrollees and straight up rejection of standard dental insurance plans by patients; it turns out the conventional model of expensive and impractical plans are obviously not what the people want.

As icing on the proverbial cake, there is also pervasive belief among the public that without some sort of dental insurance preventive dental care is not accessible. Ask around, dentists know they need to do something different, but what, if anything can change?

 

Enter: in-house dental membership plans. Smart dentists and patients are gradually taking back their authority in the matter by doing it their own way.

In-house membership plans allow patients to purchase a “membership” to a specific dental practice (think Costco or Sam’s Club) that provides all of their preventive care needs without a third party payer being involved. Patients receive services like dental cleanings, exams, x-rays, emergency exams, and discounts on other restorative and cosmetic procedures if they choose. In-house dental membership plans provide the dental practice with a simple option for reaching the growing number of uninsured patients in their communities, while also providing preventive care to those patients that would not otherwise get it.

 

Here are 4 credible reasons to get an in-house membership program

1. Independent dental practices can differentiate themselves from a growing market of corporate dental chains and fee for service price shoppers.
2. Membership programs can solidify patient loyalty and increase patient treatment plan acceptance.
3. It is legit. The business concept behind membership plans has been validated and well-studied. Consumers are offered membership plans everywhere from travel and hotel memberships, grocery, clothing, fuel, fitness, electronic retailers and many more. These businesses know membership plans drive up brand loyalty and per consumer spending.
4. You will get new patients. Think of all those patients without insurance that are looking for an affordable option. Capture that market by offering them a sensible and affordable option for their dental care.

There you go. If you are looking for a turnkey option that can get your patients accepting treatment today, we recommend KeySmile. But, do your research and be sure to find one that works for you.