<p dir="ltr">Medicaid is run jointly by federal and state governments to provide health care and long-term care coverage for more than 81 million Americans, including children, parents, low-income adults, older adults, and people with disabilities. The federal government sets general standards for Medicaid, but specific eligibility requirements and coverage details vary by state. </p>

<p dir="ltr">For some practices, participating in <a href="https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/dental-care/index.html">Medicaid dental coverage</a> may seem like the only way to serve low-income patients, but the program’s low reimbursements and bureaucratic hurdles strain resources. Plus, fewer and fewer patients even have access to Medicaid programs. Fortunately, there is an alternative strategy that allows dental offices to ensure all patients can receive quality care while reducing dependence on Medicaid.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">The unpredictability of Medicaid dental coverage can pose challenges for practices and patients</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Medicaid dental coverage is inconsistent across the US, creating a patchwork of access and affordability that can vary significantly depending on where you live. In some states, Medicaid offers comprehensive dental care, while in others, benefits are limited to emergencies or entirely nonexistent. <br />
<img alt="State Medicaid Coverage of Dental Services for Adults" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e41f23c-0802-45cf-8acf-7aa871ef0ac0" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_1.png" /><br />
Dentists are left trying to balance their commitment to care with the realities of running a business. Medicaid’s regional variability means that providers in less-supported states, particularly rural areas, are at a disadvantage. </p>

<p dir="ltr">If only to add fuel to the fire, as of September 2024, more than <a href="https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-enrollment-and-unwinding-tracker/">25 million Medicaid enrollees</a> have been disenrolled due to the unwinding of Medicaid expansion under the continuous enrollment provision. This has left more patients without coverage, prompting dentists to question how the instability of the program can serve a purpose in their practice. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Medicaid isn’t the only solution to help patients access affordable dental care</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Research consistently shows that <a href="https://www.dentalinsurance.com/resources/dental-survey/">Americans without some form of dental coverage</a> forgo dental visits and treatment due to the high cost of care. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33136492/">One study</a> found that when patients gained dental coverage through Medicaid, they were more likely to visit the dentist. However, if not all patients have access and providers have additional hurdles to overcome, the key is finding an alternative that truly works for both sides. </p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/diy-dental-membership-plan-vs-kleer-and-membersy-solution-which-right-you">Dental membership plans</a> work to create an ecosystem of shared value. Patients gain access to high-quality, affordable care that fosters a trusted, one-on-one relationship with their provider. At the same time, practices benefit from the opportunity to generate recurring revenue, adding a strengthened layer of predictability and control over their business. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">How dental membership plans fit when evaluating Medicaid and fee-for-service models</h2>

<p dir="ltr">In 2024, <a href="https://www.beckersdental.com/benchmarking/44639-average-medicaid-reimbursement-for-adult-dental-services-in-every-state.html#:~:text=Average%20Medicaid%20reimbursement%20for%20adult%20dental%20services,to%20data%20from%20the%20American%20Dental%20Association.">the national average Medicaid reimbursement</a> for dental services is 29.9%. With shrinking reimbursements, some practices may choose to no longer accept Medicaid programs, and some may choose to switch to a fee-for-service model. </p>

<p dir="ltr">While these options may seem simpler, it puts patients in a position to deprioritize care, leaving your practice with unpredictable revenue, and patients at risk of neglecting necessary treatment. Membership is the key to bridging the gap.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Dental membership plans reshape how patients engage with care, establishing a commitment to your practice and improving both the frequency of visits and the rate of treatment acceptance.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><img alt="Patient behavior: uninsured vs membership" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a95c089f-2b8b-49c7-99cb-c2c8e5014697" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_7.png" /></p>

<h2>Tailoring your dental membership plan to meet the unique needs of your practice</h2>

<p dir="ltr">There’s more than one way to structure a dental membership plan, and practices can customize them to fit their patients’ needs. </p>

<p dir="ltr">For populations traditionally served by Medicaid, some practices choose to offer a low-cost membership plan option to more easily encourage patients to become members. Lower-cost plans can offer basic, low-cost procedures, such as a set number of exams and x-rays. They also offer savings on additional treatments, making it easier for patients to accept care. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Alternatively, you could choose to offer a slightly higher cost plan that includes hygiene, preventive, and diagnostic care, which are crucial for encouraging routine visits. Since <a href="https://www.todaysrdh.com/understanding-the-monetary-value-of-the-essential-dental-hygienist/">75% of treatment</a> is diagnosed during hygiene appointments, these plans are instrumental in identifying issues early and driving case acceptance. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Whether offering low-entry or standard plans, practices remain in control of treatment inclusions, pricing structures, and the overall design of the plan. This flexibility allows them to tailor offerings based on their specific patient base and business goals, without being tied to the limitations of Medicaid. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Questions to consider when implementing a dental membership plan</h2>

<p>While considering implementing an <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/diy-dental-membership-plan-vs-kleer-and-membersy-solution-which-right-you">in-house dental membership plan vs through a partnership</a> with a plan provider, you should first ask yourself several key questions.</p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Will our team be able to build and price plans, standardize implementation, and measure and report on our progress?</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are we prepared to handle the complexities of managing member payments, renewals, and the usage of benefits?</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Are there other competing priorities that could negatively impact our membership plan from being launched and managed effectively?</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Do we have the bandwidth to field patient inquiries and questions?</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Dental membership plans are subject to regulation, and there are penalties for non-compliance. Are we capable of building a DMPO compliant plan?</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Assessing these factors will help you identify the right tools and support needed to grow and scale your dental membership plan. </strong></p>

<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">If choosing a reliable partner is your path forward, Kleer and Membersy provides all your practice needs to reach your goals, without any of the challenges that comes with administering your own plan.</p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Empower your team with software designed to manage <a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/55130208/smile-by-subscription-an-evaluation-of-dental-membership-plans-in-the-us">subscriptions</a>, automate renewals and handle billing, with both monthly and annual payment options available.</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=gdn-2024&amp;utm_medium=3rd-party-content&amp;utm_campaign=gdn-2024-september-content&amp;utm_content=about-kleer-membersy&amp;utm_form=demo-request">Integrate with your practice management system</a> to automatically enroll patients, track which savings have been used, and post payments. You can even <a href="https://kleer.docsend.com/view/9a2uzry5y2dqjxc2">automatically market</a> and invite patients to join.</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Access training to help your team feel confident in providing the plan to patients.</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Take member questions off your team’s plate with dedicated member support.</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Kleer and Membersy is licensed where you operate and keeps your plan DMPO compliant.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr">With a Kleer and Membersy powered membership plan, you can serve patients who might otherwise depend on Medicaid while improving your practice’s financial health. If you’re interested in taking the next step, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/more-profitable-practice?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=km-2024-october-medicade-blog&amp;utm_content=better-coverage">reach out to a plan expert</a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><img alt="lynnea straley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ff6d557a-6391-4813-ad56-791b0de3ea62" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/blog-author-headshot-lynnea.png" /></p>

<h3 data-pm-slice="1 1 []">About the author</h3>

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Lynnea is a Demand Generation Analyst at Kleer and Membersy, specializing in the B2B SaaS industry. With a prior background in content marketing, Lynnea works to create strategic content for dental teams designed to improve business outcomes.</p>


Medicaid is run jointly by federal and state governments to provide health care and long-term care coverage for more than 81 million Americans, including children, parents, low-income adults, older adults, and people with disabilities.

 How practices can ensure all patients have access to dental care, while reducing reliance on Medicaid 

<p>In today’s digital world, balancing robust security with a vibrant membership experience is essential for success. As the VP of Information Technology at Kleer and Membersy, I know how important it is to integrate effective security measures to create safe and profitable membership plans. In this blog, I'll explore what your team should know and look for to maintain a secure practice.</p>

<h2>Today's dental practices rely on software for everything</h2>

<p>From scheduling appointments to managing patient records and processing payments, dental software solutions are integral to running an efficient and effective practice. Modern software systems streamline administrative tasks, reducing the need for manual paperwork and minimizing human error. Appointment scheduling software, for example, enables patients to book, reschedule, and cancel appointments online, while also allowing staff to manage and optimize the calendar with ease. This not only improves patient convenience but also enhances the practice's efficiency.</p>

<p>Patient management systems play a crucial role in maintaining comprehensive digital records. These systems securely store patient information, including medical history, treatment plans, and X-rays, making it easily accessible for both the dental team and thepatient. This facilitates better communication, continuity of care, and personalized treatment plans.</p>

<p>Billing and payment processing software simplifies financial transactions. It enables practices to handle insurance claims, process payments, and manage accounts receivable with greater accuracy and speed. This reduces the administrative burden on staff and helps ensure timely reimbursement and financial tracking.</p>

<p>Moreover, software solutions often come equipped with features for compliance and security. For example, electronic health record (EHR) systems are designed to meet regulatory requirements and ensure that patient data is protected through encryption and other security measures.</p>

<p>Overall, the reliance on software in dental practices is more than a trend—it's a necessity for modern, efficient, and patient-centered care. By leveraging these technologies, dental practices can enhance operational efficiency, improve patient experience, and ensure the secure management of sensitive information.</p>

<h2>Security should be a top priority to keep your team's most important software running smoothly</h2>

<p>As dental practices continue to digitize and rely on cloud-based services, the cybersecurity landscape is shifting to address new and emerging threats. Here are some key trends in cybersecurity monitoring that dental practices should be aware of:</p>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Attacks Against Cloud Services</strong>: With more dental practices moving their operations to the cloud, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting cloud services. These attacks often aim to exploit vulnerabilities in cloud configurations or compromise cloud credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive patient data. To mitigate these risks, dental practices need to ensure their cloud services are properly configured, regularly updated, and that access controls are robust. Implementing strong security measures, such as encryption and continuous monitoring, can help protect against these increasingly sophisticated attacks.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Data Backup and Recovery Planning</strong>: A strong backup and recovery plan is essential to safeguarding against ransomware and other cyber threats. Dental practices should regularly back up their patient data to secure, offsite locations and test their ability to restore this data quickly in case of an attack. By incorporating automated and encrypted backups, practices can ensure that critical information is recoverable and protected, minimizing downtime and disruption.</li>
	<li><strong>Employee Training and Awareness Programs</strong>: Human error remains one of the biggest cybersecurity risks. Regular cybersecurity training for staff, including how to recognize phishing attempts, avoid insecure practices, and properly handle patient data, is crucial. Investing in ongoing education will empower employees to serve as the first line of defense against cyber threats and prevent accidental breaches.</li>
	<li><strong>Endpoint Security Management</strong>: Dental practices often rely on multiple devices, such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones, to access patient information. Ensuring that these devices are secure with proper antivirus software, firewalls, and regular updates is critical. Endpoint security management tools can help monitor these devices and detect vulnerabilities in real time, reducing the risk of malware infections or breaches through unsecured endpoints.</li>
	<li><strong>Supply Chain Attacks</strong>: Supply chain attacks, where cybercriminals target a service provider or vendor to gain access to their clients’ data, are on the rise. For dental practices, this means that even if their own systems are secure, they could still be vulnerable through a third-party provider. It’s essential for practices to thoroughly vet their vendors, ensure they follow stringent cybersecurity practices, and regularly monitor any integrations for vulnerabilities. By being proactive in managing supply chain risks, dental practices can better protect their data and maintain the integrity of their operations.</li>
</ol>

<p>These trends highlight the importance of adopting a comprehensive, proactive approach to cybersecurity. By staying informed and implementing these best practices, dental practices can protect their systems and patient data against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.</p>

<h3>What impact does access control have on data security?</h3>

<p>Access control is like the security guard for your digital assets. In a dental practice, not everyone needs to see or touch every piece of patient data — just as not everyone in the office handles sensitive billing information. By implementing <strong>role-based access control (RBAC)</strong>, you ensure that each team member has access only to the data they need for their job. This minimizes the risk of data breaches, keeping your patients’ information safe and sound. Moreover, access control helps you stay compliant with regulations like HIPAA, which requires stringent measures to protect patient information. It’s a simple yet powerful way to maintain trust and protect your practice from potential security risks.</p>

<h2>Let’s cover what teams should consider when evaluating new platforms and how we approach security at Kleer and Membersy.</h2>

<h3>What should teams look for to ensure data protection and privacy in software solutions?</h3>

<p>When selecting a software solution for your dental practice, think of data protection and privacy as the foundation. Look for software that offers <strong>end-to-end encryption</strong>. This ensures that any data sent or stored is fully protected from prying eyes. <strong>Granular access controls</strong> are also key; they allow you to decide exactly who can access what within the system. You’ll also want to choose software that’s diligent about <strong>regular updates</strong> and patch management, as these are crucial for defending against the latest threats. And, don’t forget about compliance — ensure the software adheres to regulations like <strong>HIPAA</strong>, which is a must for protecting patient information. Lastly, consider software with robust <strong>backup and recovery options</strong>, because no one wants to lose important data due to an unexpected glitch or cyberattack.</p>

<h3>What role does training play in maintaining a secure dental software?</h3>

<p>No matter how secure your dental software is, it can still be compromised by human error, which is why regular <strong>cybersecurity training</strong> is so critical.</p>

<p>Consider this: a staggering <strong>91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email</strong>. Phishing is when cybercriminals trick employees into revealing sensitive information, like passwords, or clicking on malicious links. It’s a simple tactic, but incredibly effective. Even more concerning, <strong>85% of data breaches involve some element of human error</strong>—whether it’s falling for a phishing scam, using weak passwords, or mishandling sensitive data.</p>

<p>Regular training helps your team stay ahead of these threats by teaching them how to spot phishing attempts and other types of social engineering. This training should cover key areas like creating <strong>strong, unique passwords</strong>, recognizing the signs of phishing emails, and understanding the importance of secure data handling under regulations like HIPAA.</p>

<p>Moreover, your training program should be ongoing, not just a one-time event. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and so should your team’s knowledge. Implementing <strong>quarterly refreshers</strong> or phishing simulations can help keep security top-of-mind and reinforce best practices. And remember, well-trained staff are not only your first line of defense but also your most effective one.</p>

<p>In short, investing in regular cybersecurity training is one of the smartest moves you can make to protect your dental practice. By equipping your team with the knowledge they need, you reduce the risk of falling victim to cyberattacks and ensure that your patients’ data remains secure.</p>

<h3>How should teams think about security and their membership plan?</h3>

<p>When thinking about security for your dental membership plan, it's important to adopt a holistic approach that safeguards both your practice and your patients. Here's how you should think about security in the context of your membership plan:</p>

<ol>
	<li><strong>Ensure Robust Data Protection</strong>: The foundation of a secure membership plan starts with protecting sensitive patient data. This involves encrypting all data — both at rest and in transit — to ensure that it cannot be intercepted or accessed by unauthorized individuals. Your membership platform should use strong encryption standards to protect personal and financial information.</li>
	<li><strong>Implement Access Controls</strong>: Controlling who has access to your membership data is crucial. Use role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information.</li>
	<li><strong>Assign Individual User Accounts</strong>: It’s crucial that each team member has their own unique account when accessing the membership platform. Avoid using shared accounts for the entire practice, as this makes it difficult to track activities and increases the risk of unauthorized access. Individual accounts allow for more precise control, monitoring, and auditing of who accesses sensitive data, ensuring greater accountability and security across the board.</li>
	<li><strong>Use Secure Password Practices</strong>: Encourage your team to use unique, strong passwords for accessing the membership platform, and store these in a secure password vault. This minimizes the risk of password-related breaches and ensures that access to sensitive data is tightly controlled.</li>
	<li><strong>Vet Your Vendors</strong>: When choosing a platform for your dental membership plan, it's critical to ask the right questions about security. Inquire whether the vendor conducts regular <strong>web application penetration tests</strong> with independent third parties. These tests simulate potential cyberattacks to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Additionally, ask about their <strong>vulnerability detection</strong> processes. How frequently do they scan for weaknesses, and what steps do they take to remediate any issues that are discovered?<br />
	 </li>
</ol>

<h3><strong>How does the Kleer and Membersy software help streamline membership management? </strong></h3>

<p><strong>Efficient Enrollment and Management</strong>: Kleer and Membersy software simplifies the process of enrolling new patients and managing existing memberships. These systems allow patients to sign up, review membership benefits, and manage their accounts online, reducing the administrative workload for your staff. Automated reminders for renewals and membership status updates help keep both patients and practice organized.</p>

<p><strong>Comprehensive Record-Keeping</strong>: With digital patient management systems, all membership-related information is securely stored and easily accessible. This includes patient records, treatment histories, and membership details. This comprehensive approach ensures that your practice can provide personalized care based on up-to-date information, while also facilitating smoother interactions between staff and patients.</p>

<p><strong>Streamlined Billing and Payments</strong>: Modern software solutions facilitate hassle-free billing and payment processing for membership plans. Automated invoicing and payment processing reduce errors and administrative tasks, ensuring timely payments and better financial tracking. Integrated payment solutions also support various payment methods, enhancing patient convenience.</p>

<p>Integrating robust security measures with an engaging membership model is essential for maintaining a safe and profitable dental practice. As the digital landscape evolves, keeping up with cybersecurity trends and educating your team are essential for protecting your practice. By focusing on these strategies, you ensure that your membership plan remains secure and reliable. This approach not only enhances the safety of your services but also helps build trust with your patients, allowing you to confidently manage the complexities of modern digital security.</p>

<p>Learn more about how you can build a secure dental membership plan with Kleer and Membersy <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-september-blog-post&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">here</a>.<br />
 </p>

<p><strong>About Jesse Stafford, VP of Information Technology at Kleer and Membersy:</strong></p>

<p>Jesse is an IT executive with 17 years of leadership experience, focusing on corporate IT growth and team development across global organizations. His career includes key roles at Coherent Corp, CallRail, and Net Health, where he led significant transformations in IT infrastructure and security systems. Jesse's expertise in overseeing complex acquisition integrations and building robust IT and security teams has been pivotal in scaling companies and enhancing their technological capabilities. In 2023, Jesse joined Kleer and Membersy with the goal of building world-class IT, DevOps, and Security teams to secure the business and support its continued growth. His leadership is focused on enhancing operational resilience, driving innovation, and aligning technology strategies with the company’s broader objectives.</p>


In today’s digital world, balancing robust security with a vibrant membership experience is essential for success.

The intersection of security and membership: Strategies for a safe and profitable model

<p>How you participate with dental coverage impacts everything important to you — from how your patients access and afford care to how you get paid.</p>

<p>Membership plans provide practices of all shapes and sizes with the ability to offer an alternative option to help patients access essential dental care at a price they can afford. Meanwhile, practices get out from under the control conventional insurance coverage has had for entirely too long.</p>

<p>Now the question is do you build this yourself from the ground up or put your trust in a partner to do the heavy-lifting? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of both.</p>

<h2>What is a DIY In-House Dental Membership Plan?</h2>

<p>A do-it-yourself in-house dental membership plan is an option created and managed directly by your practice that allows patients to pay a fee to access dental benefits. These plans can enhance patient care and reduce dependence on insurance.</p>

<h3>Benefits of In-House Dental Membership Plans</h3>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>You can deliver high-quality, focused patient care:</strong> If your practice has to operate on a higher-volume model to make up for low reimbursement rates, a membership plan can help change that — by customizing plans specifically to the needs of your practice and patients and earning your desired rate, you can afford to service a smaller number of patients in a more focused fashion.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>You’ll have increased profit margins and a higher collection rate on net production:</strong> Since your membership plan is independent of insurance, you won’t be affected by declining reimbursement rates and your fees won’t be capped at the rates set by insurance.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>You create a direct relationship with your patients:</strong> By eliminating the go-between (aka PPOs), you maintain full control over patient benefits, treatments, and payments, fostering a stronger patient-provider relationship. As well as providing your uninsured and inactive patients access to an affordable option, making it simple for them to get the care they need. Ultimately leading to a mutually beneficial practice and patient relationship.</li>
</ol>

<h2>What is the Kleer and Membersy Solution?</h2>

<p>Kleer and Membersy offer an integrated dental membership platform designed to simplify and enhance your practice's membership plan offerings. These solutions come with advanced features and expert strategy and support to ensure success.</p>

<h3>Benefits of a Kleer and Membersy Dental Membership Plan</h3>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Patients are more loyal, more compliant, and more profitable:</strong> Kleer and Membersy don’t just help you design and manage your membership plan, our team works with you to get results. First we help you price your plan based on local patient demographics, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/dentists">dentists treatment preferences</a>, and economics of your practice or DSOs locations. As patients enroll, automated subscription payments and plan notifications encourage them to use their plan savings, increasing their perceived value and likelihood of renewal.<br />
	<br />
	<em><strong>88% of members on a plan powered by Kleer and Membersy say they're more likely to stay with their current dentist*.</strong></em></p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>The payments infrastructure and speed of collections is unparalleled:</strong> Missed payments are common when managing an in-house plan. This often happens because practices track their plans in various ways — PMS, Excel, or written documents — leading to inaccuracies, which can open your office up to a higher level of risk.<br />
	<br />
	With Kleer and Membersy, you can streamline payments and speed up collections. Our system automates payment processing, tracks payments and deposits sent to your bank account, and sends notifications to patients and your practice when payments are missed. It also retries payment methods and posts payments and balance transactions directly into your PMS, eliminating the headaches of manual tracking.<br />
	 </li>
	<li><strong>Mitigate compliance issues that could grind your growth to a halt: </strong>Kleer and Membersy ensure your plan has the necessary discount medical plan operator (DMPO) licensure and meets all requirements — including HIPAA and payment processing laws like PCI — to keep you in good standing.<br />
	 </li>
	<li><strong>Gain access to marketing tools and support: </strong>Gain strategic guidance on how to transform your revenue through membership. From tailored plan design to office education, member support, marketing, and beyond, we apply a combined 20+ years of experience to help you reach your goals.</li>
</ol>

<h2>Common Misconceptions of a Membership Plan Debunked</h2>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>It won't take time and resources to manage a plan:</strong> Managing your plan requires significant time and effort from your team, as they must manually track patient benefits, payments, renewals, and more.<br />
	<br />
	Lack of an automated tracking and reporting system may actually slow the growth of your plan. As you add more members the more complex your plan becomes, creating a whole other job for front office teams.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>My team won't need extra support:</strong> Without a dedicated support team, resolving issues and addressing patients' questions and requests about the plan, becomes the responsibility of your practice. Additionally, marketing efforts — such as creating brochures, in-office collateral, website landing pages, and digital <a href="https://www.kleer.com/services/marketing">marketing</a> campaigns — fall entirely on your team.<br />
	 </li>
	<li><strong>Choosing a partner means my team will give up control: </strong>This is actually a <strong>common misconception</strong>, Kleer and Membersy practices are in complete control of their plan. Practices decide what is included in the care plans, what they name and brand the plan, and how they price the plans. This is your membership, so it’s only fair that you have control over every detail.<br />
	 </li>
	<li><strong>Membership fees will reduce production value: </strong>Some practices are concerned that the fees charged by third-party membership plan partners will cut into revenue and reduce the production value per patient. Although this is a reasonable concern, lack of access to affordable options can be a major barrier to patients seeking and receiving dental care.<br />
	<br />
	While Kleer and Membersy charge a small fee to cover the platform, support resources, payment processing, and legal fees, it’s significantly lower than the 40-60% taken by traditional insurance.</li>
</ol>

<h2>Real Examples from Dental Practices Like Yours</h2>

<h3>SkyRidge Dental</h3>

<p><strong>In-House vs. Kleer and Membersy:</strong> After years of managing a time-intensive in-house membership plan with flat results, transitioning to Kleer and Membersy revitalized SkyRidge Dental’s approach, achieving:</p>

<p><img alt="Greater efficiency through automation, Higher rates of treatment acceptance, 8X increase in member enrollment per year, $142k generated in recurring subscription revenue" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c54908b4-97d8-4dd9-b427-3bce1ee9c4bd" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DIY%20vs%20KM%20-%20In-content%20imagery.png" /></p>

<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/skyridge-dental-achieves-8x-increase-membership-plan-enrollment">*Read the full story </a></strong></em></p>

<h2><br />
How to Choose the Right Solution for Your Practice</h2>

<h3>Use our checklist to guide you through the research process</h3>

<p>☑️ <strong>Ease of Use:</strong> Why invest in a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-platform">software platform</a> that no one can use? The right membership plan platform should be user-friendly, intuitive, and efficient for both you and your staff.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Reporting Features: </strong>Having the ability to track the number of members, purchases, plan benefits, renewals, and payments at any time streamlines your office operations, saving you time and money.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Plan Customization Across Practices:</strong> For practices with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/group-practices">multiple locations</a>, adjusting pricing manually can be challenging. Optimize your offering for patients at any location, considering your fee schedule and data from thousands of dental practices using Kleer and Membersy.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Excellent Customer Service:</strong> A responsive customer service team is crucial for troubleshooting issues. Choosing a software with a dedicated support team ensures you’re never left hanging when you need help.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Scalability:</strong> Select a membership plan software that can grow with your practice. A scalable solution saves you stress and money in the long run by adapting to your evolving needs.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Day-to-Day Management:</strong> Real-time management of plan details is essential. Tracking recurring revenue, bank deposits, member enrollment, and renewals provides invaluable resources for your office team.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Customer Enrollment:</strong> Ease of enrollment is vital for the strength of your membership plan. Kleer and Membersy simplify this with a scannable QR code on plan brochures and customized landing page that allows new members to sign up in minutes.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Payment Auto-renewal:</strong> Enabling members to automatically renew their membership each year increases recurring revenue and operational efficiencies.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Integration with PMS:</strong> <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started">Integrating your PMS with a membership plan platform</a> streamlines patient management and centralizes essential information.</p>

<p>☑️ <strong>Expert Strategy and Support:</strong> The long-term success of your membership plan depends on a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-advantage">dedicated support team</a>. Kleer and Membersy with you from the start to ensure your practice meets its goals.</p>

<p><em><strong>*Save a copy of the <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/your-guide-choosing-best-dental-membership-plan-software">ultimate membership checklist</a> for your team! </strong></em></p>

<p>By carefully evaluating your practice’s unique needs and goals, you can determine whether an in-house dental membership plan or working with Kleer and Membersy is the best fit.</p>

<p>When you are ready to take the next step, we invite you to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-july-blog-post&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">meet with a plan expert!</a></p>

<p><img alt="Meet Stacey Palek! " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="80438b7b-dac1-4240-9a46-b874472c01ca" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/blog-author-headshot_0.png" /></p>

<h4>About the Author</h4>

<p>As the Content Marketing Strategist at Kleer and Membersy, Stacey brings over 7 years of expertise in B2B and healthcare content creation. Harnessing her experience she works to craft actionable resources for dental teams to help fuel their growth.</p>


How you participate with dental coverage impacts everything important to you — from how your patients access and afford care to how you get paid.

DIY dental membership plan vs. the Kleer and Membersy solution: Which is right for you?

<p>Kleer and Membersy, the leader in dental membership plan solutions, is proud to announce its inclusion in the 2024 Inc. 5000 list. This recognition highlights Kleer Membersy’s exceptional growth and innovation in the healthcare subscription market and solidifies its position among the nation’s top-performing private enterprises.</p>

<p>The Inc. 5000 list, published annually by Inc. Magazine, celebrates the achievements of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. Kleer Membersy’s remarkable growth over the past several years proves its commitment to providing Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), group dental practices, and independent dentists with everything they need to start and scale a successful dental membership plan.</p>

<p><em>“We’re honored to be named among this prestigious list of the fast-growing companies in America two years in a row,” </em>said Dave Monahan, CEO of Kleer Membersy. <em>“and this year is very special. Not only are we growing fast, but the recent Kleer and Membersy merger enables us to expand our commitment to our customers and provide them with the highest quality solution and service in the market.” </em></p>

<p>Kleer Membersy has played the leadership role developing the dental subscription market, eliminating the expense and hassle of 3rd party insurance plans. The Inc. 5000 list validates its vision for the future of the dental industry that connects patients and dentists directly with no middleman in the way. As the company continues to expand and innovate, it remains dedicated to delivering expert strategy and support, integrated software, and comprehensive regulatory compliance to DSOs, group practices and independent dentists.</p>

<p>For more information about Kleeer Membersy’s all in one dental membership plan solution, visit <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.kleer.com">kleer.com</a> or <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.membersy.com">membersy.com</a>.</p>

<p><strong>About Kleer and Membersy: </strong></p>

<p>With a combined 20+ years of experience, together Kleer and Membersy are the only all-in-one membership solution. Trusted by over 20,000 dentists, from solo practices to the largest DSOs, and millions of patients across 50 states, Kleer and Membersy provide a membership model that both patients and providers love. The platform enables patients to gain access to high quality, affordable care and practices to increase patient engagement, improve practice performance, and take control of payer strategy.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=press-release&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=km-2024-august-inc-5000-press-release&amp;utm_content=about-kleer-membersy&amp;utm_form=request-demo">Get started with Kleer and Membersy today</a></p>


Kleer and Membersy, the leader in dental membership plan solutions, is proud to announce its inclusion in the 2024 Inc. 5000 list.

Kleer Membersy Makes the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

Amy Shoumer’s team was looking for a way to streamline their in-house plan that was manual, difficult to manage, and truly a burden to the office staff. Their goal was to find a trusted membership plan partner to strengthen practice performance, and Kleer and Membersy is helping them get there.

How one practice automated their in-house plan, improved patient engagement, and cut time with Kleer and Membersy

This ebook offers comprehensive insight on the top 6 growth strategies for dental teams to consider in 2024.<br />


Industry Experts Weigh in on the Top 6 Growth Strategies for 2024

<p>In this competitive climate, it’s about making the most out of what you have.</p>

<p>Same-store growth may seem like a buzzword these days, but dental leaders are making it a priority, and for good reason. Below we talk through how you can embrace the model to improve business outcomes.</p>

<h2>What is same-store growth?</h2>

<p>For dental teams, same-store growth is the primary focus on maximizing efficiencies and cash flow across existing practice locations compared to the previous year, rather than working to drive growth through new practice acquisitions.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-dental-teams-can-master-same-store-growth?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-ssg-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=same-store-growth-ebook"><img alt="Same-store growth is the primary focus on maximizing efficiencies and cash flow across existing practice locations compared to the previous year, rather than working to drive growth through new practice acquisitions." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5f1f87e1-198f-44fc-a87d-29300a5b3c87" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_5.png" /></a></p>

<h2>How to understand your same-store growth rate?</h2>

<p>You’ll first want to select a time period. Then identify comparable stores. These are locations that have been operational within that time frame. Consider avoiding comparing locations that have undergone significant changes. Then calculate total sales (revenue) for each store using the formula below.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-dental-teams-can-master-same-store-growth?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-ssg-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=same-store-growth-ebook"><img alt="SSG% = (Total Sales Current Year / Total Sales Prior year - 1) x 100" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a4831254-68bd-4533-8cc0-2978ce674c4e" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/4_1.png" /></a></p>

<p>The results are calculated as a percentage to indicate the positive or negative impact of practice results on revenue.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Why should same-store growth be prioritized?</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Prioritizing <a href="https://www.groupdentistrynow.com/dso-group-blog/4-key-methods-to-increase-same-store-growth/">same-store growth</a> is paramount for several reasons. While the possibility of expanding into new locations may seem like an effective way to fast-track growth, a disproportionate reliance on this strategy could deter future investors, raising concerns about your practice's ability to retain a loyal patient base and operate efficiently. </p>

<p>Additionally, dental teams are now facing economic pressure that’s <a href="https://www.inc.com/inc-masters/private-equity-and-the-dental-industrys-consolidation-curveball.html">slowing acquisition-led expansion</a>, indicating the need to establish a healthier approach to future revenue generation. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Where to find existing avenues for growth? </h2>

<h3 dir="ltr">Simplify scheduling to keep chairs full</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Streamlining your appointment booking process can significantly enhance patient satisfaction and practice efficiency. Modern scheduling software eliminates bottlenecks and allows patients to schedule appointments based on their availability, while automating form submissions, appointment confirmations, and keeping waiting lists to help fill last-minute cancellations. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Identify patients with unscheduled treatment</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Practices lose thousands of dollars each year to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/misconception-unscheduled-patients-and-how-they-generate-revenue">unscheduled treatment</a>. Implementing targeted communication strategies, such as personalized reminders and follow-ups, can encourage these patients to book their appointments. It also helps to hold your team accountable by defining clear goals for this process.</p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Improve the speed of collections</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Consider integrating electronic payment options, such as online payment portals or mobile payment apps, to offer patients a convenient way to settle any balances and improve <a href="https://www.dentalgrouppractice.com/the-importance-of-rcm-on-same-store-growth.html">revenue cycle management</a>. Automating communication regarding payment reminders helps to ensure that outstanding balances are addressed immediately. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Make dental care more accessible</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Most dental practices have hundreds, if not thousands of uninsured and inactive patients who avoid care and treatment due to lack of access to dental coverage. Working to bridge the coverage gap through implementing a <a href="http://kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">subscription-based membership plan</a> is a huge opportunity for dental teams. It not only ensures patients can access essential care, but fosters a level of loyalty that moves patients closer to your business, leaves decisions about care and treatment up to you, and generates scalable, recurring revenue independent of insurance. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Get your roadmap to mastering same-store growth</h2>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-dental-teams-can-master-same-store-growth?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-ssg-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=same-store-growth-ebook"><img alt="Download your same-store growth ebook" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="98c3f7d7-88de-4021-9920-2cff7c435add" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/5_0.png" /></a></p>

<p dir="ltr">Our latest ebook, "<a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-dental-teams-can-master-same-store-growth?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-ssg-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=same-store-growth-ebook">Mastering Same-Store Growth</a>," uncovers actionable insights to elevate your same-store growth strategy, avoid costly pitfalls, and propel your practice forward.</p>


In this competitive climate, it’s about making the most out of what you have. Same-store growth may seem like a buzzword these days, but dental leaders are making it a priority, and for good reason. Below we talk through how you can embrace the model to improve business outcomes.

Why Dental Teams and DSOs Should Prioritize Same-Store Growth 

<p>Whether you are a new practice, or an established one, prioritizing new patients is an essential part of your success. Here’s how to effectively get new patients through your doors, and even how to keep them coming back.</p>

<h2>1. Create a comprehensive dental marketing plan</h2>

<h3>Optimize your digital footprint and be there when patients search</h3>

<p><strong>Increase visibility through paid search: </strong></p>

<p><a href="https://www.sixthcitymarketing.com/2024/02/28/dental-marketing-stats/#:~:text=71%25%20of%20people%20looking%20for,start%20with%20a%20search%20engine.">71% of people looking for a dentist</a> run an online search before scheduling an appointment. How you show up on search engine results pages (SERPs) — like Google or Bing — is crucial to your business. Utilizing Google or Bing Ads can help you maintain top of page rankings, reach a wider population of patients, and drive more clicks to your site.</p>

<p><strong>Prioritize organic search and SEO:</strong></p>

<p>Organic search results appear based on the relevance of your site to a user's query, and are earned through factors like website and content quality and authority.</p>

<p>If you’ve ever searched for <em>“restaurants near me?”</em>, it’s likely hundreds of potential patients in your area are entering something similar to find the nearest dentist.</p>

<p>Working to enhance your local and on-page SEO can significantly amplify your online presence, attracting patients near you and helping you appear higher in results without paid placements.</p>

<p>Consider leveraging tools such as Google My Business and fine-tuning your website's content to align with your location and overarching keyword strategy.</p>

<h3>Print still matters in dental marketing — supplement your online presence</h3>

<p><strong>Earn higher response rates </strong></p>

<p>Print materials are still an extremely effective way to increase your brand recognition and credibility. In fact, print advertisements receive an average <a href="https://persuasion-nation.com/print-marketing-statistics/#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20print,recall%20rate%20than%20digital%20advertising.">response rate of 9%</a>, while other digital media receive about 1%.</p>

<p>It’s important to track the performance of your print advertising when working to acquire new patients. Utilizing a trackable QR code or link shortener helps simplify performance management.</p>

<p><strong>Reach offline patients</strong></p>

<p>Enhancing accessibility to information about your practice can be pivotal in reaching seniors and communities who may not find their information online.</p>

<p><strong>Increase brand recognition over your competition </strong></p>

<p>Print marketing helps you compete where competitors may have lost focus. Consumers are also more likely to remember you! When your competitors are strictly digital advertisers, print provides an opportunity to set your practice apart.</p>

<h3>Increase practice visibility through events and community involvement</h3>

<p><strong>Find your community </strong></p>

<p>Start by visiting local community centers, libraries, and town halls for information about upcoming events such as health fairs, festivals, or fundraisers.</p>

<p>Utilize social media platforms, local Facebook groups, and community websites to stay updated on event announcements and opportunities for involvement.</p>

<p>You can also try reaching out to your chamber of commerce and network with other local businesses and organizations to deepen your relationship within your community.</p>

<p><strong>Build and establish trust </strong></p>

<p>Whether you help sponsor health fairs, offer free check-ups, or host educational workshops, these activities demonstrate care beyond the dental office. Engaging with your community makes your practice more approachable and trustworthy, encouraging prospective patients to choose you from the start.</p>

<h2>2. Understand your patients and address their needs</h2>

<h3>Develop the ideal dental patient profile</h3>

<p><strong>Identify your target demographic </strong></p>

<p>Focusing your marketing efforts on your primary patient demographic, whether it's seniors, pediatric patients, or a specialized field like dental implants or sedation dentistry, can drive demand for your practice within that target market.</p>

<p><strong>Get to know your patients preferences </strong></p>

<p>Valuing patients' preferences extends beyond treatment methods and anxiety management, it can encompass aspects like scheduling, communication, and financial or <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-5-effective-strategies&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">coverage options</a>. By understanding these specific preferences, you can create a more comfortable and personalized experience.</p>

<p><strong>Personalize dental services and treatment plans </strong></p>

<p>When personalizing treatment plans consider factors such as patients' dental history, preferences, and budget constraints, ensuring they receive the most effective care.</p>

<p>In addition, offering a custom coverage option like a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-5-effective-strategies&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">dental membership plan</a> can help ensure your uninsured or inactive patients can regularly access and afford necessary hygiene and treatment services.</p>

<p><strong>Use what you know to craft compelling marketing campaigns </strong></p>

<p>By crafting campaigns that resonate with your target audience demographic, and highlighting the ways your practice tailors its offerings to patient preferences, you can effectively attract more of your ideal patients.</p>

<h3>Know the dental health ranking and PPO landscape of your community</h3>

<p><strong>How to find your state’s dental health ranking </strong></p>

<p>Dental IQ has released an <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/build-dental-membership-plan-based-your-practice-zip-code">interactive map</a> with best and worst dental health per state. This tool can be incredibly useful for dental leaders seeking to understand the overall oral health rankings in their region and what prospective patients need from their provider.</p>

<p><strong>Know the market share of payers in your area </strong></p>

<p>If you operate in an area dominated by insurance payers, it might make sense for you to keep your higher-performing PPOs so you can continue to attract patients within their network.</p>

<p>Alternatively, in areas where payers have less market share it’s important to find alternative ways to make care and services accessible. Accessibility can mean offering an <a href="https://www.dentalgrouppractice.com/dso-2024-tech-trends-putting-value-in-the-hands-of-your-doctors-and-patients.html">in-house membership plan or a patient financing solution</a>, both are great for patients and can drive significantly more revenue back into your business.</p>

<h2>3. Provide an Elevated Patient Experience</h2>

<h3>Lean on technology, reduce dental anxiety, and drive referrals</h3>

<p><strong>Utilize the most advanced technology </strong></p>

<p>According to Urban Smiles Dental, there are <a href="https://urbansmileschicago.com/the-impact-of-technology-on-dentistry-a-comprehensive-guide/#:~:text=Advantages%20and%20Benefits%20of%20Technology%20in%20Dentistry&amp;text=The%205%20main%20advantages%20and,improved%20safety%2C%20and%20increased%20efficiency.">5 main advantages</a> and benefits of technology in dentistry as followed below:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Improved accuracy and precision</li>
	<li>Improved patient comfort</li>
	<li>Increased speed of diagnosis and treatment</li>
	<li>Improved safety, and increased efficiency</li>
</ul>

<p>Overall, the integration of advanced technology in dentistry results in more effective and safer patient care, significantly enhancing the overall patient experience and fostering greater loyalty to your practice.</p>

<p><strong>Make your practice welcoming </strong></p>

<p>Dental Anxiety is estimated to affect approximately 36% of the population, with a further 12% suffering from extreme <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5586885/">dental fear</a>. A few ways to make your practice more inviting may include, offering a complimentary beverage, providing cozy waiting areas with comfortable seating, and ensuring friendly interactions with every patient. These small but impactful gestures can help patients feel at ease.</p>

<p><strong>Launch a referral program </strong></p>

<p>Referral programs are a powerful tool for expanding your patient base while rewarding existing patients for their loyalty. By implementing a patient referral program, you can incentivize current patients to spread the word about your practice to their friends, family, and colleagues.</p>

<p>Encouraging customer reviews, showcasing testimonials, and providing excellent customer service further enhance your credibility.</p>

<h3>Provide superior customer service that prioritizes patients</h3>

<p><strong>Take notes for a personalized touch </strong></p>

<p>Making patients feel welcomed, and keeping updated notes in their ledger about their family, vacations, or major life events provides an extra step of customer service, plus gives you something to talk about each time they come in. This helps patients feel prioritized and safe in your space.</p>

<p><strong>Establish a high standard of care through staff training </strong></p>

<p>Investing in ongoing education and skill development for your team is essential for maintaining high quality care, ensuring patient satisfaction, and generating positive reviews and referrals to attract new patients. With a well-trained and motivated team, your practice can establish itself as a trusted provider.</p>

<p><strong>Automate reminders for patients </strong></p>

<p>Automated notifications, reminders, and payment processing make it easy for patients to stay on top of their appointments and manage any additional payments or charges. This takes the burden off of your staff, and simplifies the experience for patients.</p>

<h2>4. Be Transparent With Pricing</h2>

<h3>Make care more accessible</h3>

<p><strong>Minimize cancellations caused by price-anxiety </strong></p>

<p>Price transparency is not just about listing costs; it's about empowering patients with clarity and confidence in order to eliminate any lingering feelings of price-anxiety. When patients know exactly what to expect, they can plan their dental care more effectively. Plus they become less likely to cancel at the last minute.</p>

<p><strong>Share detailed treatment breakdowns </strong></p>

<p>Provide patients with a comprehensive summary of the costs associated with each treatment or procedure. This includes fees for the procedure itself, any additional materials or medications required, as well as any applicable taxes or administrative charges.</p>

<p><strong>Implement a no hidden fee policy </strong></p>

<p>Commitment to a no hidden fee policy to demonstrates your dedication to transparency and honesty in pricing. Make it clear to patients that the price they see in their breakdown is the price they pay.</p>

<h2>5. Set yourself apart from the rest</h2>

<h3>Launch a dental membership plan</h3>

<p><strong>Diversify your dental practice </strong></p>

<p>By offering a membership plan, your practice stands out in a crowded market appealing to a greater demographic of patients. From retirees who have lost benefits to patients working in industries that don’t provide them — and everyone else in between membership plans help patients and their families access the oral care they need.</p>

<p><strong>Customize membership plan offerings to fit patient needs </strong></p>

<p>Tailor your membership plan to meet the diverse needs of your patients, by offering several options for plan inclusions and pricing. Adjust the terms and benefits of your membership plan based on patient feedback and changing market conditions to ensure your plan best serves your patients and is profitable for your business.</p>

<p><strong>Keep new patients coming back with a commitment to care </strong></p>

<p>Patients who enroll in membership plans are committed to your practice, and more likely to schedule regular visits and follow-up appointments. This leads to better oral health outcomes and stronger patient-provider relationships.</p>

<p>When fostering new patient loyalty through membership, you'll want to rely on a high-quality dental membership platform.</p>

<p>With Kleer and Membersy, you'll gain a powerful membership plan solution that not only helps you provide subscription-based coverage directly to patients but automates plan management, integrates with your PMS, provides expert strategy and support, and ensures air-tight compliance.</p>

<p>Learn how you can keep more of your new patients and maximize your revenue when you <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-june-5-effective-strategies&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">meet with a plan expert today</a>!</p>

<h4><img alt="Meet Stacey Palek! " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e0d6e283-207d-426d-93ae-d8d2108d05a1" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/blog-author-headshot.png" /></h4>

<h4>About the Author</h4>

<p>As the Content Marketing Strategist at Kleer and Membersy, Stacey brings over 7 years of expertise in B2B and healthcare content creation. Harnessing her experience she works to craft actionable resources for dental teams to help fuel their growth.</p>


Whether you are a new practice, or an established one, prioritizing new patients is an essential part of your success. Here’s how to effectively get new patients through your doors, and even how to keep them coming back.

Top 5 Strategies to Effectively Attract New Dental Patients

<p dir="ltr">Austin, TX - As part of our ongoing commitment to dental market collaboration, growth, and innovation,<strong> we are excited to announce that Michael Shuman, former CEO of Membersy, has been appointed as Chief Partnerships Officer of Kleer and Membersy</strong>. In this role, Shuman will build strategic partnerships with other leading dental companies that align with Kleer and Membersy’s mission to make care more accessible to patients while significantly improving practice performance.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Although Kleer and Membersy have always been committed to partnerships, Shuman’s appointment, related partnership investments, and the merger of Kleer and Membersy creates a scale and capability that enables subscription dentistry and related solutions to create meaningful change in the dental market payer model. </p>

<p dir="ltr">“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter as Chief Partnership Officer. With this opportunity, I will cultivate meaningful partnerships and alliances that enhance and extend the solutions and services that we and our partners provide to the market,” added Michael Shuman. “What sets this role apart for me is the opportunity to bring together my passion for building relationships, creating positive change in the dental market, and delivering tangible results for our valued partners.”</p>

<p dir="ltr">Shuman brings more than a decade of experience within the dental industry to his role as CPO. He has spent the last eight years in leadership roles at Membersy, including building the company's sales and customer success operations that saw the company scale immensely by building partnerships with over 4,500 practices nationwide. </p>

<p dir="ltr">“Partnerships are the key to creating real change in the dental market.” says Shuman. “Kleer and Membersy is 100% aligned with every dental practices’ desire to move away from the antiquated PPO payer model and create a new model that both patients and providers love. It’s now time to bring the efforts of many companies together to make this dream a reality. I believe the concept is best captured in the quote “To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together.”</p>

<h3 dir="ltr">About Kleer and Membersy</h3>

<p>With a combined 20+ years of experience, together Kleer and Membersy are the only all-in-one membership solution. Trusted by over 20,000 dentists, from solo practices to the largest DSOs, and millions of patients across 50 states, Kleer and Membersy provide a membership model that both patients and providers love. The platform enables patients to gain access to high quality, affordable care and practices to increase patient engagement, improve practice performance, and take control of payer strategy. </p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-may-cpo-announcement&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">Get started with Kleer and Membersy today</a></p>


Austin, TX - As part of our ongoing commitment to dental market collaboration, growth, and innovation, we are excited to announce that Michael Shuman, former CEO of Membersy, has been appointed as Chief Partnerships Officer of Kl

Michael Shuman Appointed Chief Partnerships Officer at Kleer and Membersy

SkyRidge Dental is an independent practice located in Austin, Texas. They believe expanding access to dental coverage, beyond the traditional insurance model, is foundational to providing a best-in-class patient experience. This mindset prompted them to launch their own in-house dental membership program.<br />
<br />
After years of dealing with increased tasks and responsibilities, but flat results, they were determined to find a better solution.

SkyRidge Dental Achieves 8X Increase in Membership Plan Enrollment

Define and calculate your same-store growth rate, plus explore the benefits of improving your results through membership.

How Dental Teams Can Master Same-Store Growth

<h3 dir="ltr">The ultimate membership plan platform just got better! <strong>Kleer and Membersy have joined forces</strong> to deliver an unparalleled membership plan solution.</h3>

<h4 dir="ltr">“It is very exciting to see our mission to improve patient access to care brought to a new level with this merger,” said Dave Monahan, Kleer’s CEO. “Kleer and Membersy have led the charge establishing a new business model in dentistry that works better for patients and dental practices alike. I couldn’t be happier working with the Membersy team and Charlesbank to accelerate investment and create value for dental practices at an unprecedented scale.”</h4>

<p dir="ltr">Founded in 2017 and 2015, respectively, Kleer and Membersy provide dental practices and dental service organizations (DSOs) with the vital tools needed to build and grow a successful dental membership program, including consultative plan design, an advanced technology platform, plan branding and marketing collateral, regulatory compliance, and best-in-class support for patients and dental office staff.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Kleer-Membersy is the only all-in-one membership solution that leverages their complementary strengths, industry expertise, and scale, Kleer and Membersy will create unprecedented value for DSOs, dental practices, and their patients. Stronger together, Kleer and Membersy share the mission of expanding access to care for all uninsured and underinsured Americans, including more than 76 million adults without dental insurance. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Kleer and Membersy will empower providers to design, implement, and grow a successful membership plan that transforms their revenue and profit model while providing patients with an accessible option for dental care. With a combined 20+ years experience, 100+ employees, and deep expertise across all disciplines of membership plan design and administration, Kleer and Membersy will provide practices with the best in class membership management solution that includes:</p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Strategy</strong> to design, implement, and grow a successful membership program </p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Software that make is</strong> <strong>easy to manage, automate, and promote</strong> a membership program</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Integration with practice management software</strong> that fully automates program management, patient marketing, and reporting</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Nationwide Compliance</strong> with federal and state regulations, including in CA and WA.</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>World Class Support</strong> for members, staff, and corporate leadership   </p>
	</li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr">As established leaders in the dental membership space, Kleer and Membery is trusted by over 20,000 dentists, from solo practices to the largest DSOs, and millions of patients across 50 states, Kleer-Membersy provides a membership model that both patients and providers love. The platform enables patients to gain access to high-quality, affordable care and allows practices to increase patient engagement, improve practice performance, and take control of payer strategy. </p>

<p dir="ltr"> </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Take The Next Step With Kleer and Membersy</h2>

<p dir="ltr">The all in one membership plan platform solution that your practice needs, now better than ever. Together, we empower providers to start and scale a successful membership plan that transforms their revenue model while providing patients with an accessible option for dental care.</p>

<p dir="ltr">To learn more about how Kleer and Membersy’s best-in-class membership management platform, services, and support can drive growth for your practice <a href="https://kleer.com/kleer-and-membersy?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-membersy-2024-may-announcement-blog&amp;utm_content=about-kleer-membersy&amp;utm_form=request-demo">schedule a time to connect</a>. </p>

<p dir="ltr"> </p>


The ultimate membership plan platform just got better! Kleer and Membersy have joined forces to deliver an unparalleled membership plan solution.

“It is very exciting to see our mission to improve pa

Dental Membership Powerhouses Join Forces: Kleer and Membersy

<h2>Does Kleer have marketing automation?</h2>

<p>Yes, Kleer offers marketing automation, allowing you to engage with patients through automated email campaigns, and more. These automated messages are uniquely crafted based on your patients' activity at your practice. Which means you don’t have to write any messages or click send, allowing you to send more personalized emails at the right time. Whether you want to announce your membership plan options or remind patients of your plan offering, this <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/ki-white-paper?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-may-automated-marketing-faq&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ki-white-paper">Kleer Intelligence</a> growth tool can help bring your inactive patients back in the door.</p>

<h2><br />
How do I add marketing automation to my Kleer membership plan?</h2>

<p>This feature is available to all Kleer Pro customers. Not a Kleer Pro customer yet?<br />
<a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-pro/upgrade?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-may-automated-marketing-faq&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Click here</a> to send us an upgrade request.</p>

<h2><br />
How do I turn on automated marketing?</h2>

<p>Current Kleer Pro customers who have PMS Sync Features enabled can turn on automated marketing by first logging in to their <a href="https://dentist.kleer.com/auth/login">portal</a>, then scrolling to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>“Product Settings”</li>
	<li>Click “Edit”</li>
	<li>Under “PMS Sync Features” click “Settings” under the Automated Marketing Column</li>
	<li>Check “Allow Automated Marketing to Your Patients”</li>
	<li>Check “Accept Automated Marketing Terms and Conditions”</li>
	<li>Check one or both of the campaign settings to begin marketing to patients.</li>
</ul>

<p>Within one week eligible patients with valid emails will start to receive emails.</p>

<p><a href="https://play.goconsensus.com/u552e7db4">This tool-tip will walk you through step-by-step!</a><br />
 </p>

<h2>What is automated marketing?</h2>

<p>Automated marketing refers to using technology to reduce the creation of manual emails. So, instead of composing an email to your uninsured patients, you can let the Kleer system handle it for you. With <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/competitive-edge-integration-dental-plans">Kleer Pro integrated</a> directly to your PMS, it can identify patients that may be a good fit for your membership plan. As a result, your inactive and active patients will receive targeted emails with the information they need. Not only can this help patients remain engaged with your practice, but it can also allow you to gain loyal customers. After all, 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that create personalized experiences.<br />
 </p>

<h2>How does marketing automation work?</h2>

<p>Marketing automation is designed to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/utilizing-smart-software-fill-critical-gaps-staffing">streamline and automate</a> many of the manual tasks associated with building a marketing strategy. It can help you automate tasks such as email campaigns, segmentation, personalization, and more. Kleer Pro’s automated marketing takes it one step further by tracking response rates, visits, and treatments — measuring the effectiveness of your campaigns and your plan performance. Kleer automatically splits your patients into three segments:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Uninsured patients with a scheduled visit</li>
	<li>Uninsured patients with unscheduled treatment</li>
	<li>Inactive patients that have not visited your practice in 18+ months</li>
</ul>

<p>With your permission, Kleer will send personalized emails at optimized times to engage with these patients.</p>

<h2><br />
What does marketing automation do?</h2>

<p>Marketing automation helps busy practices build a comprehensive marketing strategy around their membership plan, track patient interaction, and measure the impact of marketing activities. Marketing automation helps practices save time, money, and resources by automating mundane tasks such as email marketing, patient segmentation, brand personalization, and analytics. With your approval, Kleer will send personalized emails that <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-house-dental-membership-plans-help-prioritize-patient-engagement">engage patients</a> through two of the following automated campaigns:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Announcement campaign: Five emails across 90 days to non-member patients to announce your membership plan.</li>
	<li>Seasonal campaign: One email each quarter of the year to each non-member patient to remind them of the availability of your membership plan.</li>
</ul>

<p>Kleer then tracks the response rates and sends you results of each campaign to show you the impact it has on your success.<br />
<br />
Here are real results from a real practice using Kleer Pro’s automatic marketing feature:<br />
Over the last 45 days, three announcement email campaigns were sent to customized segments including the practice's active uninsured patients and inactive patients with and without insurance. So far, 22 membership plan sales have been directly linked to this automatic email campaign in only one and a half months.</p>

<h2><br />
How do I use marketing automation?</h2>

<p>Automated marketing is designed to help streamline and automate your membership plan marketing needs. To use it, you will need to have your PMS Sync Features enabled on the Kleer Pro platform. With PMS Sync enabled and automated marketing turned on, eligible patients will start to receive emails within one week. Kleer will then start to track the performance of your campaigns and adjust your strategy as needed. With PMS sync enabled, leverage <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/kleer-pro-definitive-guide-features-integration-more">additional tools</a> such as automatic payment posting, automatic enrollment, automatic benefit tracking, and more.</p>

<h2><br />
Why do I need marketing automation?</h2>

<p>Automating the marketing for your membership plan will help grow your practice by engaging with more patients, more often. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/misconception-unscheduled-patients-and-how-they-generate-revenue">89% of your uninsured patients are interested</a> in purchasing a dental care plan - even if they don’t ask about it. Email campaigns are designed by Kleer marketing experts to reach the right patients at the right times to boost your membership plan enrollment. Marketing automation can help you to save time, increase efficiency, and optimize your membership plan campaigns without taking time away from your patients.</p>

<h2><br />
How can I use Kleer for marketing automation?</h2>

<p>Kleer makes it easy to start automating your marketing campaigns to help you reach your goals. Current Kleer Pro customers who have PMS Sync Features enabled can turn on automated marketing by going to Product Settings after logging in to their <a href="https://dentist.kleer.com/auth/login">portal</a>. View, edit, and select your choice of personalized email campaigns. Kleer Pro will set up segments to target your ideal patients and automate the email campaign. Then, it will track the results - measuring the response rates, patient visits, and treatment completed.<br />
<br />
Not a Kleer Pro customer? <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-pro/upgrade?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-may-automated-marketing-faq&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Start by signing up for a free demo.</a> From there, you can begin to explore all the automation options available through Kleer Pro.</p>

<p> </p>


Does Kleer have marketing automation?

Yes, Kleer offers marketing automation, allowing you to engage with patients through automated email campaigns, and more.

Frequently Asked Automated Marketing Questions (FAQs)

<p dir="ltr">In Episode 6 of our Kleercast webinar series, Tim Kelley of TNT Dental joins us to share his ideas, tips and techniques to help you build a road map for success in 2024 and beyond. </p>

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<p> </p>

<p>There are two primary ways to grow your dental practice – traditional and lifestyle. Tim Kelley dives into how you can increase dental practice growth through new patient acquisition, but more importantly, how to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/misconception-unscheduled-patients-and-how-they-generate-revenue?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-april-tnt-blog&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=patient-loyalty&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">reduce your patient attrition</a> and increase your patient spend.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">New Patient Acquisition</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Let’s start with the questions: How much do you want to grow? How many patients do you need to see growth? Although it varies from practice to practice, patient acquisition is known to be the most prominent way to get more patients through the door leading to practice. Tim further explains how to calculate your practice growth by using key data such as collections, patient attrition and active patients.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Reducing Patient Attrition</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Building <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-house-dental-membership-plans-help-prioritize-patient-engagement?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-april-tnt-blog&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=patient-loyalty&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">practice loyalty</a> is an overlooked way to increase growth at your practice. When you analyze your patient base, anyone who visits less than once a year is considered an inactive patient. So what can you do to get them back through the door and add to the growth of your practice? Tim discusses the importance of an alternative coverage option which gives your uninsured patients access to affordable care and can lead to routine visitation.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Increasing Patient Spend</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Start by calculating your average patient spend:</p>

<p dir="ltr">Annual collections / total active patients = average patient spend. </p>

<p dir="ltr">From there you can determine if you need to adjust your collections or active patient number to reach the ultimate patient spend to lead to practice growth.</p>

<p> </p>

<h2 dir="ltr"><strong>Top 10 Numbers Every Dentist Should Know </strong></h2>

<ol>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Collections</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Number of Active Patients</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Attrition</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Average Patient Spend</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Average Lifetime Value</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">New Patients with Sources</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">% Collections From New Patients</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">% New Patients with Insurance</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Unappointed Active Patients</p>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Inactive Patients</p>
	</li>
</ol>

<p>If you are looking for a simple solution to achieve practice growth, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/benefits-dental-membership-plan-your-patients?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-april-tnt-blog&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=practice-value&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">dental membership plans</a>, such as Kleer, are a powerful way to increase growth by giving you coverage option that reaches new patients, improves patient loyalty and adds a recurring revenue stream. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">About TNT Dental</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Founded in 2000, TNT Dental became the first company to focus exclusively on websites for dentists. TNT has grown consistently into a dynamic team of over 60 incredibly-talented writers, designers, developers and communicators. Focusing on listening to their customers, building relationships and adding services to meet an ever-changing landscape.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://kleer.dental/tnt">Learn more about TNT Dental and Kleer's services to improve the growth and success of your practice</a></p>


In Episode 6 of our Kleercast webinar series, Tim Kelley of TNT Dental joins us to share his ideas, tips and techniques to help you build a road map for success in 2024 and beyond. 

10 Numbers Every Dentist Should Know for Practice Growth

<p>Your existing dental patients with pending treatment represent a significant and commonly overlooked revenue stream. While the focus is often on attracting new patients, it's equally important for practices and DSOs to retain current patients and ensure they're maximizing their treatment potential.</p>

<p>We dug into the reasons behind unscheduled appointments and wanted to share how implementing a dental membership plan can improve patient retention, boost loyalty, and ultimately drive substantial revenue growth.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Understanding the Reasons for Unscheduled Appointments</h2>

<p>It is important to understand the reasoning behind your unscheduled appointments. While there are many factors, here are the most common among practices:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Lack of patient engagement and loyalty to the practice</li>
	<li>Poor communication about treatment options and plans</li>
	<li>Patients' misunderstanding of their treatment options</li>
	<li>Inadequate follow-through or follow-up from the practice</li>
</ul>

<p> </p>

<h2>Turn these reasons into revenue with a dental membership plan</h2>

<h4>Patient Engagement and Loyalty</h4>

<p>Practices that provide a dental membership plan find that those patients are among the best, as they are <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-house-dental-membership-plans-help-prioritize-patient-engagement?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-april-unscheduled-patients-blog&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">loyal and engaged with your practice</a>. Providing your uninsured patients with a coverage option gets them back through the door and coming back due to the treatment offered on their plan. Kleer and insured patients visit, accept treatment, and generate production at a rate 2-3X higher than uninsured patients.</p>

<h4>Treatment Options</h4>

<p>When you choose a Kleer powered dental membership plan, you customize your plan to suit your patient demographics and treatment needs. When the patient signs up for a membership plan, they are presented their treatment options and know what is included. Most practices also discount other treatments that may not be under their plan, but ultimately making it simple to know what treatment they are being provided.</p>

<h4>Treatment Acceptance</h4>

<p>Since plans are customized to the patient, they are more likely to accept the treatment that is presented to them. On average, Uninsured patients complete 2.2 procedures/year while your Kleer patients complete 5.4 procedures/yr.</p>

<h4>Communication</h4>

<p>With automated features through the Kleer platform, you are able to easily remind membership plan patients of their appointments, payments, etc. Streamlining the process so your staff doesn’t have to worry about your patients showing up.<br />
 </p>

<h3>It's time to unlock the full potential of existing patient relationships and pave the way for long-term success in dentistry.</h3>

<p>Implement a Kleer powered dental membership plan today and turn your unscheduled patients into a revenue stream to grow your practice.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-april-unscheduled-patients-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">Get started today!</a></p>


Your existing dental patients with pending treatment represent a significant and commonly overlooked revenue stream.

The Misconception of Unscheduled Patients and How They Generate Revenue

<p>The staffing shortage continues in 2024, and there is no end in sight. The U.S. is projected to be short 36,517 dental professionals by 2031, according to a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/how-health-systems-and-educators-can-work-to-close-the-talent-gap">report</a> from McKinsey &amp; Co. Spreading your teams too thin, and having your leadership team step into various positions will leave your practice grappling with under-staffed teams and stressed-out regionals.</p>

<p>These consequences will, unfortunately, ripple through the organization and affect efficiency, team morale, and the ability to focus on strategic initiatives like membership plans.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Understanding the Effects of The Staffing Shortage</h2>

<p>While the solution may seem clear - hire more staff, for most DSOs it is not that simple. Regional managers are stepping in to run the day-to-day tasks at practices and these tasks are time consuming and manual. Having an efficient software or platform at your practice can eliminate the manual tasks that your office staff face on a daily basis such as metric tracking, patient data, payment posting etc.</p>

<h2>Lift The Burden off Your Leadership Team</h2>

<p>DSO Leaders are wearing too many hats and it results in them taking their eye off of practice growth. Instead of focusing on strategic leadership and guiding their teams towards practice goals, they find themselves bogged down in manual tasks. Making them unable to provide the necessary guidance and support to their teams and leaving them with little time or energy to devote to initiatives like crafting a successful membership plan.</p>

<h2>Streamline Operations with a Membership Plan Solution</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/competitive-edge-integration-dental-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-april-dso-blog&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">Kleer offers an integrated platform</a> with a comprehensive approach to managing membership plans, automating tasks, and providing robust tracking and metrics. With a Kleer membership plan you are able to reach your uninsured patients to drive revenue without the need for more staff.</p>

<p>Our platform is simple and easy to use for both your patients and staff while eliminating those time consuming tasks.</p>

<p>With fully automated features offered on the upgraded Kleer Pro tier, you can watch your membership plan grow itself. Connecting right to your practice management software (PMS), our platform identifies patients in your database that would be a good fit for a membership plan. And with the switch of a button, you can turn on the automated marketing feature which initiates marketing campaigns sent directly to those patients.</p>

<p>Along with the tools of the Kleer platform, you also get a designated account manager for your group, which most say is an extension of your team. The direct care for your group’s success from your account manager is unmatched, taking another lift off of your staff, because your success = our success. At Kleer, we want to ensure you are receiving maximum results with your membership plan.</p>

<h2>Take The Next Step With Kleer</h2>

<p>The Kleer platform offers the support for under-staffed DSO offices, providing integration and guidance to help teams stay on track and create successful membership plans without the heavy lift. It's time to pave the way for a more efficient, effective future in DSO operations.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-april-dso-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">Book your demo today!</a></p>


The staffing shortage continues in 2024, and there is no end in sight. The U.S.

Leveraging Membership Plans to Overcome Operational Challenges and Maximize DSO Office Efficiency

<p><img alt="DSO Growth Series - Part 3 of 3 Together with Skytale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4799fbf5-3573-44b3-bcee-c8cefdd97eae" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/TOGETHER%20WITH.png" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>Kleer and <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/">Skytale Group</a> have partnered to help DSOs thrive by gaining and retaining patients. This is the final piece of the three-part blog series on DSO growth from the <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/strategic-growth-advisory/">management consulting team at Skytale</a>. In this article, we discuss why your hygiene program is a critical pillar of your practice’s success.</p>

<p>You can also read the first two posts in this series:</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/strategies-attract-and-retain-new-dental-patients">Strategies to Attract and Retain New Dental Patients</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/proven-strategies-propel-dso-growth">Proven Strategies to Propel DSO Growth </a></p>

<h2><br />
How your Hygiene Program Contributes to Patient Retention</h2>

<p><br />
A dental practice’s hygiene program is often underestimated as a component of its success. That’s because hygiene appointments aren’t typically the biggest revenue drivers in a practice. The truth is, however, that hygiene is unmatched in its ability to build trust with patients, recommend restorative treatment plans, screen for niche services, and ultimately elevate retention in your practice. In fact, we believe a <strong><em>full hygiene schedule is critical for the success of a dental practice.</em></strong><br />
<br />
Why? First, if you have a hygienist on staff, it’s important to maximize their productivity. A full schedule is the best way to increase revenue from hygiene services. A good rule of thumb is that a hygienist’s net productions should approximate three times their wages, a three to one ratio hourly. (However, 2.5:1 might be a good benchmark as hygiene wages increase.)<br />
<br />
Second, your hygienists, who get to know your patients over time on a six-month basis, are powerful internal marketers for other services in your practice. They can identify issues that lead to both restorative procedures and niche services your practice offers, like ortho, sleep apnea, or facial aesthetics. And because many patients have a trusting relationship with their hygienist, case acceptance can be higher.<br />
<br />
How can you optimize your hygiene system to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-house-dental-membership-plans-help-prioritize-patient-engagement">improve patient retention</a> and cross-market services? We’ll outline some tactics below.</p>

<h2><br />
Enhance the Patient Experience</h2>

<p><br />
A patient’s experience with their hygienist will be a key predictor of whether or not they return to your practice. Training your hygiene staff on how to interact with patients, reduce cancellations, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/proven-strategies-propel-dso-growth">improve case acceptance</a> is critical. In fact, Skytale has helped practices increase case acceptance from 43% to 96% by reworking the strategic design of the patient experience.<br />
<br />
How? It starts with simple changes such as improving the way a patient is greeted at reception. Calling an “appointment” a “reservation” during the scheduling process to reduce cancellations. The way you present treatment can make a big impact on whether or not a patient will accept it. Focusing on implementation excellence to add the greatest value. How you perform these, and even the tone of voice, can make a lasting impact.<br />
<br />
Set goals and KPIs to keep your practice on track. For example, your hygiene reappointment percentage should be above 89%. If it isn’t, consider ways you can improve the patient experience.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Introduce a Dental Membership Plan</h2>

<p><br />
A <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">dental membership plan</a> is an effective way to increase retention. And it’s a win-win, because it makes restorative services more affordable or patients. Patients who are a part of the membership plan, such as Kleer, are more likely to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/calculate-your-potential-practice-profitability">visit often and accept treatment</a>.<br />
<br />
Train and incentivize your hygiene staff to promote your membership plan. Help them to identify great candidates for membership, like those patients who pay cash for hygiene services, patients who indicate their losing insurance or changing networks, or those who have been proposed treatment plans and may be maximizing their insurance benefit.</p>

<h2><br />
Leverage the Right Tactics, Tools, and Partnerships</h2>

<p><br />
If your hygiene program isn’t contributing to your practice’s production or retention in the way you’d like it to, there are many available tools to help you get there. First, identify what tools, tactics, and partners can help you put the systems you need in place. Here are some that might be transformative to your practice:</p>

<h3><br />
Technology:</h3>

<p><br />
You can’t make progress if you don’t have an effective way to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence">track and manage data</a>. Make sure your <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/competitive-edge-integration-dental-plans">practice management system</a> is helping you meet your goals. A good dental software has the ability to look at benchmarks from different offices, break down productivity by provider, and more. Leverage your programs to track case acceptance from an individual hygienist's chair. That way, you can see it improve as you implement changes to your patient experience.</p>

<h3><br />
Use Data and KPIs to Make Informed Decisions:</h3>

<p><br />
Your technology is only going to be as powerful as the data you’re putting into it. Once you have the right practice management software, identify what Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/measuring-roi-time-money-and-patient-satisfaction">help you reach your goals</a>. Some good KPIs might include:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Individual hygienist production</li>
	<li>Referrals and case acceptance from hygiene to restorative work</li>
	<li>Referrals and case acceptance from hygiene to specialty services</li>
	<li>Case acceptance by hygienist</li>
	<li>Number of cancellations</li>
	<li>Hygiene re-appoint rate</li>
</ul>

<p>These KPIs can help you make informed decisions as you work to improve patient retention and increase hygiene production.</p>

<h3><br />
Work With a Management Consultant:</h3>

<p><br />
A management consultant with vast industry experience can play a critical role in elevating your practice’s productivity and profitability. The management consulting team at Skytale Group can help DSOs identify potential areas for growth, implement solutions, track KPIs, and ultimately increase the overall efficiency and value of your organization.</p>

<h3><br />
Scale Your Membership Plan:</h3>

<p><br />
You need a membership plan with the ability to handle membership plan performance at scale. Kleer offers a variety of custom-fit solutions to help your practice reach its goals. Learn how <a href="https://www.kleer.com/growth-services">Kleer Growth Services</a> can help you set goals and track progress. Or, to figure out which solution is right for you, download our <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/your-guide-choosing-best-dental-membership-plan-software">Choosing the Right Membership Guide</a>.</p>

<h4><br />
Are you a DSO owner ready to scale and grow?</h4>

<p><br />
Take the next step with a management consultant who can help you build out your hygiene program, retain patients, or meet your goals for scaling. Skytale Group Management Consulting offers <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/strategic-growth-advisory/">strategic consulting</a> to dental clients with an appetite for growth. The firm’s <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/merger-and-acquisitions/">investment banking group</a> offers M&amp;A Advisory as well as private capital raising alternatives.<br />
<br />
We’d love to hear about your goals and workshop how we can help you get there. <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/get-in-touch/">Get in touch today to start the conversation!</a></p>


Monitoring Patient Retention Through Your Hygiene Program (Part 3 of 3)

<p>Episode 5 of our Kleercast webinar series features Kleer’s own Valeri Calvalcante — an expert in designing and scaling plans for dentists and DSOs — to share how you can leverage a subscription-based membership plan to improve patient care and practice success.</p>

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<p dir="ltr"> </p>

<p dir="ltr">Are you providing the right coverage options to your patient base? <strong>68.5 million adults in the US are currently lacking dental insurance</strong>. When diving into the data, we find that most practices have a weak coverage foundation and are blind to the impact of it. Being in network with PPOs that are unprofitable and difficult to manage are hurting your practice and your office staff.</p>

<p>A strong coverage foundation should be profitable, simple, smart and easy to manage. So it is important to ask yourself if your PPOs and other coverage options are providing that to your practice and your patients. Implementing a dental membership plan at your practice can help you solve these issues. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Dental Membership Plans Empower Practice-Autonomy </h2>

<p>Dental membership plans provide customized coverage based on the specifics of your practice and your patients. Being an alternative coverage option for your practice allows you to decide how to offer coverage and your patients get to choose what’s best for them</p>

<p>A dental membership plan also provides a direct relationship between practice and patient. This increases patient loyalty and practice profitability, not having to deal with the hassles of unnecessary insurances – ultimately reducing your dependence on those bad PPOs</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Keys To a Successful Dental Membership Plan </h2>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p><b>Customization </b></p>

	<ul>
		<li aria-level="1">
		<p>A Kleer powered dental membership plan offers fully customized plans based on things like your patient demographics, treatment protocol, etc.</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p><strong>Profitability and Patient Savings</strong></p>

	<ul>
		<li aria-level="2">
		<p>Kleer’s proprietary SmartPricing™ algorithm reads your fee schedules and plan structure to make pricing recommendations.</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p><strong>Innovative Management</strong></p>

	<ul>
		<li aria-level="2">
		<p>Easily invite, enroll and manage your patients all in one place</p>
		</li>
		<li aria-level="2">
		<p>View and track crucial plan metrics including your payments, plans purchased, renewals, cancellations, etc. </p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p><strong>Integration to your Practice Management Software (PMS)</strong></p>

	<ul>
		<li aria-level="2">
		<p>Kleer’s integration solution can automatically post membership plan payments and balance transactions in your PMS.</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li aria-level="1" dir="ltr">
	<p><strong>Automated Marketing</strong></p>

	<ul>
		<li aria-level="2">
		<p>Automatically identify and market to patients who are a good fit for your plan through customized email and marketing campaigns</p>
		</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2>About Kleer</h2>

<p>Kleer provides practices of all shapes and sizes with the ability to offer customized <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry">dental membership plans </a>directly to patients. Our easy-to-use platform is secure and scalable, expertly designed to grow with your office, integrate with existing tools, and support unlimited locations and patients. </p>

<p>To learn more about Kleer's coverage option to improve the growth and success of your practice, schedule a time to chat → 
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Episode 5 of our Kleercast webinar series features Kleer’s own Valeri Calvalcante — an expert in designing and scaling plans for dentists and DSOs — to share how you can leverage a subscription-based membership plan to improve patient care and practice success.

The Movement Towards Subscription Dentistry: Are you Ready?

<p>Kleer Pro is the premiere tier offering that makes managing your membership plan even easier by connecting directly to your PMS. Since being released in <a href="https://www.kleer.com/news-and-media/kleer-announces-release-kleer-intelligencetm">January 2023</a>, we have continued to add new features to the tier that are designed to help your practice build and run a successful subscription-based membership plan. That means less data entry, tab-switching, and data-glitching and more practice growth and free time for your whole team.</p>

<p>Kleer Pro works by syncing with your practice management software (PMS) to enable automation features that are designed to grow your membership plan and business. With features like automatic payment posting and auto marketing, your team will gain back time to focus on other important aspects of your dental business.</p>

<p>Let’s dig in! ✨</p>

<h2> </h2>

<h2>Save your team time with automation tools</h2>

<p><img alt="Automatic payment posting" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="904d0eac-5630-4f84-8e03-4b0403856ef4" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Product%20Blog%20Graphics%20%283%29.png" /></p>

<p>You know that feeling of finishing work on a Friday afternoon, with everything checked off your to-do list? That’s exactly the kind of <em>small pleasure, stress-free feel</em> we aimed for when designing these <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence">automated tools</a>. Whether your front desk team is small yet mighty or a big crew, eliminating the manual, time-consuming tasks of running a membership plan will allow them to focus on the important stuff like patient care.</p>

<p>With Kleer Pro you can automatically:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Post and balance Kleer subscription payments directly to your PMS</li>
	<li>Populate patient data (name, address, email, phone) during the enrollment process</li>
	<li>Track membership plan status to easily verify eligibility during patient visits and ensure benefits are used within the 12-month period</li>
	<li>Automatically identify and market to uninsured and dormant patients in your PMS</li>
</ul>

<h2>Engage dormant and uninsured patients with automated marketing</h2>

<p><img alt="Automatic marketing" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1286d5c1-0368-4538-9902-68c4e1337910" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Product%20Blog%20Graphics%20%281%29.png" /></p>

<p>We understand every practice runs differently. With Kleer Pro, you’re in total control. When you enable <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature">automatic marketing</a>, you have the ability to view, edit, and choose which campaign(s) to turn on and market to patients.</p>

<p>Kleer then identifies patients in your PMS that are a good fit for your membership plan and sends personalized email and/or SMS messages. These patients include:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Active</strong> (visited your practice in the last year) <strong>Uninsured</strong> (no insurance)</li>
	<li><strong>Dormant</strong> (not active) <strong>Uninsured</strong></li>
	<li><strong>Dormant Insured</strong> (have record of an insurer, but it has likely changed)<br />
	 </li>
</ul>

<p>To keep it simple, the automated marketing provides two email campaigns:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Announcement Campaign</strong>: Five emails across 90 days to non-member patients to announce your membership plan.</li>
	<li><strong>Seasonal Campaign</strong>: One email each quarter of the year to each non-member patient to remind them of the availability of your membership plan offering.</li>
</ul>

<p>Kleer also tracks the response rates and results of each campaign to show you the impact it has on your success.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Put your practice brand front and center</h2>

<p>Personalize the member experience by adding your brand colors, logos, and images. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/value-personalization-practices-dsos">Practices can extend their brand</a> directly to patients across the entire membership plan experience - from the landing page, enrollment process, to downloadable or printed materials, and the patient portal, patients will interact with your brand.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Brand personalization" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5a52a73f-d250-452c-9f97-6f7a1b229cc2" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Product%20Blog%20Graphics%20%282%29.png" /></p>

<h2> </h2>

<h2>Receive dedicated Kleer support</h2>

<p>If you ever have questions, the Kleer Support team has answers. Kleer Pro customers also reap the benefits of Preferred Support on Monday through Friday from 9am - 5pm directly from the world class Kleer support team via chat, phone, or email.<br />
<br />
Not only will you receive answers to your questions fast, but you can benefit from Growth Support as well. Gain insights and tips on how to successfully grow your plan from an expert Kleer Growth team member who monitors your membership plan performance. It’s like adding another reliable, results-driven member to your team.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Let’s talk about integration</h2>

<p><em><strong>Can my practice integrate with Kleer?</strong></em><br />
<br />
The <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/competitive-edge-integration-dental-plans">Kleer platform can integrate</a> with 90% of all practice management software (PMS). Our proprietary integration solution, Kleer Intelligence™, allows us to develop and add functionalities faster to dramatically improve membership plan management, tracking, and results. New and existing customers can access Kleer Intelligence features when upgrading to Kleer Pro, our premium tier.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>What PMS solutions do not integrate with Kleer?</strong></em><br />
<br />
We are actively working on expanding our integration capabilities, so that all customers can be equipped with the tools to do their jobs better, faster, and more efficiently while improving the quality of care for patients. We are not yet integrated with the following PMS solutions: Carestack, Dentisoft, Dentrix Ascend, Fuse, iDentalSoft, and Ora. You can always check with us for the most up to date list.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>Can I access Kleer Pro features without integrating?</strong></em><br />
<br />
Practices who are interested in accessing Kleer Pro features outside of Kleer Intelligence, such as Kleer Employee Care, Brand Personalization, and Enhanced Support and Growth Services, can still enjoy these benefits.<br />
 </p>

<h3>Already a Kleer customer?</h3>

<p>If you are looking to upgrade your account to Kleer Pro, it only takes a few minutes and requires no further training for you or your team. Once upgraded you will gain instant access to the benefits and features of Kleer Pro. You will receive dedicated support throughout the entire process (and beyond) to make sure everything goes smoothly. </p>

<p>Ready to upgrade? <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-kleer-pro-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">Schedule your consultation </a></p>

<h3>How do I get started?</h3>

<p>If you're ready to take the first step towards creating and managing your integrated membership plan or improving your existing one, you’re in good hands. Kleer is the trusted membership platform solution for over 7,000 dentists.<br />
<br />
Ready to talk to a Kleer team member? <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-kleer-pro-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">Request a demo today!</a></p>


Kleer Pro is the premiere tier offering that makes managing your membership plan even easier by connecting directly to your PMS.

Kleer Pro: The Definitive Guide [Features, Integration &amp; More]

<p>According to <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/04/the-rebirth-of-software-as-a-service">Harvard Business Review</a>, over the past decade, <strong>subscription businesses have grown more than 300% or 5X times faster</strong> than the revenues of S&amp;P-500 companies. Proving that subscription-based dentistry will continue to be on the rise. Now, with more and more giants such as Amazon and GoodRX moving towards subscription-based models, it is important to ensure your dental practice is prepared for the future.</p>

<p><strong>A dental membership plan is a subscription-based model</strong> that gives your patients increased access to purchase goods or services for a monthly or annually recurring fee. When you implement a membership plan at your practice you are able to give patients increased access to the dental care they need. The best part is that it allows your practice to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/quiz/ppo-free-future?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-ppo-quiz-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ppo-quiz">start dropping those underperforming PPOs</a>.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Your PPO-Free Future</h2>

<p>You may now be wondering - <em>“Does my practice have what it takes to drop those bad PPOs and adopt a subscription-based model?”</em></p>

<p>That is why we <a href="https://www.kleer.com/quiz/ppo-free-future?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-ppo-quiz-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ppo-quiz">developed a tool</a> to help you take the first step to dropping PPOs, by ensuring your practice is equipped to support your patients and avoid any loss in revenue through the transition.</p>

<p><strong>When you take the PPO-Free Future Quiz today you will uncover your patient revenue opportunity and PPO-Free readiness score - instantly!</strong></p>
<a href="https://www.kleer.com/quiz/ppo-free-future?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-ppo-quiz-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ppo-quiz"><img alt="Take The Quiz Now" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e571cfca-89ad-4232-bac2-5a883a6cd8be" height="103" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Take%20The%20Quiz%20Now%20%281%29.png" width="370" class="align-center" /></a>

<h2> </h2>

<h2>Choose a dental membership platform that supports your success.</h2>

<p>Everyone wins when you provide a comprehensive, transparent, compliant, hassle-free membership plan. To simplify your approach, Kleer can help.</p>

<p>Kleer powers some of the fastest-growing dental practices and DSOs with subscription-based dental membership plans. From building and pricing your plan to onboarding, marketing, support, and beyond, we have the expertise and insight that comes from working with thousands of dental practices across the country.</p>

<p>Transform your practice with Kleer’s industry-leading membership plan solutions. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-ppo-quiz-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Get started today!</a></p>


According to Harvard Business Review, over the past decade, subscription businesses have grown more than 300% or 5X times faster than the revenues of S&amp;amp

Discover How Prepared your Dental Practice is for a PPO-Free Future 

<p>There is a tremendous amount of change that happens regularly, especially between the hundreds of billions of dollar insurance companies that significantly move the industry. </p>

<p>Today 80-82% of the US population has access to a dental benefit. <strong>That is a tremendous opportunity that a practice has, and also a tremendous amount of opportunity that a payer has to make the industry very complex</strong>. </p>

<p>Of those patients who have access to a dental benefit, on average, 85% go to an in-network dentist. So when starting to identify if your office wants to transition to fee-for-service dentistry or stay in-network with the <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable">best mix of payers</a>, you need to first look at your community, and essentially their level of access to your care. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">How to find the right insurance payer mix for your dental practice</h2>

<p dir="ltr">There’s hundreds of ways that payers work together. So if you start connecting the dots that companies have overlapping relationships with each other you start seeing the complexity grow.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Dental insurance companies decisions, policies, locations, activities, and fee schedules directly impact the way your practice runs. Both in terms of profitability, but also in terms of understanding how your patients are able to access a dental benefit through you. </p>

<p dir="ltr">The battle is payers need providers, providers need patients, and patients need coverage. </p>

<p dir="ltr">So how can practices break the cycle? </p>

<ul dir="ltr">
	<li>Is it to stay in-network? </li>
	<li>If not, how will you attract and retain patients by going <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/discover-how-prepared-your-dental-practice-ppo-free-future">PPO Free</a>? </li>
	<li>If yes, how will you take control against the current system? </li>
</ul>

<p dir="ltr">Brian Phillips, Director of Sales and Marketing at Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions, a consulting and technology firm that helps dental practices develop, implement, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-dental-teams-can-better-manage-ppo-participation">manage a PPO participation strategy</a>, addresses these burning questions and discusses the systematic process for developing a comprehensive PPO strategy below.</p>

<p dir="ltr"> </p>

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<h3 dir="ltr"> </h3>

<h3 dir="ltr">About Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions</h3>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://fivelakespro.com/">Five Lakes</a> has helped over 10,000 practices nationwide. The company is a 4-time Inc. 5000 honoree as one of the fastest growing private companies in the US. For more than 14 years, Five Lakes has been an industry leader in understanding and analyzing the impact of dental insurance networks on the financial health of a dental practice.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/partner/five-lakes?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-kleercast-blog">Learn more about how Kleer and Five Lakes can work together in your dental practice. </a></p>

<p> </p>


There is a tremendous amount of change that happens regularly, especially between the hundreds of billions of dollar insurance companies that significantly move the industry. 

Insurance Strategies to Take Back Control of Your Dental Revenue

<p>Remember the excitement of opening a fresh box of colored pencils as a child? The vibrant colors, each pencil uniform in shape and size, held the promise of endless creative possibilities. </p>

<p>Much like those pencils enhanced our coloring experience, integrating creative generational strategies into our dental practices can positively impact referral sources.</p>

<h4><b>Generational Categories</b></h4>

<p>Consider generational categories as unique immigrants to each other's cultural territories. Adapting communication styles to meet generational expectations fosters stronger relationships, loyalty, and trust. </p>

<p>With changing demographics, particularly with more women entering dentistry and younger dentists preferring group or corporate practices, understanding these shifts is crucial for nurturing referral communities.</p>

<h4><b>Marketing</b></h4>

<p>Passive referral marketing efforts like branded gifts, 3<sup>rd</sup>-party food delivery, and blogs can be effective. However, active marketing strategies such as face-to-face meetings and personalized presentations yield higher quality referrals. </p>

<p>Developing a referral one-sheet ensures clarity in communicating the ideal patient profile. While additionally marketing your practice's superpower. </p>

<h4><b>Associations and Study Clubs</b></h4>

<p>With participation shrinking across the country, it is essential to adapt event formats to attract generationally diverse members. Aligning event agendas with preferences and adapting to demographics will enhance accessibility and engagement.</p>

<h4><b>Conclusion</b></h4>

<p>Are you ready to transform your referral approach? </p>

<p>Begin by uncovering your superpower and crafting a marketing one-sheet. Alternatively, engage with your association or study club members to develop a diverse event calendar. </p>

<p>For more details on this topic visit: <a href="https://www.communicatewithinfluence.org/enhancing-referral-networks-with-a-generational-approach/"><b><i>'Enhancing Referral Networks: A Generational Approach'</i></b></a> </p>

<p>By embracing generational diversity and tailoring strategies, practices can cultivate a strong referral network and flourish in the ever-changing dental landscape.</p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>

<p><strong>About the Author</strong><br role="presentation" />
Lisa Copeland is a dental team communication expert and the CEO of Communicate With Influence. As an Author, Gen X, RDH, and IRONMAN, she offers a unique wealth of experience. An international speaker and dental team coach, she's worked in the US, Europe, and SE Asia. Her versatile background spans various team positions, enabling her to coach effectively from personal experience. Lisa encourages dental teams to enhance practice communications for greater profitability and performance. She is a recipient of the prestigious CSP Award from the National Speakers Association, a distinction held by fewer than 12% of global speakers. Lisa is one of only three Registered Dental Hygienists internationally to earn this accolade.<br role="presentation" />
 </p>


Remember the excitement of opening a fresh box of colored pencils as a child? The vibrant colors, each pencil uniform in shape and size, held the promise of endless creative possibilities. 

Grow your Practice with Referral Strategies for the Modern Dentist

<p>It’s been proven that oral health does affect someone's overall health, but most patients believe brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings are the only things that have an impact on oral health. While those may be true, a major impact that is overlooked is where they live.</p>

<p>Dentistry IQ recently released an <a href="https://www.dentistryiq.com/dentistry/article/14304544/dental-health-by-the-state-2024s-best-and-worst?o_eid=0329B3799601B2T&amp;oly_enc_id=0329B3799601B2T&amp;rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|0329B3799601B2T&amp;utm_campaign=CPS240131005&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=DEC_DIQ+Morning+Briefing">interactive map</a> highlighting the best and worst states for dental health. The results were compiled across all 50 states and based on 25 key indicators of dental wellness, highlighting states with poor dental hygiene.</p>

<p>Your care plans should align with the unique needs of your doctors and your patients.</p>

<h3>Are you providing the right coverage options for your patient population?</h3>

<p>While factors such as fluoridated water and the dentist office population can affect your patient population, the type of coverage options patients are presented in their area plays a critical role. ​​</p>

<p>Insurers control everything about the dental care market—access, treatment, pricing, payment and your coverage options should not be one size fits all. <strong>With a dental membership plan, you customize it to suit your practice needs.</strong> That means you determine the treatment protocol, set the subscription price, and create your own fee schedule. ​​</p>

<p>Implementing a dental membership plan at your practice can be your first step in establishing freedom from insurers and enabling your patients to access the care they need. With a Kleer-powered dental membership plan you are getting customization right to your fingertips. The Kleer Success Team will customize your plan and align it with your treatment philosophy, patient demographics and membership plan goals.</p>

<p>For example, if your state is towards the bottom of the dental health list, and fluoridated water is in your area, it is important to provide a treatment protocol. A dental membership plan allows you to cater to different patient demographics because we know that one size does not fit all.</p>

<p>Each area can vary – young, working age patients with predominantly hygiene needs, while another may treat mostly older, retired patients with more restorative needs.</p>

<p>Providing your patient base with a coverage option that is suited to them makes them more committed to good oral health, increasing your patient loyalty. A dental membership plan will encourage patients to get the care and recare they need to maintain good dental hygiene.</p>

<p>The best part? You can set your own fee schedule and subscriptions because we know that local and regional economies vary. Whether your practices are spread across cities, states or zip codes, Kleer makes it easy for you to customize what makes sense for you and your practice economy, optimizing patient and practice participation.</p>

<h4>Once you have a coverage option in place to increase oral health awareness and commitment in your area, how do you get those patients in the door?</h4>

<p>Kleer provides <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/multichannel-marketing-approach-attract-more-patients">personalized marketing materials</a> for your practice to make it easy to promote your membership plan and increase awareness in your community. Our welcome kit includes everything you need to launch a membership plan at your practice including custom brochures, stands, posters and a Kleer Playbook.</p>

<p>We also take the time to ensure your staff is well equipped to discuss a membership plan with your patients, providing helpful scripts and training.</p>

<p>But it doesn't stop there! We provide all of the materials needed to market your membership plan on your public web site, social media, at your check-in desk and so much more!</p>

<p>Now is the time to implement a dental membership plan and increase the number of patients receiving dental care in your state for 2025!</p>

<h2>Start a Dental Membership Plan for Your Practice Today</h2>

<p>If you own or work in a dental practice, Kleer can streamline your in-office dental plan. Our simple platform makes it easy for dentists to sign patients up and track their memberships. You can offer simple, convenient plans for every patient and demographic, ensure profitable rates while offering discounts, and help everyone get access to the dental care they need.</p>

<p>We are a separate service that keeps your profits in-house and helps ensure quality care. Kleer offers:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Personalized plans for each patient.</li>
	<li>A simple process without third-party interference.</li>
	<li>Discounts on certain dental procedures.</li>
</ul>

<p><br />
Ready to get started? <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-customs-plans&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Request a demo today!</a></p>


It’s been proven that oral health does affect someone's overall health, but most patients believe brushing, flossing, and regular cleanings are the only things that have an impact on oral health.

Build a Dental Membership Plan Based on your Practice Zip Code 

<h4><strong>Are you staying ahead of your competition when it comes to integration with your dental membership plan? </strong></h4>

<p>This is a necessary question to ask when thinking about your membership plan and the future of your practice. While having a dental membership plan is a great first step – when not integrated, your practice will be burdened with manual tasks and reduce team productivity.</p>

<p>An integrated membership plan connects directly with your practice management software to offer automated features, optimization, marketing growth opportunities and a seamless patient experience. Ultimately leading to better business results, a happier staff and more loyal patients.</p>

<h3>What are the benefits of integration?</h3>

<p><strong>When you use an integrated membership platform like Kleer the tools will <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/reducing-practice-burnout-give-your-team-tools-they-need">eliminate these time-consuming tasks</a></strong> so your team can focus on patient care. Kleer has a proprietary PMS integration solution, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/news-and-media/kleer-announces-release-kleer-intelligencetm">Kleer Intelligence</a>, that <a href="https://www.kleer.com/news-and-media/kleer-announces-release-kleer-intelligencetm">integrates with over 90% PMS solutions</a> including, Eaglesoft, Opendental, and Dentrix to improve membership management, tracking, and results. With an integrated membership plan your practice will be able to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Automatically post subscription payments and balance transactions in your PMS</li>
	<li>Pull patient data from your PMS to complete patient enrollment fields</li>
	<li>Track membership plan benefits so that your team can easily verify patient eligibility for exams and treatment.</li>
	<li>Automate marketing and communications to maximize enrollment, patient visits, and reappointments.</li>
</ul>

<h3>How does this set your practice apart?</h3>

<p>It is simple – having a software platform that provides integration enhances the experience for your staff and patients, allowing you to track performance, market to dormant patients and build recurring revenue easily. Ultimately <a href="https://kleer.docsend.com/view/33v6s3xjz972ey38">getting your practice results</a> and giving you an advantage over the local competition.</p>

<p><strong>Performance Tracking</strong>: Kleer Intelligence measures the impact Kleer is having on patient behavior and practice performance by comparing Kleer patient visits, treatment acceptance, and production versus insured and uninsured patients. Based on 2+ years of analyzed data, you can expect an increase in patient visits, case acceptance and revenue:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Patient visits +2X. </strong>Uninsured patients visit 1.5X/year. Kleer patients visit 3.0X/year.</li>
	<li><strong>Case acceptance +2.5X.</strong> Uninsured patients complete 2.2 procedures/year. Kleer patients complete 5.4 procedures/yr.</li>
	<li><strong>Revenue +2.7X. </strong>Uninsured patients produce $376/yr. Kleer patients produce $1,022/yr.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Automated Marketing</strong>: Platforms like Kleer can automatically identify and market to uninsured and dormant patients in your database who are a good fit for your plan. This means endless opportunity for getting patients back in your door, all without the heavy lift of having to market it yourself.</p>

<p><strong>Recurring Revenue</strong>: Membership plan patients pay a monthly or annual subscription that is paid right to your practice, eliminating the third party approval. On average, practices charge $372 per year for membership plan subscriptions on the Kleer platform. That means, by adding just 300 patients to your membership plan you will generate $111,600/year in annual recurring revenue.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-integration&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Learn more about Kleer Intelligence™, Kleer’s proprietary practice management integration solution. </a></p>

<p> </p>

<h2>Everything and more with Kleer</h2>

<p>If you're ready to take the first step towards creating and managing your integrated membership plan or improving your existing one, you’re in good hands. Kleer is the trusted membership platform solution for over 7,000 dentists.</p>

<p>At Kleer, we developed our membership plan software with you in mind. With a clean and user-friendly dashboard, a Customer Success Team to help train and onboard your administrators, easy automated processes, and seamless integration capabilities, Kleer is the ultimate solution if you want to ease the effort, money, and time it takes to run a successful and profitable membership plan.</p>

<p>Don't wait — <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-march-integration&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">schedule your free 1:1 consultation</a>.</p>


Are you staying ahead of your competition when it comes to integration with your dental membership plan? 

This is a necessary question to ask when thinking about your membership plan and the future of your practice.

The Competitive Edge: Integration In Dental Plans

<p>We see the difference everyday — membership plan patients are some of the best customers. They are committed to your practice and create recurring subscription revenue that ultimately increases the value of your practice. <strong>Membership plan patients accept 50-100% more treatment than uninsured patients and are 30-50% more profitable than insured patients.</strong></p>

<h3>The key to long term success = building member loyalty and renewing memberships year after year.</h3>

<p>The best way to increase member loyalty and ensure membership renewals is to build strong relationships with your members and make sure they see value in their plan. The Kleer Platform includes a number of features to help everyone stay on track for success.</p>

<h2>What are the important membership plan renewal features?</h2>

<p><strong>Auto-Renewal</strong><br />
Memberships are set to “Auto-Renew” by default with the Kleer platform. This means that memberships will renew each year unless the member takes action to opt out of their plan. Members are able to opt out at any time simply by unchecking the Auto Renewal feature on the <a href="https://dentist.kleer.com/auth/login">Account page</a> of the Kleer Member Portal.</p>

<p><strong>💡Tip:</strong> While you can opt out patients from the Kleer Practice Portal, the Kleer Success Team advises not to do so unless the patient sends a direct request. Kleer will automatically notify members 45 days and 7 days prior to their renewal with the option to opt out on their own if desired.<br />
<br />
<strong>Renewals Tab</strong><br />
Within this tab in your Kleer Portal, you will be able to review several tables that show various stages of your members renewals status so you can take the necessary actions.</p>

<ol>
	<li>Members that are coming up for renewal in the next 90 days</li>
	<li>Members that have failed renewal, including payment issues (see payment issue types below)</li>
	<li>Members that have successfully renewed</li>
</ol>

<p>There are two types of renewal payment issues:</p>

<ol>
	<li>Cash → Cash payments will need to be completed in your office ahead of the member’s renewal date.</li>
	<li>Credit cards that were canceled, stolen, etc. → There could be a number of reasons why credit card payments fail. If the card on file fails, the member or your staff has the ability to update their payment method.</li>
</ol>

<p><strong>💡Tip: </strong>Although patients have the ability to log in to the Kleer Patient Portal and correct payment issues themselves, the Kleer Success Team suggests calling these patients to understand their situation and determining how to process their renewal.</p>

<p> </p>

<p><strong>Renewal Emails </strong><br />
Kleer sends automatic renewal notifications to members as required by federal and state laws. There are four different types of renewal notifications based on the type of member:</p>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Paid by Credit Card; Auto-Renewal On.</strong> These members receive an email at 45 days and 7 days prior to their renewal date. The emails are meant to make the member aware of their upcoming renewal and provide them with directions for opting out if desired. In addition, Kleer sends an email one day after their renewal date to thank members for their renewal.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Paid by Credit Card; Auto-Renewal Off. </strong>These members receive emails at 45 days and 7 days prior to their renewal date. The emails are meant to make the member aware of their upcoming renewal date and remind them that they have currently opted out of a renewal. It also provides directions for reactivating their membership. In addition, Kleer sends an email one day after their renewal date to either thank members that renewed or provide another opportunity for members with an expired renewal.</li>
	<li><strong>Paid with Cash.</strong> These members receive emails at 45 days and 7 days prior to their renewal date. The emails are meant to make the member aware of their upcoming renewal and give them two options for renewing their membership — (1) Go to the Kleer Member Portal and enter a credit card, or (2) Visit your office and renew with cash. Kleer will send another email one day after their renewal date to either thank members that renewed or provide another opportunity for members with an expired renewal. In the Kleer Practice Portal, you have the ability to Renew with Cash for accounting made simple.</li>
	<li><strong>Auto-Renewal On; Payment Fails.</strong> These members receive an email one day after their failed renewal, informing them of a payment issue. It provides the member with directions for updating their payment method and continuing the membership renewal process.</li>
</ol>

<h2>How to achieve a balance of happy patients and high renewal rates</h2>

<p>You are the expert when it comes to your patients. You understand their unique needs and the importance of providing a personalized experience from start to finish. Here are a few tips from the Kleer Success team to ensure that pleasant experience extends throughout their membership plan journey.</p>

<ol>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Treat members like VIPs</strong><br />
	Treat members like Very Important Patients (VIPs) every time they visit your practice. Be sure to thank them for being a member, and make sure they know that you appreciate their commitment to your practice.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Encourage members visit at least two times a year</strong><br />
	It may be tempting to collect membership subscriptions and not worry about member visits. However, it is imperative that members visit your practice at least two times a year because:<br />
	<strong>‣ Usage = Value.</strong> Members who use their membership benefits will see more value in their membership plan and will be more likely to renew.<br />
	<strong>‣ </strong><strong>VIP Treatment.</strong> Each visit provides a chance for you to treat members like VIPs and create stronger relationships between your patients and your practice.<br />
	<strong>‣</strong> <strong>Treatment Acceptance.</strong> Each visit provides an opportunity to improve treatment acceptance. Membership plan customers (in any industry) are 2X more likely to buy since (1) they are committed to your business, and (2) they feel they are on the inside getting a deal<br />
	<br />
	<strong>💡Tip:</strong> <a href="https://play.goconsensus.com/sf66f2ee0">Review member benefit usage</a> in the Kleer Practice Portal once a week to make sure your members have completed or scheduled at least two visits during their 12-month membership, and used, or are scheduled to use the cleanings and exams that are included in their membership plan.</p>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Set renewal goals and track results</strong><br />
	The Kleer Success Team recommends setting a renewal goal of 90% and assigning a membership plan champion to coordinate renewal activities, track results, and report to the team on a weekly basis. Within the Member Renewals Tab on your Kleer Practice Portal your champion can review the list of members coming up for renewal in the next 90 days, those that have expired, and those with payment issues. With <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/ki-white-paper?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-renewal-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ki-white-paper">Kleer Pro</a>, you can easily view each patient’s benefit status to see their benefits included, used, and remaining, in their member details page. Here are a few different member scenarios and our suggested approach for each:<br />
	<br />
	<strong>‣ For members that are expiring in the next 90 days and have not used all of their benefits,</strong> give them a call and book a visit prior to their renewal date. If they opted out of Auto-Renewal, try to gain an understanding of why and reiterate the benefits of re-activating Auto-Renewal.<br />
	<strong>‣ For members that are expiring in the next 90 days and have used their benefits, but opted out of Auto-Renewal,</strong> call them to understand why and show them the value of re-activating Auto-Renewal.<br />
	<strong>‣ For members with payment issues,</strong> call them and ask if they would like to fix the issue and process their renewal. If they want to pay with a credit card, you can easily add it to their account from the Kleer Practice Portal. If they want to renew with cash, book an appointment as soon as possible to collect payment and renew their membership plan.<br />
	<strong>‣ For members that have already expired,</strong> call the member, make them aware of their membership expiration and see if they would like to reinstate their membership plan.</li>
</ol>

<p><strong>💡Tip: </strong>Provide an incentive to your team to reach your renewal goal. This could be cash, gift cards, or a team activity. A team incentive highlights the value of renewals to your entire practice and pushes the team to work together.<br />
 </p>

<h2>Launch your membership plan with Kleer</h2>

<p>​​As the popularity of dental membership plans and subscription-based dentistry continues, practices are encouraged to explore ways to make care more accessible.<br />
If you're wondering if implementing a membership plan is worth it for your practice, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-renewal-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">speak with an expert today!</a></p>


We see the difference everyday — membership plan patients are some of the best customers. They are committed to your practice and create recurring subscription revenue that ultimately increases the value of your practice.

Everything you need to know about Kleer Membership Plan Renewals

<p>Lets face it, no one wants to be filing and organizing paperwork when they could be using that time on what's really important – caring for patients.</p>

<p>Electronic records have saved office staff countless hours of filing and organizing paperwork, practice management software (PMS) has streamlined office operations to make room for more efficiencies, and AI <a href="https://www.overjet.ai/blog/5-benefits-dental-ai/">dental imaging</a> has advanced clinical consistency to maximize chair time.</p>

<p>Kleer is a dental membership plan software, but it’s also so much more. Like other pieces of dental practice software, Kleer aims to make your job easier while filling critical gaps in staffing — all without sacrificing the patient experience or profitability!</p>

<p>In order to achieve this, the fundamentals of our software performance cover three main areas: <strong>speed, certainty, and insight</strong>.</p>

<h3>Speed</h3>

<h4>Providing Fast, Accurate, Responsive Solutions</h4>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-top-office-managers-can-support-their-hygienists?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-staffing-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=">Front office and hygiene teams</a> want their time to be spent focusing on the patient experience, not filing paperwork and manually inputting payments. Which is why having an efficient membership plan software in place at your practice, will allow your team and future candidates to be able to focus more time on doing what they love. Our unparalleled user interface allows your team to access all of the data and information that they need, immediately. Everything from the number of new members, total active members, cancellations, renewals, payments, deposits, you name it. All are available to view as soon as you log into your practice portal, to allow for a quick and easy review.</p>

<p>Additionally, our proprietary SmartPricing™ algorithm will save you time trying to figure out an optimal price point for both the patient and your practice. SmartPricing™ uses your fee schedule and the data from thousands of dentals practices on the Kleer platform to produce a pricing recommendation that is right for your membership plan. And the best part is, the Kleer Success Team manages the process for you, so it really requires no time!</p>

<p>We can’t forget to mention billing and insurance processing when talking about efficiency and software capabilities. Kleer’s automated billing allows for a “set it and forget it” process for those enrolled in your membership plan, and when paired with automatic plan renewals, having to manually manage your plan is a thing of the past.</p>

<p>Even better, membership plans are not bound to the same rules as insurance. There are no accounts receivable, preapprovals, annual maximums, or enrollment periods, giving your practice the freedom to move away from the PPO insurance model, and avoid insurance burdens that slow everything down.</p>

<h3>Certainty</h3>

<h4>Get the Peace of Mind You Deserve</h4>

<p>If you can’t rely on your data, you can’t confidently make important decisions for your practice. Investing in tools that provide reliable infrastructure via software and automation is an investment in the future of your business. Kleer is more than just a piece of software because it can be used to help you make smarter, more intuitive decisions for your practice — like giving you the confidence to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/how-kleer-helped-cataloochee-dental-group-cut-insurance-participation-70?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-staffing-blog&amp;utm_form=kleer-content&amp;utm_asset=">move away from underperforming PPOs</a>.</p>

<p>If you already have a homegrown membership plan in place, you are ahead of the curve. While most practices have success in signing up members, we often see that once they cross the 50+ member threshold, their teams get bogged down in managing the plan, leaving too much room for human error and miscalculations.</p>

<p>By moving their in-house dental membership plan over to Kleer, these practices avoid the hurdles of managing a membership plan alone. <strong>This is especially important if a critical staff member leaves and can no longer manage the plan.</strong> Our subscription-based membership platform automates billing and renewals and tracks your results – creating a greater consistency despite staffing changes.</p>

<p>When it comes to compliance, you also can’t risk certainty when implementing a new piece of software for your practice. Kleer builds in plenty of safeguards to ensure compliance for HIPAA, federal anti-kickback laws, federal physician self-referral laws, federal consumer protection laws, FTC laws and state healthcare and dentistry laws, among others.</p>

<p>In order to mitigate your risk, Kleer’s software platform includes a variety of disclosures, consents, data security, support processes, and secure payment management. With all of this built into the software, dental practices that invest in Kleer no longer need to worry about filling out extensive paperwork for patients on a membership plan, saving both time and money.</p>

<h3>Insight</h3>

<h4>Achieving Your Performance Goals and Setting New Ones</h4>

<p>Having goals in place is important when thinking about your prospective and current employees. But being able to accurately track and report performance metrics to ensure you are meeting those goals is even more important.</p>

<p>At Kleer we even take it one step further by providing you with detailed <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/calculate-your-potential-practice-profitability?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-staffing-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=practice-profitability-calculator">data analysis and review to measure the impact your dental membership plan is having on patient behavior and practice results</a>. We work with you to validate membership plan design to ensure your program continues to provide value back into your practice.</p>

<p>We also help take the pressure off of your staff to have to catch every issue with automated notifications to keep you in the know. Additionally, our Success Team is available for any training and support to help your dental membership plan succeed and your practice to thrive.</p>

<h3>If you’re looking to fill critical gaps during staffing shortages, Kleer can help.</h3>

<p>Accomplish more while doing less, get paid on time, and more often — plus make your office a place the staff wants to be.</p>

<p>Kleer is here to assist you in growing your practice in many ways and when you are ready to hire qualified dental assistants and hygienists, we recommend you check out <a href="https://directdental.com/kleer">DirectDental</a>. They will help you find the right talent fast by utilizing technology to send your opening to all of the major job boards, leverage AI technology to find the most applicants and help you cast the widest net with a laser focus.</p>

<p>If you feel like Kleer’s software might be too good to be true, we invite you to experience it for yourself. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-staffing-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">Schedule a free demo today</a> and start seeing real results for your practice!</p>


Lets face it, no one wants to be filing and organizing paperwork when they could be using that time on what's really important – caring for patients.

Utilizing Smart Software to Fill Critical Gaps in Staffing

<h3>With the proper engagement, your patients will see the importance of oral health.</h3>

<p>Not every patient has access to a PPO plan, and cash paying patients are less likely to seek the routine care they need. Offering an alternative coverage option such as a subscription-based dental membership plan is key when working to increase patient engagement.</p>

<p>Dental membership plans remove the hassles and costs associated with traditional coverage and give patients what they really want – affordable access to care, transparent pricing, and an automated process.</p>

<h3>Patients want more from their healthcare providers - they want subscriptions, online payments, and instant access to their information.</h3>

<h2>Dental membership plans increase access to care</h2>

<p>Think about your cash paying patients, who might come in once a year or every couple years. They know they need dental care, but what’s missing is not a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-patientengagement-blog&amp;utm_form=kleer-content&amp;utm_asset=">one time discount</a>, it’s an incentive to establish their commitment to care. Leveraging an in-house dental membership plan works to get those patients, along with others, back in the door, so they can follow through with their preventive care — everything from exams, cleanings, and x-rays to extensive treatment plans — without it feeling entirely out of reach.</p>

<p>A customized dental membership plan will be based on your practice and patients needs. At Kleer, we take the time to sit down with you and learn more about your practice demographics and goals as well as the needs of your patients. From there, we build a winning solution that benefits everyone.</p>

<p>Plus with scannable QR codes and an online Patient Portal, patients can sign-up and manage their dental membership plan from any device. The sign-up process itself takes just a few minutes and the Kleer Customer Success Team is always available to assist.</p>

<h2>Dental membership plans better engage existing patients and improve core KPIs</h2>

<p>No one wants to miss out on an opportunity, yet it’s likely you already have dormant and uninsured patients in your database whose potential is waiting to be unlocked. Marketing to these patients is actually easier and cheaper than trying to attract new ones. These patients already know your practice and trust in your care, therefore, providing them with an attractive dental plan is a simple and effective way to get them back in your door and into your care.</p>

<p>In fact, once enrolled in a dental dental membership plan these patients drive 2-3X more visits and treatment acceptance when compared to uninsured patients.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-patientengagement-blog&amp;utm_form=kleer-content&amp;utm_asset=?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-patientengagement-blog&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=">*For a more detailed analysis check out our dental membership plan impact report. </a></p>

<p>At Kleer we’ll actually market directly to these patients for you. The Kleer platform will automatically identify patients in your own PMS system that are a good fit for a membership plan. From there we can send out personalized patient marketing emails that are designed to look like an extension of your brand to streamline your workflow, optimize your time, and minimize manual effort.</p>

<p>You will also gain access to customizable digital and printed marketing materials. Taking the lift off of your office staff and providing them directly with the tools they need to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature">effectively market your membership plan</a>.</p>

<h2>Increasing patient engagement doesn’t have to mean more work for your team — the benefits of dental membership plan automation and integration.</h2>

<p>Kleer’s dental membership platform offers a variety of different tools that can <strong>help your office team save hours of work</strong>. Below are a few <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence">automated processes to streamline your workflow</a> — that our customers claim, <em>“they couldn’t go without.”</em></p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Auto enrollment</strong> — Populate patient data from your PMS during the enrollment process eliminating the annoying task of entering patient name, address, email, and phone number.</li>
	<li><strong>Benefits tracking</strong> — Automatically track patient benefits used and remaining for services like exams, cleanings, x-rays, etc.</li>
	<li><strong>Automated renewals</strong> — Patients will receive notifications prior to their renewal date, and with auto renewal enabled patients don’t have to worry about a lapses in coverage or contacting your office to re enroll.</li>
	<li><strong>Automated notifications</strong> – These notifications cover purchase confirmations, receipts, renewals, compliance, payment disputes, and outstanding balances.</li>
	<li><strong>Payments infrastructure</strong>
	<ul>
		<li><strong>Payment processing</strong> – Kleer offers fast and reliable payment processing with electronic deposits directly into your practice bank account. These payment statuses and deposits can easily be tracked from the Kleer Practice Portal.</li>
		<li><strong>Automated PMS payment posting</strong> — Eliminate the mundane and time-intensive task of manually posting membership plan payments to your practice management software.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li><strong>Automated text messages</strong> – Patients will receive real-time, transactional <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/increase-membership-plan-engagement-text-messages">notifications</a> straight to their phone to stay up to date with their account.</li>
	<li><strong>Reporting</strong> – Easily track membership plan performance in real time with dashboards and downloadable reports that cover memberships, payments, renewals, and cancellations.</li>
</ul>

<p>When it comes to prioritizing patient engagement, we have thought of it all so you don’t have to.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-february-patientengagement-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=">Get started with a Kleer-powered membership plan today!</a></p>


With the proper engagement, your patients will see the importance of oral health.

Not every patient has access to a PPO plan, and cash paying patients are less likely to seek the routine care they need.

How In House Dental Membership Plans Help Prioritize Patient Engagement

<h3>Kleer wins the 2023 Dental Townie Choice Award® based on our simple, affordable and personalized dental membership plan model.</h3>

<p>Kleer, the leader in subscription dentistry, is the winner of <a href="https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/9128/2023-dental-townie-choice-awards">Dentaltown’s 2023 Dental Townie Choice Award®</a> in the Dental Membership Plans category for the fourth consecutive year. We are honored to receive this choice award among many other peer-recommended products and services in dentistry.</p>

<p>With one of the largest dental networks in the world, Dentaltown has their Townie’s (250,000+ verified members) vote on their products, services and equipment of choice. Townie Choice Award winners are recognized as the most reliable and reputable in the industry that make dentists' lives easier, more productive and their staff and patients happier.</p>

<p>For the last 8 years, Kleer has provided dental practices with a unique solution that enables them to offer subscription-based dental membership plans directly to patients and employers.</p>

<p>Kleer’s most recent innovation, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence">Kleer Intelligence</a>, works with over 90% of Practice Management Software (PMS) Systems and allows you to automate, measure and grow your membership plan. Kleer Intelligence was designed based on feedback from 1,000s of Kleer customers across solo, group, and DSO practices. The applications focus on increasing team productivity, patient access to care, and practice performance.</p>

<p>To learn more about Dentaltown’s 2023 Dental Townie Choice Awards® and to see the full list of winners, please visit <a href="https://www.dentaltown.com/magazine/article/8173/2020-townie-choice-awards">dentaltown.com</a> (select the Practice Management section).</p>

<h4>About Kleer</h4>

<p>Kleer combines an advanced, cloud-based platform with personalized support to ensure practice’s have everything they need to easily and quickly design, implement, and professionally manage a successful membership plan. Kleer integrates directly with practice management software to unleash unprecedented automation, growth and performance.</p>

<p>Kleer has helped over 7,000+ dentists by removing all of the complexities, hassles, and costs of the insurance companies—improving patient access to care, increasing patient visits and treatment acceptance, and providing the foundation for dental practice success. To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.kleer.com/">kleer.com</a>.</p>


Kleer wins the 2023 Dental Townie Choice Award® based on our simple, affordable and personalized dental membership plan model.

Kleer, the leader in subscription dentistry, is the winner of 

Kleer Wins Fourth Consecutive Dental Townie Choice Award® for Dental Membership Plans

<p>In this Kleercast episode, Steven J. Anderson of Total Patient Service Institute shares drivers for patient decision making, the keys to team case presentation and acceptance, and how to magnify clinical excellence by hearing "YES!".</p>

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<h2> </h2>

<h2>1. Failure to convert prospecting patients</h2>

<p>The failure to convert prospective patients into scheduled appointments is often due to a need for more organized systems. In fact, according to a recent survey by ToPs, 92% of dental practices neglect the fundamental step of asking for the caller's name during inquiries.</p>

<p>The simplicity of asking for the caller's name is a powerful tool for establishing a connection from the outset. Additionally, while price transparency is critical, you want to discuss price with prospective patients only after equally showcasing your value.</p>

<p>Having a format to follow with every new patient inquiry, coaching your team on the best ways to engage, and tracking key metrics such as calls to conversions are great ways to avoid missed opportunities. This ensures that your office performs at peak potential even before patients enter the door. </p>

<h2>2. Failure to listen </h2>

<p>Burton J. Lee III, former White House physician, stressed the importance of knowing more about the patient than their disease. Dentistry is no different — it's a relationship business. Patients want to see themselves reflected in every interaction to validate the information presented. By being the "mirror" and actively engaging with patients, dental practices can create a positive feedback loop that fosters a greater sense of commitment to your practice and your care.</p>

<h2>3. Failure to ask good questions </h2>

<p>The law of entropy applies to the natural tendency of things to become disorganized over time if no effort is put into maintaining order. Two key indicators of entropy in a dental practice are the presence of <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-january-tops-blog" target="_blank">unscheduled treatment plans</a> and unscheduled active patients. </p>

<p>Asking commitment-oriented questions will help to move more conversations forward. Stop asking, <em>"do you have any questions?"</em> and start asking, <em>"based on what we talked about today and the plan we put together to reach your goals, should we go ahead and get started?"</em> Improving how you ask questions will help move more patients closer to <em>"YES!"</em></p>

<h2>4. Failure to provide patients with enough financial support</h2>

<p>Some interesting data that came out in December from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/only-65-8-u-households-180152067.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIyAJFh9tMdVrWRbnyiQklgoTewHhaKUFgeJsWfiN6k3kp_dXP3N_kewxWMaQLPpGKTMVhMG6DAvlRfmfK8w1TXF5UYM8BJpIrYwqTCZ74Q_LN1HOkFt4sWzVwEyg5YEs3myQjzVjob1PU-aPecryoCRCRmhCwApfRWc1NYOg7mn#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Reserve%20Bank%20of,expense%20in%20the%20coming%20month." target="_blank">65.5% of consumers surveyed</a> would be unable to cover an unexpected expense of $2,000 or more if one came up next month. This showcases the need for more options for patients to be able to fit essential dentistry into their budget. It's highly recommended to have an in-house dental membership plan and additional patient financing to best support your patients. </p>

<p><img alt="The benefits of Kleer dental membership plan and sunbit patient financing. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4f82f050-a8db-44e8-bef8-3977f4af3f5d" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Heading%20%281%29.png" /></p>

<p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Industry partners like <a href="https://www.kleer.com/news-and-media/partnership-between-kleer-and-sunbit-will-reduce-friction-patients?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-january-tops-blog" target="_blank">Kleer and Sunbit</a> help remove friction for patients, enabling dentists to remove many of the traditional financial barriers to care.</p>

<p><strong>*See how <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-january-tops-blog&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_form=request-demo" target="_blank">Kleer's Dental Membership Platform</a> and <a href="https://dental.sunbit.com/alliances" target="_blank">Sunbit's Patient Financing Solution</a> can work hand-in-hand with your office. And if you have time <a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/de-solutions-lab/whitepaper/14286206/two-tech-partners-disrupting-how-dentists-do-business">watch the webinar</a> to learn how these two tech partners are disrupting how dentists do business.</strong></p>

<h2>5. Failure to see patient objections as opportunities</h2>

<p>Instead of viewing objections as roadblocks, consider them as chances to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/combating-cost-conscious-patients-4-ways-improve-case-acceptance?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleercast-2024-january-tops-blog" target="_blank">address concerns</a> and provide valuable information. When a patient objects, it's not a rejection; it's an invitation to further the conversation. </p>

<p><strong>Here's a key principle:</strong> Objections are often expressions of uncertainty or fear. The way to handle objections is to explore them. Ask questions to uncover the root of the objection, understand the patient's perspective, and then address it with relevant information.</p>

<h2>This Kleercast was produced in partnership with ToPs</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.totalpatientservice.com/" target="_blank">Total Patient Service Institute</a> offers exceptional dental practice management and practice coaching, specializing in implementing the highest level of patient service and communication skills in dental practices around the United States.</p>
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In this Kleercast episode, Steve Anderson of Total Patient Services shares drivers for patient decision making, the keys to team case presentation and acceptance, and how to magnify clinical excellence by hearing "YES!". 

Why Case Presentations Fail

<p dir="ltr">The dental space is dynamic, and dentists, office managers, and other dental professionals must choose solutions that produce tangible ROI. That means everything from maximizing the value of patients seen each day to having a strong collections infrastructure. </p>

<p dir="ltr">At Kleer, we're big fans of practices leveraging subscription-based dental membership plans to meet these goals, but we still get asked, "Are dental membership plans worth it for my practice?" and "Do I need to use a third-party membership plan platform to see results?" </p>

<p dir="ltr">Well, we've helped thousands of practices build sustainable, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">revenue-generating membership plans</a>. This article will provide some background on these frequently asked questions. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Q: Are dental membership plans worth it?</h2>

<p dir="ltr">A: At its core, dental membership plans enable practices to offer affordable, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">personalized dental coverage</a> directly to patients. These plans often include regular check-ups, cleanings, x-rays, and savings on additional procedures. The transparency and predictability of costs empower patients to prioritize their oral health. </p>

<p dir="ltr">We know what you're thinking, "Sounds great, but what does that mean for my business?"</p>

<p dir="ltr">When patients feel in control of their oral health and understand the cost of care, they are more incentivized to take advantage of the benefits included in their plan and follow through with appointments and treatment recommendations — which will ultimately benefit practice performance. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Four advantages of implementing a dental membership plan:</h3>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">1. Greater engagement among your patient base</h4>

<p dir="ltr">Patients, specifically uninsured or fee-for-service patients enrolled in a dental membership plan, are more likely to return for regular check-ups and cleanings as they have already paid for these services. </p>

<p dir="ltr">This can help practices build stronger, long-term relationships with their patients, leading to increased loyalty, fewer missed appointments, and a greater number of referrals.</p>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">2. Build a sustainable stream of recurring revenue to diversify practice income</h4>

<p dir="ltr">By charging patients a set fee for a package of services, practices can ensure a steady stream of income rather than relying on <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/adopting-necessary-mindset-confidently-improve-ppo-participation?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">delayed reimbursements from insurance</a> providers or patients who only come in for an occasional visit. This can help practices better manage their finances and forecast for the future. </p>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">3. Attract new patients previously deterred by high out-of-pocket costs. </h4>

<p dir="ltr">Offering a more affordable option for dental care, practices can tap into a previously untapped market of potential patients. This can help grow your practice's patient base and increase revenue in the long run.</p>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">4. Empower your dental team to break free from bad PPOs</h4>

<p dir="ltr">An in-house membership plan gives you an alternative coverage option to offer to existing patients as you <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">drop underperforming PPOs</a>. You are in control and can eliminate the hassles, costs, and ever-declining reimbursements of insurance and third-party payers.</p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Three common dental membership plan concerns:</h3>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">1."My cash-paying patients willingly pay full fee. Why should I offer savings through a membership plan?"</h4>

<p dir="ltr">While some cash-paying patients may be willing to pay full fee your patients without dental coverage visit significantly less than patients with dental coverage. </p>

<p dir="ltr">When you work with Kleer, we help practices build price-optimized plans to balance the needs of both patients and providers. </p>

<p dir="ltr">We'll even run the numbers with data from your PMS to show your membership plan opportunity and its impact on visits, treatment acceptance, production, and collections. </p>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">2. My team is facing operational and staffing challenges; why should we make time to implement?"</h4>

<p dir="ltr">Imagine the time and effort your team could save on administrative tasks such as insurance billing and collections with a streamlined membership program. By freeing up time, your team can focus on providing top-quality patient care without insurance interference. </p>

<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">3. New patient specials work well for us and help attract new patients. How does a membership plan compare?"</h4>

<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-new-patient-specials-membership-plan?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">New patient specials</a> often attract patients who are not interested in a long-term commitment to care and give patients no incentive to come back. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Patients attracted to these promotions are more interested in getting a deal than maintaining good oral health. It's a revolving door that can only be stopped once you've solidified a patient's commitment to care. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Q: What are the benefits of using a third-party membership plan platform vs in-house?</h2>

<p dir="ltr">A: Choosing whether to implement a third-party membership plan platform or manage an in-house solution is crucial for dental practices. Here are some key considerations and benefits associated with each approach. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Third-party dental membership platforms ease administrative work</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Utilizing a third-party membership plan platform like Kleer gives you direct access to industry experts specializing in designing and managing high-performing plans. </p>

<p dir="ltr">We also guarantee the certainty, stability, and reliability that Kleer's software will function the same way every single time — from member sign-ups and patient use to payments and deposits.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Practices opting for an in-house solution must invest time and resources in developing a comprehensive enrollment, tracking, and reporting workflow and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/simplify-membership-plan-compliance-what-dental-leaders-need-know?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">managing state and federal compliance</a>. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Membership plan fees are drastically lower than insurance fees.</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Some dental teams are concerned that fees charged by third-party dental membership plan companies will cut into revenue. This is a valid concern, but what about insurance companies who collect anywhere from 30-40% of production? </p>

<p dir="ltr">At Kleer, our average platform fees amount to less than 10%, which goes towards creating efficiencies through automation, integrations, and 1:1 support to free up time.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Managing an in-house plan is possible; many of our best-performing customers started with their own plans. But there is unlimited value in maximizing what your team can accomplish in a day in exchange for a small fee.</p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Membership plan platforms have robust payments and collections infrastructure to reduce errors and missed patient payments</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Kleer-powered membership plans eliminate the time-intensive, annoying task of manually posting payments to your PMS, inputting patient information during enrollment, and tracking patient benefits used and remaining. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Kleer will also automatically contact patients with past due subscriptions and enable them to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/increase-membership-plan-engagement-text-messages?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">pay by text</a> or email so your team doesn’t have to. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Automating patient follow-up, payment collection, and writing payments back to your PMS gives a boost of efficiency that every office manager and administrative team needs. </p>

<h3 dir="ltr">Automatically market a membership plan that's an extension of your brand</h3>

<p dir="ltr">Most people are not marketing experts, and most practices need more time and budget to build a comprehensive marketing strategy. </p>

<p dir="ltr">With Kleer, practices can <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog">automatically identify and market</a> to patients in your PMS who are a good fit for your membership plan, including active uninsured patients, dormant uninsured patients, and dormant insured patients. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Patients will receive personalized emails — leveraging your brand colors, logo, and images to maximize member enrollment. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Build your membership plan with Kleer</h2>

<p dir="ltr">That's frequently asked membership plan questions explained. So are they worth it? Should you leverage a third-party platform like Kleer? It's really up to you to decide. </p>

<p dir="ltr">We're here when you're ready and every step of the way so building your program doesn't have to feel like a chore. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-faq-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">Get started today!</a> </p>


The dental space is dynamic, and dentists, office managers, and other dental professionals must choose solutions that produce tangible ROI.

Frequently Asked Dental Membership Plan Questions (FAQs)

<p dir="ltr">In recent years, dental membership plans have emerged as an alternative to traditional dental insurance, offering patients a different approach to managing their oral health costs. As individuals seek more affordable and flexible healthcare options, the question arises: Are dental membership plans worth it for patients? </p>

<p dir="ltr">This blog post will delve into the critical aspects of <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-patient-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">dental membership plans</a> to help you understand their value and whether they might benefit your patients. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Understanding dental membership plans</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Dental membership plans operate on a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-patient-blog">subscription-based model</a>, where patients pay a monthly or annual fee to access various preventive and diagnostic services. Unlike dental insurance, these plans typically do not involve deductibles, copays, or waiting periods. Instead, patients receive comprehensive services at a predetermined price (established by your practice), making it easier to budget for dental care.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Affordability and predictability</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Patients can better anticipate their dental expenses with a fixed subscription that includes preventive care and treatment savings — eliminating the uncertainty associated with traditional insurance plans. This <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/screening-dental-patients-cost-distress-3-tips-success?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-patient-blog">transparency in cost</a> can be especially appealing to individuals who prefer straightforward budgeting without unexpected out-of-pocket expenses.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Comprehensive preventive care</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Dental membership plans often prioritize regular check-ups, cleanings, and exams. By promoting proactive oral health measures, these plans aim to prevent major dental issues before they escalate, ultimately saving patients from more extensive and costly treatments down the line. </p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Inclusion of cosmetic and elective procedures</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Unlike traditional insurance plans focusing primarily on essential dental procedures, membership plans can include <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/value-personalization-practices-dsos?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-patient-blog">personalized, cosmetic and elective treatments</a>. This expanded coverage may include teeth whitening and other elective procedures that enhance the health and appearance of the smile. Including cosmetic services can add significant value to any dental membership plan.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Accessibility and provider choice</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Since membership plans are unique offerings and don't operate through a provider network, patients have the power of choice and your practice gains a competitive edge. This flexibility can be particularly advantageous for individuals who value the relationship with their current dentist and wish to maintain continuity of care.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Launch your membership plan with Kleer</h2>

<p dir="ltr">As the popularity of dental membership plans and subscription-based dentistry continues, practices are encouraged to explore ways to make care more accessible. </p>

<p dir="ltr">If you're wondering if implementing a membership plan is worth it for your practice, explore this blog or <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2024-january-patient-blog&amp;utm_form=request-demo">speak with an expert today</a>! <br />
 </p>


In recent years, dental membership plans have emerged as an alternative to traditional dental insurance, offering patients a different approach to managing their oral health costs.

The Benefits of a Dental Membership Plan for Your Patients

<p>It's been an eventful and fulfilling year for us at Kleer, thanks to our engaged community of dental professionals across the country. </p>

<p>Our practices continue to be trailblazers, harnessing the power of cutting-edge dental membership plan technology to improve patient access to care, ensure organizational success, and disrupt an industry that has been traditionally controlled by insurance. </p>

<p>Kicking things off, Dave Monahan, CEO and founder of Kleer and Melissa Richardson, VP of Team Success share their thoughts on what has marked this extraordinary chapter in the Year of Kleer above. </p>

<h2>Product Execution &amp; Development </h2>

<p>In January of 2023 we announced the launch of <a href="https://www.kleer.com/press/kleer-announces-release-kleer-intelligencetm" target="_blank">Kleer Intelligence™</a> (KI), our proprietary PMS integration solution. </p>

<p>KI’s integration architecture establishes a connection between the Kleer Platform and 90% of all practice management software, to read and write-back information and performance data to improve membership plan management, tracking, results, and more. </p>

<p>The connection also helps Kleers iterate, develop, and add platform functionalities faster.</p>

<p>With December marking our sixth release of new tools and improvements, here’s all the KI features we introduced this year. </p>

<h3>KI Automation</h3>

<p>Posting subscription payments, enrolling patients, and tracking benefits are all critical aspects of any membership plan. However, all of these tasks are tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone if they are completed manually.</p>

<p>KI Automation eliminates these time-consuming tasks with the following features. </p>

<h4>Patient Auto Enrollment </h4>

<p><strong>Used by 100% of practices</strong> with Kleer Intelligence enabled, this feature pulls patient data from your PMS (name, address, email, and phone) to automatically complete patient enrollment. See it in action.</p>

<h4>Payment Posting </h4>

<p>Automatically post subscription payments, fees, and balance transactions from Kleer to your PMS. </p>

<h4>Benefits Status</h4>

<p>Automatically track membership plan benefits used and remaining so that your team can easily verify patient eligibility for annual cleanings, x-rays, or savings on treatment. </p>

<h3>KI Growth</h3>

<p>Most people are not marketing experts and most practices have limited time and budget to invest in building a comprehensive marketing strategy. KI Growth not only better aligns your membership plan with your brand to create a <a href="https://kleer.docsend.com/view/8hvszhqjhcrc4nrq" target="_blank">seamless patient experience</a>, but can automatically identify and market to patients that are a good fit for your membership. </p>

<h4>Brand Personalization</h4>

<p>Personalize the member experience with your brand colors, logos, and images front and center on your member landing page. </p>

<h4>Automated Marketing </h4>

<p>With your permission, Kleer will <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature" target="_blank">automatically send personalized email messages</a> to uninsured and dormant patients in your database, inviting them to your membership plan. Practices with Automated Marketing enabled on average see a<strong> +55% increase</strong> in new membership plans sold. </p>

<h3>KI Performance</h3>

<p>With KI Performance practices will have the ability to <strong>track the impact Kleer is having on patient behavior and practice performance</strong> by measuring patient visits, the rate of treatment acceptance, total practice production, and total collections across Kleer, uninsured, and insured patients.</p>

<p>In December we completed building the infrastructure needed to bring this feature to life in 2024. We are currently developing the user interface and incorporating feedback from early adopters. Our team believes that KI Performance will be an invaluable tool for dental practices, stay tuned for more updates on our progress!</p>

<h2>Our Unrivaled Support</h2>

<p>At Kleer, we believe that customer support is not just a service — it's a cornerstone of our commitment to you. Our support team has tackled an impressive <strong>26,606 tickets this year, </strong>achieving a <strong>96% resolution rate in a single interaction</strong>.  </p>

<p>We continue to maintain our Help Center to serve as the ultimate resource packed with instructional content and videos that can be accessed on-demand. In total, customers have invested <strong>17,439 minutes gathering the insights</strong> they need to keep their membership plan on track. </p>

<h3>How We Helped This Year</h3>

<ul>
	<li>It took us <strong>24 minutes on average to have a full resolution</strong> for our customers from first contact with our support team.</li>
	<li>It only took us <strong>18 minutes</strong> on average to provide a first resolution or response to a customer support request. </li>
	<li>Kleer completed <strong>100% of the support tickets</strong> submitted by customers.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Recognitions </h2>

<p>We can't help but brag a little – this year, we were honored to share that we made the <a href="https://www.inc.com/inc5000" target="_blank">Inc. 5000 </a>list. Marking our debut,<strong> we ranked at number 1951</strong>, in addition to <strong>204th among business products and services.</strong></p>

<h3>Growing Talent and Career Progression</h3>

<p>Celebrating the achievements of our team is a huge win, and this year, we’ve promoted thirteen outstanding individuals.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-schenkel-1020941a3/">Brittany Schenkel </a>- Senior Support Specialist</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-james-3a615663/">Brad James </a>- Manager, Independent &amp; Emerging Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-a-carbutt/">Brendan Carbutt</a> - Sales Development Representative III</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-crawford-8b78b0132/">Dan Crawford </a>- Manager, Enterprise Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/edkaighn/">Ed Kaighn</a> - Chief Operating Officer </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-salls-a6280b186/">Eli Salls</a> - Partner Development, Marketing </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiegriffith/">Jamie Griffith</a> - Senior Product Analyst</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-doyle-931734168/">Liam Doyle</a> - Account Executive, Emerging Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnea-straley/">Lynnea Straley</a> - Demand Generation Analyst </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-hicks/">Meghan Hicks</a> - Director of Customer Engagement </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-maiorano-a6a36b20b/">Marissa Maiorano</a> - Kleer Pro Product Analyst </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicknoda/">Nick Noda</a> - Account Executive, Enterprise Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikira-molock-802180129/">Vikira Molock</a> - Account Manager, Emerging Market</p>

<h3>New Talent to Fuel Our Growth</h3>

<p>In response to the growing demands of our business and the evolving needs across the practices and DSOs we serve, we’ve welcomed 11 individuals who bring diverse expertise, fresh perspectives, and a shared commitment to our mission. If you haven’t already, meet the newest additions to the Kleer team. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-pennock-73651b144/">Brian Pennock</a> - Account Executive, Independent Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynpeters/">Carolyn Peters</a> - Controller </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseapava/">Chelsea Pava </a>- Account Manager, Enterprise Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinne-bola%C3%B1os-127a5146/">Corinne Bolanos</a> - Director of Marketing</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellelunt/">Danielle Mills </a>- Senior Account Manager, Emerging Market </p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimie-mcinroy-154201175/">Jaimie McInroy</a> - SDR II, Emerging Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/1josephvega/">Joe Vega </a>- Support Specialist</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-schneider-ba796613a/">John Schneider</a> - Account Manager, Independent Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelcey-silver/">Kelcey Silver</a> - Marketing Coordinator</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-marconi/">Michael Marconi </a>- SDR II, Emerging Market</p>

<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicknoda/">Nick Noda</a> - Account Executive, Independent Market</p>

<h3>Best of Content </h3>

<p>Check out our most downloaded content and a few that we’re proud of. </p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/how-kleer-helped-pearl-street-dental-partners-increase-production-150" target="_blank">How Kleer Helped Pearl Street Dental Partners Increase Production by 150%</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/measuring-roi-time-money-and-patient-satisfaction" target="_blank">The Rise of Subscription Based Dentistry: Measuring ROI in Time, Money, &amp; Satisfaction </a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-aadom-rockstars-unleashed-power-kleer-epic-results" target="_blank">How AADOM Rockstars Unleashed the Power of Kleer for Epic Results</a></p>

<p><a href="https://kleer.docsend.com/view/5gzvfaq4pxtuv6kp" target="_blank">A Scalable Tech Trio to Optimize Dental Patient Outcomes</a></p>

<h2>Looking Ahead</h2>

<p>Kleer isn’t just smart software — it’s driven by a smart team that comes with years of expertise plus thorough testing and optimization to deliver a best-in-class membership plan experience. And we’ve only just scratched the surface. </p>

<p><strong>Your ideas and feedback make Kleer what it is, so as always, keep sharing them with us.</strong></p>

<p>Make sure to follow along on our social pages to stay up to date with our features, events, and latest news.</p>
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It's been an eventful and fulfilling year for us at Kleer, thanks to our engaged community of dental professionals across the country. 

Year of Kleer: Celebrating Growth, Innovation, and Achievement

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<p><img alt="DSO Growth Series" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b20d9b7c-9646-4d79-9842-2d0342355465" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DSO%20Growth%20Series%20-%20Part%202%20of%203_1.png" /></p>

<p>In <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/adopting-necessary-mindset-confidently-improve-ppo-participation" target="_blank">Part 2</a> of our Navigating Participation series, we helped identify the most important benchmarks to measure PPO performance. And explored how practices can confidently improve their participation through negotiation. </p>

<p>From strengthening your coverage foundation to setting standards for the approval of new PPOs, in the final installment, we'll explore four ways to manage PPO participation moving forward. </p>

<h2>Strengthen your coverage foundation with a dental membership plan</h2>

<p>Whether you're fully fee-for-service or participating with one or many types of insurance — we know and respect that every practice and its relationship with conventional coverage is different. But how you offer coverage impacts everything important to you — how often patients visit, the amount of treatment they accept, and how you get paid.</p>

<p>Building a solid coverage foundation doesn't start with simply eliminating insurance. It begins by:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Ensuring care is greatly accessible and transparent for all patients,</li>
	<li>Having greater autonomy over business decisions that impact your cash flow, and</li>
	<li>Simplifying administrative processes for your team.</li>
</ul>

<p>Offering an <a href="https://kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans" target="_blank">alternative to traditional coverage</a> is crucial if you plan to disengage from any insurance plan. This will ensure that your patients can still access essential services and that revenue generated will circumvent any possible loss in earnings.</p>

<p>Unlike insurance or <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans" target="_blank">dental discount plans</a>, a membership plan lets dentists and DSOs provide customized subscription-based coverage directly to patients. </p>

<p>Implementing a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry" target="_blank">dental membership plan</a> involves a bit of planning and strong communication. Start by identifying the preventive services covered under the program, such as regular cleanings, exams, and X-rays. Based on your fee schedule, clearly outline membership plan pricing and benefits to ensure the best outcome for your practice while adding unique value for patients. </p>

<p>Consider offering additional savings on restorative and cosmetic procedures to incentivize enrollment. Promote your plan throughout the year through <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/multichannel-marketing-approach-attract-more-patients" target="_blank">various marketing channels</a>, such as social media, email newsletters, and in-office signage, to encourage patient participation and retention. More significant promotional pushes during certain times of the year, like <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/guide-open-enrollment-your-dental-practice" target="_blank">open healthcare enrollment</a>, can also help generate interest. </p>

<p>It's highly recommended that you collaborate with your entire team to effectively communicate the plan's details to patients and address any questions or concerns they may have. The successful implementation of a dental membership plan can significantly strengthen your coverage foundation and put you in the best possible position to disengage from underperforming PPOs.</p>

<p>Check out these examples: </p>

<p>1. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-aadom-rockstars-unleashed-power-kleer-epic-results" target="_blank">The steps two OMs took to drop unprofitable PPOs from their practice.</a></p>

<p>2. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/how-kleer-helped-cataloochee-dental-group-cut-insurance-participation-70" target="_blank">How Cataloochee Dental Group Cut Insurance Participation by 70%</a></p>

<h2>Determine organizational goals for PPO participation</h2>

<p>Clear organizational goals are the root of a successful <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable" target="_blank">PPO management strategy</a>. As with any initiative it's best to have specific objectives clearly defined. </p>

<p>These goals may encompass financial considerations such as increasing patient volume and revenue, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/adopting-necessary-mindset-confidently-improve-ppo-participation" target="_blank">negotiating favorable reimbursement rates</a>. Additionally, the pursuit of enhanced patient satisfaction, improved network visibility, and the cultivation of strong provider-insurer relationships could be integral aspects to help define your practices goals. </p>

<h2>Set standards of approval for new PPOs</h2>

<p>When setting standards for the approval of new PPOs, consider the local companies that are covered by the carrier as well as your bandwidth as a provider. Adding a plan should only be considered if you can accommodate new patients profitably. Develop an evaluation process that includes input from key practice stakeholders such as your clinicians and administrators.</p>

<h2>Stay up-to-date with the latest continuing education sessions (CE)</h2>

<p>For dental providers and administrators, ongoing education is crucial for adapting to changes in reimbursement models, regulatory requirements, and patient expectations. By staying informed, your dental practice can proactively address challenges, implement innovative solutions, and provide the highest quality of care to your patients.</p>

<p>Here's a few we recommend:</p>

<p>1. <a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/dental-insurance" target="_blank">Dental Insurance Design and Management</a> use code KLEER for a $75 courtesy</p>

<p>2. <a href="https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/dental-insurance" target="_blank">ADA’s Dental Insurance Hub</a></p>

<p>3. <a href="https://www.beckersdental.com/" target="_blank">Becker's Dental Review</a></p>

<h2>This series is produced in partnership with Teresa Duncan.</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/" target="_blank">Teresa Duncan</a>, FAADOM, MS is the author of Moving Your Patients to Yes: Easy Insurance Conversations as well as a contributing author to the ADA’s annual CDT Companion Guide™. Her podcasts “Nobody Told Me That!” and “Chew On This!” provide regular coding and management updates. Teresa was recently presented with AADOM's Lifetime Achievement Award.</p>

<p> </p>


From strengthening your coverage foundation to setting standards for the approval of new PPOs, in the final installment, we'll explore four ways to manage PPO participation moving forward. 



How Dental Teams Can Better Manage PPO Participation

As the subscription economy soars and giants like Amazon explore subscription-based healthcare offerings, it&#039;s evident that direct, patient-centric solutions create a financially viable framework that dentists and DSOs can leverage to scale up.

Measuring ROI in Time, Money, and Patient Satisfaction 

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<p>Episode 2 of our Kleercast webinar series features Nicole Toudouze, CEO and founder of Transcendental. With 14 years of branding and advertising experience and 12 years of dental marketing expertise, Nicole will share valuable insights on how to grow your practice by implementing a measurable, results-driven marketing plan.</p>

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<p> </p>

<h2>Key Highlights</h2>
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<p>Marketing is an investment in the growth of your practice. In dentistry, there can be a stigma around marketing, specifically with it being a costly investment. Still, it is an investment in your growth the same way training, hiring talented staff, and purchasing equipment and technology are investments in your growth. Marketing is no different. However, when investing in marketing you want to ensure you make the most of it.</p>

<h3>Importance of a Measurement Plan</h3>

<p>No marketing strategy is complete without a measurement plan. This is especially true when a practice is doing marketing on its own, as they tend to approach it from an ad hoc perspective rather than through the lense of demand generation. </p>

<p>A marketing measurement plan translates your business objectives into measurable metrics. It ties back the metrics to the objectives and goals you set in your marketing strategy. Each practice will have different objectives, such as <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/strategies-attract-and-retain-new-dental-patients">new patient volume</a>, increasing the average value, or patient production. You need to define your goals and ensure that your measurement plan and strategy can quantify your achievements.</p>

<h3>Common Measurement Mistakes</h3>

<h4>Not Defining Business Objectives: </h4>

<p>Many practices must consider their goals before jumping into tactics like direct mail, Google ads, and website building. For most practices, the goal is acquiring new patients, whether it's for general, cosmetic, or restorative purposes. Increasing website visits and call volume is the primary way to achieve this goal. </p>

<h4>Not Defining KPIs: </h4>

<p>Another common issue is the need for defined KPIs and better tracking and measurement across marketing campaigns. It's not enough just to have goals; tracking and measuring the return on investment is necessary to understand how a program is performing. Verbal sourcing, or asking patients where they heard about the practice, can be unreliable as most patients will say "Google" due to the importance of reviews. Ultimately, you'll want to know where patient traffic is coming from and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/multichannel-marketing-approach-attract-more-patients">what campaigns or channels are best converting</a> searches into appointments.</p>

<h4>Not Tracking Performance: </h4>

<p>When it comes to tracking and measuring the success of your marketing programs, there are several tools and strategies you should consider utilizing. </p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Google Analytics 4</strong> (GA4) allows you to set up conversion events, such as how many people clicked "Book an Appointment" from a particular ad or submitted a contact form. GA4 can also track online scheduling, and mobile clicked calls. </p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Google Search Console</strong> can help you understand how your site is ranking organically.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>SEO software</strong> like Semrush and Ahrefs analyzes your site's organic performance. This includes tracking specific keywords and understanding what people in your area are searching for. SEO mistakes can consist of focusing solely on vanity searches rather than monitoring your rankings for essential procedures or keywords. </p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p><strong>Meta Business Manager</strong>, which includes Facebook and Instagram, allows you to track impressions, engagements, and actions taken on your ads through <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">social media</a>. </p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h4>Not Giving Campaigns Adequate Time to Build Momentum:</h4>

<p>It's essential to give your marketing campaigns enough time to work. Whether through Google, Meta, or programmatic alternatives, online advertising is driven by algorithms, which go through a learning phase. During this phase, these algorithms optimize your ads and gather data. This data provides insights to optimize the campaign further. </p>

<p>Give any <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-promote-dental-membership-plan">marketing strategy</a> at least three months before making any decisions. If you pivot too early you're likely not giving the algorithm time to catch up, and making assumptions rather than decisions based on statistical relevance.</p>

<h2>About Transcendental </h2>

<p><a href="https://transcendentalagency.com/">Transcendental</a> is a strategic marketing agency that fosters growth for practices utilizing data-driven insights and a unique, proven dental marketing methodology. Our exclusive methods are formulated with insights from working with practices nationwide and are designed to transcend dental norms. </p>

<h2>About Kleer</h2>

<p>Kleer provides practices of all shapes and sizes with the ability to offer customized <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry">dental membership plans </a>directly to patients. Our easy-to-use platform is secure and scalable, expertly designed to grow with your office, integrate with existing tools, and support unlimited locations and patients. </p>

<p>To learn more about Kleer's full suite of <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature">automated and digital marketing tools</a> to improve the growth and success of your dental membership plan, <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/kleer.com/request-demo">schedule a time to chat</a>. </p>

<p> </p>


Marketing is an investment in the growth of your practice. In dentistry, there can be a stigma around marketing, specifically with it being a costly investment. Still, it is an investment in your growth the same way training, hiring talented staff, and purchasing equipment and technology are investments in your growth. Marketing is no different. However, when investing in marketing you want to ensure you make the most of it.



How to Measure ROI on Your Dental Marketing Program

<ul>
	<li><i>Nation’s leading subscription membership plan provider partners with Five Lakes to maximize dental practice profitability across patient coverage segments.</i></li>
</ul>

<p>WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2023 /<a dir="auto" href="https://www.einpresswire.com/" rel="nofollow external" target="_blank">EINPresswire</a>/ -- Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions, the leading revenue cycle consultancy focused on insurance participation strategy, announced a partnership with Kleer, the nation’s premier dental membership platform. Through this partnership, Kleer customers can maximize profitability at their practices whether in-network or out-of-network.</p>

<p>Since 2018, Kleer has provided dental practices and DSOs with a unique software solution that enables them to offer subscription-based dental membership plans directly to patients and employers. Practices are fully in control, setting the subscription price, fee schedule, and treatment protocols. The platform helps practices provide a better, more affordable coverage option for their uninsured patients, automate day-to-day plan management, increase patient loyalty and drive engagement to maximize profitability and drive long-term growth.</p>

<p>Dave Monahan, CEO and founder of Kleer, said, “We are very excited to introduce Five Lakes to Kleer’s partner network. Our partnership program enables companies like Five Lakes to join forces with Kleer and work closely together to help dental teams optimize production and collections while providing excellent patient care. Combining Kleer's market leading membership plan solution with Five Lakes PPO analysis and consulting services enables dental practices to improve patient access to care, optimize PPO participation, and maximize reimbursements."</p>

<p>Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions helps dental practices develop, implement and manage an insurance participation strategy to attract and retain patients and maximize reimbursements.</p>

<p>Nick Partridge, CEO and founder of Five Lakes, said, “Partnering with Kleer is a ‘win-win’ for our clients and their patients. Kleer shares our data-driven approach offering best-in-class technology and reporting in addition to experience and excellent service. We believe every dental practice needs a membership plan and look forward to collaborating with Kleer to bring about that reality. By optimizing and managing your insurance participation as well as offering a membership plan, practices reduce hurdles to providing exceptional patient care and can do so profitably.”</p>

<p>Explore how dental offices are partnering with Five Lakes to align participation, improve reimbursements, and manage their credentialing process, visit <a href="http://fivelakespro.com/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">fivelakespro.com</a>.</p>

<h2>About Kleer</h2>

<p>Powerful, automated, and data-driven, Kleer’s cloud-based software and world class support team remove all of the complexities, hassles, and costs of dealing with insurance — improving patient access to care, increasing patient visits and treatment acceptance, and providing the foundation for dental practice success.To learn more visit kleer.com.</p>

<h2>About Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions</h2>

<p>Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions has an unwavering commitment to assisting dental practices, Five Lakes specializes in crafting and executing insurance participation strategies that optimize patient attraction and retention while maximizing reimbursement outcomes. Hallmark to Five Lakes is a proprietary analysis and a customized approach, which ensures that each engagement is truly unique, tailored to the distinct needs and goals of each practice or group. A four-time Inc. 5000 honoree we deliver results that underscore our dedication to elevating dental practices' operational excellence and financial well-being. To learn more visit <a href="http://www.fivelakespro.com/" rel="external nofollow" target="_blank">www.fivelakespro.com</a>.</p>

<h3 dir="auto">Press Contact </h3>

<p dir="auto">Corinne Bolanos<br />
Director of Marketing at Kleer</p>



	Nation’s leading subscription membership plan provider partners with Five Lakes to maximize dental practice profitability across patient coverage segments.


WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, November 1, 2023 /

Kleer Partners with Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions, Increasing Per Patient Revenue, Regardless of Coverage Status

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<p><img alt="Navigating Participation: Part 1 of 3 — Together with Odyssey Management" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f1f7234d-8150-4051-8649-17da9895d3cf" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DSO%20Growth%20Series%20-%20Part%202%20of%203_0.png" /></p>

<p>As an office manager or dentist, you understand that running a successful practice requires not only excellent clinical skills but also savvy business acumen. One critical aspect of managing a profitable dental practice is negotiating with insurance companies. </p>

<h2>Understanding the PPO Challenge </h2>

<p>Before we dive into negotiation tactics, it's crucial to comprehend why transitioning away from underperforming PPOs is a vital step for your dental practices. We break this down in part one of our series: <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable" target="_blank"><em>Identifying the Most Important Benchmarks that Indicate Whether a PPO is Good, Bad, or Manageable.</em></a></p>

<h2>The Art of Negotiation</h2>

<p>Negotiation is both an art and a skill, and mastering it can be transformative for your dental practice. Here are some essential negotiation principles and strategies to consider:</p>

<h3>Preparation is Key</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Thoroughly research the <a href="https://www.ada.org/en/resources/practice/dental-insurance/contract-negotiations-guide">PPOs you're contracted with</a>. Understand their fee schedules, policies, and negotiation history.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Be clear about the value your practice offers. Highlight your reputation, quality of care, and the patient experience you provide.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Before entering negotiations, identify alternative solutions, such as a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry">dental membership plan</a> that can replace the revenue from the PPOs that you're willing to walk away from.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Be prepared to step away from negotiations if the insurance company fails to meet your bottom-line requirements.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h3>Set Clear Objectives</h3>

<ul>
	<li>Determine your objectives. What do you want to achieve through negotiations?</li>
	<li>Prioritize your objectives in order of importance — keeping in mind the long-term sustainability and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-solo-group-and-dso-practices-are-increasing-uninsured-patient-revenue">profitability of your practice</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Be Patient and Persistent</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Negotiations can be protracted processes. Take your time, and be prepared for multiple rounds of discussions.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Maintain persistence even if initial negotiations seem unfruitful. Often, patience can lead to better outcomes.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>The carrier may provide a future date at which negotiation can be considered. They may have a time limit of one negotiation every two or three years. Be sure to add this to your calendar.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2>Building Confidence</h2>

<p>Confidence is a critical component of successful negotiations. Here are some strategies to help you build confidence as you work towards transitioning your dental practice away from underperforming PPOs:</p>

<h3>Knowledge is Power</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Continuously educate yourself about the dental industry, insurance trends, and negotiation strategies. The more you know, the more confident you will feel.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Stay updated on the financial health and performance of your practice. This knowledge will bolster your confidence when discussing changes.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h3>Practice and Role-Play</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Practice negotiation scenarios with a colleague or mentor. Role-playing can help you anticipate objections and formulate effective responses.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Consider enrolling in <a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/Odysseybooks">patient conversation</a> workshops or courses to hone your skills.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h3>Seek Support and Advice</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Connect with other dentists or office managers who have successfully negotiated PPO contracts. Their insights and advice can be invaluable.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Consult with experts who specialize in <a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/dental-insurance">dental practice management and insurance</a>. They can also provide guidance and support.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h3>Stay Positive</h3>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>Maintain a positive mindset throughout the negotiation process. Negative thoughts can undermine your confidence and effectiveness.</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Celebrate small victories along the way and take your learnings from each successful negotiation and apply them to the next.</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2>The Takeaway</h2>

<p>Successfully negotiating with PPOs requires more than just a confident demeanor. It necessitates careful preparation, a clear understanding of your practice's value, and strategic tactics. By emphasizing patient benefits, leveraging your expertise, and seeking fair terms and conditions, you can build confidence in your negotiation approach.</p>

<p>Furthermore, always anchor your negotiation strategy with data that aligns with your practice goals. Data-driven decisions provide a solid foundation for your negotiations and demonstrate to insurance companies that your requests are grounded in the best interests of your practice and patients.</p>

<p>Confidently improving PPO participation is not only possible but essential for the long-term success of your dental practice. Approach negotiations with a strategic mindset, and you'll be well on your way to achieving favorable outcomes and strengthening the financial health of your practice.</p>

<h2>This series is produced in partnership with Teresa Duncan.</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com">Teresa Duncan</a>, FAADOM, MS is the author of Moving Your Patients to Yes: Easy Insurance Conversations as well as a contributing author to the ADA’s annual CDT Companion Guide™. Her podcasts “Nobody Told Me That!” and “Chew On This!” provide regular coding and management updates. Teresa was recently presented with AADOM's Lifetime Achievement Award.</p>


As an office manager or dentist, you understand that running a successful practice requires not only excellent clinical skills but also savvy business acumen. One critical aspect of managing a profitable dental practice is negotiating with insurance companies. 

Adopting the Necessary Mindset to Confidently Improve PPO Participation. 

<p><img alt="DSO Growth Series - Part 2 of 3 Together with Skytale" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="12e4195a-ae2d-483e-a800-d8381590f272" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DSO%20Growth%20Series%20-%20Part%202%20of%203.png" /></p>

<p>Kleer is a leading subscription-based membership plan, trusted by 7,000 dentists. Kleer and Skytale have partnered to help Dental Service Organizations thrive by gaining new patients. Over the next several months, Skytale will be launching a 3 part blog series that explains more on each topic every month. In this blog, we will delve into the strategies and tools you can employ to attract and retain new patients effectively.</p>

<h2>1. Setting the Stage: Defining Your Ideal Customer</h2>

<p>Before diving into marketing strategies, it's crucial to identify your ideal customer and their specific needs. By understanding your target audience, you can tailor your approach to meet their expectations. When developing a persona for one of your patient segments, make sure to consider demographics, interests, behavioral patterns, pain points, and preferences. This can help you further segment your patients and allow you to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/value-personalization-practices-dsos">speak directly to their needs in your messaging</a>.</p>

<h2>2. Attracting New Patients through Digital Marketing</h2>

<h3>Digital Marketing Channels</h3>

<p>In today's digital age, utilizing the right <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/multichannel-marketing-approach-attract-more-patients">online marketing channels</a> is essential. Invest in a well-designed website, optimized for search engines, and leverage social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach potential patients. Email marketing can be highly beneficial for a dental practice, allowing them to engage with patients and promote services effectively. Studies show that email marketing boasts an average open rate of around 20%, making it a valuable tool for targeting communication at certain patient segments. However, also consider SMS marketing as an alternative, as it often yields an even higher open rate, averaging around 98%, ensuring that your messages are more likely to be seen and acted upon by your patients.</p>

<h3>Highly Visible Coverage/Payment Options</h3>

<p>Make sure your patients are aware of the options they have when considering visiting your practice. Be sure to highlight any membership plan, patient financing, or insurance options that exist within your practice. Show your patients that accessing and affording care at your office is simple and easy.</p>

<h3>Utilize Your Website Effectively</h3>

<p>Your website is often the first point of contact for potential patients. To increase the number of new patient conversions on your website, ensure that it is easy to navigate, contains information about your dental practice or DSO, and has touch points for patients in every stage of the buyer journey. For ease, consider adding online appointment scheduling, or other helpful tools like <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/kleer-widget-make-it-easy-patients-join-your-membership-plan">The Kleer Widget</a> to allow for easy membership sign-ups.</p>

<h3>Build Online Reviews</h3>

<p>Most consumers will look at business reviews before deciding to schedule an appointment, ensuring positive online reviews is a powerful marketing tool. Dental practices can use incentives or a follow-up strategy to encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades. If you receive notice that a patient was unsatisfied with treatment, make sure to address any concerns promptly to avoid negative reviews.</p>

<h3>Leverage Social Media</h3>

<p>Social media continues to thrive as a marketing tool for dental offices and DSOs. Consider both your business goals and your personas to determine <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">which social platforms are best</a> for engaging patients. Video content receives significantly more engagement and views than image and text content combined. Consider developing a video marketing strategy or campaign to drive potential patients to your social pages.</p>

<h2>3. Dental Membership Plans: A Game-Changer</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/your-guide-choosing-best-dental-membership-plan-software">Dental Membership Plans</a> can be attractive to new patients due to their predictable, budget-friendly payments, making membership plans an effective way to attract and retain new patients. Here’s how you can make it work:</p>

<h3>Develop a Simple, Unique Membership Plan</h3>

<p>Create a straightforward membership plan that outlines the benefits and costs clearly. Make it unique by offering services that address the specific needs of your target patients.</p>

<h3>Train and Incentivize Your Staff</h3>

<p>Ensure your staff is well-versed in explaining the benefits of membership plans to patients. Incentivize them to promote these plans, as they can play a crucial role in convincing patients to sign up.</p>

<h3>Market the Plan Across Platforms</h3>

<p>Promote your dental membership plan across various platforms, including your website, social media, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature">email marketing campaigns</a>. Highlight the cost savings and convenience it offers to potential members.</p>

<h3>Offer to Local Employers</h3>

<p>Consider partnering with local businesses to offer your membership plans as part of their <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/attract-small-businesses-your-dental-practice">employee benefits package</a>. This can be a win-win for both you and the employers.</p>

<h2>4. Measuring Your Success</h2>

<p>Finally, it's essential to track your progress to ensure your strategies are working effectively. <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/">Skytale Group</a> suggests focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>New Patients:</strong> Number of new patients gained through your efforts.</li>
	<li><strong>Marketing Expense per New Patient:</strong> Measure efficiency in acquiring new patients.</li>
	<li><strong>Average Value of a New Patient:</strong> Calculate the revenue generated from new patients.</li>
	<li><strong>Average Value per Patient Visit:</strong> Determine the average spending per visit.</li>
	<li><strong>Case Acceptance Rate:</strong> Track the success of patients accepting treatment plans.</li>
	<li><strong>Accounts Receivable:</strong> Monitor outstanding payments and work on minimizing them.</li>
</ul>

<p>In conclusion, attracting and retaining new patients is a dynamic process that requires a combination of digital marketing and a keen focus on customer satisfaction. By tailoring your approach to your ideal customer and continuously measuring your success, your DSO can thrive in the competitive dental industry. Stay tuned for the final part of our series where we'll delve into enhancing patient experience and satisfaction.</p>

<p>If you missed <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/proven-strategies-propel-dso-growth">Part 1 of this series</a>, we discussed the importance of understanding the needs of your existing patients and strategies for improving patient retention. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/proven-strategies-propel-dso-growth">Check it out!</a></p>

<h4>Are you a DSO owner ready to scale and grow?</h4>

<p>Why not take the next step with a management consultant who can lead you through every step of the way?<br />
<br />
Skytale Management Consulting offers <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/strategic-growth-advisory/">strategic consulting</a> to dental clients with an appetite for growth. The firm’s <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/merger-and-acquisitions/">investment banking group</a> offers M&amp;A Advisory as well as private capital raising alternatives. We’d love to hear about your goals and workshop how we can help you get there. <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/get-in-touch/">Get in touch today to start the conversation!</a></p>


Before diving into marketing strategies, it's crucial to identify your ideal customer and their specific needs. By understanding your target audience, you can tailor your approach to meet their expectations.

Strategies to Attract and Retain New Dental Patients

<p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>When we talk about healthcare, dental care often feels overlooked, even though <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/well/oral-health-hygiene.html" target="_blank">studies prove oral health is essential to overall health</a>. Dental insurance, in particular, has a reputation for offering limited coverage, restrictive annual maximums, and complicated terms — making it nearly impossible for the consumer to know what their monthly premium payments are going towards. </p>

<p>As open enrollment approaches and millions prepare to make choices about their healthcare, wouldn't it be better for your practice and patients if you could offer a solution directly? Now, if you're asking yourself — "<em>is there an easy way to do this?</em>"— there is. </p>

<h2>What is Open Enrollment?</h2>

<p>During <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/when-is-open-enrollment/" target="_blank">open enrollment</a>, patients have the opportunity to select their benefits for the upcoming year. This is particularly relevant in the context of employer-sponsored health insurance or government health programs like Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans. </p>

<p>During open enrollment, eligible individuals can:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Enroll in a new health insurance plan: </strong>For those without insurance or looking to switch from one plan to another.</li>
	<li><strong>Renew or change existing coverage:</strong> For individuals who already have insurance through their employer or a government program. They can review their current coverage and adjust their plans, add dependents, or modify their coverage.</li>
	<li><strong>Apply for subsidies or financial assistance:</strong> For ACA marketplace plans, open enrollment is when people can apply for subsidies or premium tax credits to make health insurance more affordable.</li>
</ul>

<p>Open enrollment does also tend to magnify the complexities of navigating the American health insurance system, with a growing percentage of the population expected to go without. </p>

<ul>
	<li>More than<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-may-forgo-dental-treatments-due-to-cost-risking-overall-health-new-synchrony-research-reveals-301942034.html"> half of consumers</a> say dental insurance is not affordable</li>
	<li><strong><a href="https://www.carequest.org/about/press-release/new-report-685-million-adults-us-dont-have-dental-insurance-may-rise-914">91.4M Americans</a> are expected to be without dental insurance by the end of 2023</strong></li>
	<li>Insurers are pulling back coverage in states where a <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/11/business/mass-dental-insurance-ballot-question/">higher percentage of premiums</a> must go towards dentists and the cost of care</li>
</ul>

<p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<h2>The Need for Change </h2>

<p>The lack of regulation in the dental insurance industry has resulted in an overcomplicated system that is often inequitable for both practices and patients. Despite ample evidence that change is needed, the political and economic incentives to maintain the status quo are strong and avoid making care more accessible and providing practices with competitive reimbursements to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/identifying-most-important-benchmarks-indicate-whether-ppo-good-bad-or-manageable" target="_blank">remain profitable</a>. </p>

<h2>Membership Plans are the Solution</h2>

<p>Direct-care models such as <a href="https://kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans" target="_blank">dental membership plans</a> work to create a mutually beneficial relationship between your practice and your patients.</p>

<p>Like other healthcare subscriptions — dental membership plans begin with a service everyone agrees is valuable to patients (dental coverage) and seeks to make it available to as many patients as possible. </p>

<p>This patient-centric approach creates a healthier population of loyal patients who visit more often and accept more treatment. <a href="https://kleer.com/lp/ebook/kleer-gets-results" target="_blank">Practice data reveals</a> that membership plan patients visit 100% more often and accept 145% more care than uninsured patients. </p>

<p>As an added benefit there is no dentist network; plans are unique and can be tailored to each practice. Your office sets the subscription price, fee schedule, and treatment protocol. </p>
<img alt="Plan pricing and benefits example" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3930e64-77b4-49f8-94b9-013d7617cde1" height="404" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/4_0.png" width="718" class="align-center" />
<p>Since membership plans include preventive care, patients will consistently complete their hygiene reappointments, which is critical to production and collections as 75% of restorative and cosmetic treatments originate in hygiene. </p>

<p>The combination of more <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/tips-reduce-cancellations-and-fill-your-schedule-best-dental-patients" target="_blank">hygiene appointments</a> and savings within the membership plan dramatically affects practice production and collections.<strong> Membership plan patients generate 172% more production and 182% more collections than uncovered patients. </strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Read the complete analysis in the <a href="https://kleer.com/lp/ebook/kleer-gets-results" target="_blank">Kleer Gets Results white paper.</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>Ways to Promote Your Membership Plan During Open Enrollment </h2>

<h3>1. Display Marketing Collateral in Your Office  </h3>

<p>Start with marketing collateral to promote your membership plan during open enrollment. Ensure your waiting room, front desk, and treatment areas prominently display brochures, posters, and flyers explaining the benefits of your membership plan. </p>

<p>Consider creating an eye-catching display that highlights the key features of your plan, such as coverage details, cost savings, and what sets your practice apart from the competition. Engaging visuals and compelling messaging can pique the interest of patients as they wait for their appointments.</p>

<h3>2. Ensure Your Team is Actively Talking About Your Plan with Patients</h3>

<p>Your dental team is your greatest asset in promoting your membership plan. Encourage your team members to actively discuss the plan with patients when they enter your office, in the hygiene chair, and before departure. Having a team well-versed in your plan's benefits will instill greater trust within your patient base and maximize the potential of your membership plan. </p>

<h3>3. Create a Programmatic Display Ad Campaign </h3>

<p>Leverage <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/multichannel-marketing-approach-attract-more-patients" target="_blank">digital marketing</a> to reach a wider audience during open enrollment. Programmatic display advertising allows you to display targeted ads to potential patients as they browse the internet. </p>

<p>In platforms like Google Ads or social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, you can</p>

<p>specifically target individuals seeking dental services and generate interest in your membership plan. Include compelling visuals, clear messaging, and a call to action that directs users to your website for more information.</p>

<h3>4. Launch an Email Marketing Campaign</h3>

<p>Email marketing is a powerful way to promote your membership plan to current and potential patients. Craft a series of engaging emails that highlight the advantages of enrolling in your plan.</p>

<p>When creating your campaign, think of all the components of an email and ensure your call-to-action is the primary focus.  </p>
<img alt="Anatomy of an email " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d7d9df1-9687-4a8f-b8fb-0751e9faffe2" height="402" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1.png" width="715" class="align-center" />
<p>Your email should be: </p>

<ul>
	<li>Clear and easy to understand (less is more; keep it concise!)</li>
	<li>Provide genuine, great value (your membership plan is a tremendous value add)</li>
	<li>Solve a significant pain point (open enrollment is stressful, and insurance is complicated) </li>
	<li>Communicate results or benefits (think plan inclusions, pricing)</li>
	<li>Require an immediate response (links directly to a sign-up page)</li>
</ul>

<p>You can also segment your email list to tailor messages to different audiences, such as <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/engage-dormant-and-uninsured-dental-patients-kleers-automated-marketing-feature" target="_blank">existing uninsured patients and dormant patients</a>, and potential new patients. Keep your membership plan in mind by sending personalized invitations, reminders, and follow-ups during the open enrollment period.</p>

<h3>5. Try Posting Organically on Social Media</h3>

<p>While paid advertising has merits, organic <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices" target="_blank">social media content </a>offers a more authentic and relatable way to connect with patients. By crafting engaging and informative posts about the benefits of your dental membership plan, you can reach your current and potential patients on a personal level. Share success stories, dental care tips, and the value your plan brings to their oral health.</p>
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-img align-center">
<img alt="Dental social media marketing gif" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="62f7e9dd-f3a8-4eef-a340-97bc4efc14cb" height="403" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2023-10%20DE%20-%20Solution%20Lab%20%28740%20x%20346%20px%29.gif" width="716" />
<figcaption>STEAL THESE 5 SOCIAL MEDIA CAPTIONS</figcaption>
</figure>

<p> </p>

<ol>
	<li>When it comes to dental care, we're all about simplifying the process. Our dental membership plan offers straightforward, cost-effective solutions for you and your family. Say goodbye to insurance confusion and hello to peace of mind. 🤗 #OpenEnrollment #DentalMembershipPlan</li>
	<li>Discover our dental membership plan this open enrollment season. With no annual maximums and a focus on preventive care, it's a game-changer for your oral health. Get ready to smile brighter! 😄🦷 #OpenEnrollment #DentalMembershipPlan</li>
	<li>Open enrollment is here, and if you're searching for new coverage, our dental membership plan may be a better option. From routine hygiene, exams, and x-rays to savings on treatment, we've got your smile covered. Sign up today from the link in our bio! 🌟 #OpenEnrollment #DentalSavings #DentalMembershipPlan</li>
	<li>Don't let the costs of traditional dental coverage hold you back. It's open enrollment time, and our dental membership plan is your ticket to affordable, quality care. Ask our team about it when you book your next appointment. 😄 #OpenEnrollment #DentalSavings #DentalMembershipPlan</li>
	<li>Say goodbye to dental insurance woes and hello to our dental membership plan this open enrollment season. We believe in simple, affordable, comprehensive care that puts you and your oral health first. Sign up today at the link in bio to redefine your dental care experience! 🦷💫 #DentalMembershipPlan #OpenEnrollment</li>
</ol>

<h2>Now is the Time </h2>

<p>During open enrollment, more than ever, patients are reviewing their dental coverage options and determining their plans for 2024. There has never been a better time to implement a dental membership plan platform like <a href="https://kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans" target="_blank">Kleer</a> in your practice to power your results. </p>

<h4>About Kleer</h4>

<p>Kleer powers fast-growing dental practices and DSOs with subscription-based dental membership plans. Our advanced software, intelligent integration solution, dedication to your growth, and unmatched support are foundational to our best-in-class solution. From building and pricing your plan to onboarding, marketing, support, and beyond, we have the expertise and insight that comes from working with thousands of dental practices nationwide. </p>

<p>Transform your practice with Kleer's industry-leading membership plan solution. <a href="https://kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans" target="_blank">Get started today!</a></p>

<p> </p>


When we talk about healthcare, dental care often feels overlooked, even though studies prove oral health is essential to overall health. Dental insurance, in particular, has a reputation for offering limited coverage, restrictive annual maximums, and complicated terms — making it nearly impossible for the consumer to know what their monthly premium payments are going towards. 

The Guide to Open Enrollment at Your Dental Practice 

<p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Between increased inflation, rising wages, and declining reimbursement rates it makes logical sense that the cost of running a practice is going up. And many, if not most of the insurance carriers are cutting reimbursement rates.</p>

<p>The intense financial pressure soon becomes an economic question that practices must ask themselves, "<em>Is staying in-network sustainable for my business?" </em></p>

<p>Now, there's no one answer for every practice, so in September, we kicked off the first episode of our <strong>Kleercast Webinar Series</strong> with Steven J Anderson of Total Patient Service Institute. He's helped thousands transform their practices, businesses, and teams to top-10 performance.</p>

<h2>In this episode, Steve shares:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p>The formula to determine if your practice is ready to go insurance-free</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>The most significant mistakes practices make when dropping PPOs and how to avoid them</p>
	</li>
	<li>
	<p>Patient retention strategies for practices as they move away from insurance participation</p>
	</li>
</ul>

<div class="wistia_responsive_padding" style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;">
<div class="wistia_responsive_wrapper" style="height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowtransparency="true" class="wistia_embed" frameborder="0" height="100%" msallowfullscreen="" name="wistia_embed" scrolling="no" src="https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/zad97mec0k?seo=false&amp;videoFoam=true" title="Kleercast Episode 1 Video" width="100%" id="wistia_embed"></iframe></div>
</div>
<script src="https://fast.wistia.net/assets/external/E-v1.js" async=""></script>

<h2> </h2>

<h2>Kleer's Core Takeaways:</h2>

<h2><script src="https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/zad97mec0k.jsonp" async=""></script><script src="https://fast.wistia.com/assets/external/E-v1.js" async=""></script></h2>

<h3>Reflect on your past to plan for your future</h3>

<p><em>Steve outlines four crucial questions every practice should ask when navigating insurance participation. </em></p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p><em>Percentage of Contracted Patients:</em> What percentage of your active patient base is contracted with insurance plans? </p>
	</li>
	<li><em>Procedure Mix:</em> Do your services align with the needs of your patients and the market?</li>
	<li><em>Competition Analysis:</em> Understand the landscape to position your practice strategically.</li>
	<li><em>Target Market:</em> Who are you best equipped to serve, and what are they looking for? The biggest mistake most people make is if they try to be everybody's dentist, they end up being nobody's dentist. </li>
</ul>

<h3>Define your goals and your timeline.</h3>

<p>If your practice currently accepts insurance or is contracted with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-effectively-evaluate-your-ppos" target="_blank">insurance plans</a>, define the percentage, you aim to transition out of. Establish clear goals and timelines, echoing Steven's analogy: "You wouldn't get in your car and say, 'I'm just going to drive for a while and see where I end up.' What is your destination?"</p>

<h3>Build a communication strategy. </h3>

<p>Successful practices share a common trait — a robust communication strategy. Educate your team and patients, creating a strategic plan to inform them of the transition away from insurance participation. This proactive approach ensures patients stay informed, engaged, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/impact-patient-loyalty-ebitda" target="_blank">loyal</a> to your office.</p>

<h3>Don't send the letter.</h3>

<p>Contrary to common impulses, it's advised not to send a letter to patients when transitioning out of network. Instead, focus on comprehensive communication and education strategies to foster patient understanding and retention. Skip ahead in the video to [25:55] to learn more about this best practice. </p>

<p><img alt="Total Patient Service Institute" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8e7baf7f-a9f4-43b5-a126-b06ca41dce66" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DSO%20Growth%20Series%20-%20Part%202%20of%203%20%282%29.png" /></p>

<p><a href="https://www.totalpatientservice.com/" target="_blank">Total Patient Service Institute</a> offers exceptional dental practice management and dental practice coaching, specializing in implementing the highest level of patient service and communication skills in dental practices around the United States.</p>

<h2>About Kleer </h2>

<p>Kleer offers subscription-based dental membership plans, empowering fast-growing dental practices and DSOs to make an impact in an industry traditionally controlled by insurance. To learn how Kleer can best support your transition away from unprofitable PPOs, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-drop-bad-ppos-without-losing-patients-or-production" target="_blank">check out this guide</a> or schedule a <a href="https://kleer.com/request-demo" target="_blank">time to chat</a>. </p>
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Between increased inflation, rising wages, and declining reimbursement rates it makes logical sense that the cost of running a practice is going up. And many, if not most of the insurance carriers are cutting reimbursement rates.

The intense financial pressure soon becomes an economic question that practices must ask themselves, "Is staying in-network sustainable for my business?" 



Insurance: Should You Stay or Should You Go 

<a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com"><img alt="Navigating Participation: Part 1 of 3 — Together with Odyssey Management" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4cfa1aae-c36c-4259-a966-af8176238c9b" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/TOGETHER%20WITH%20%281500%20%C3%97%2096%20px%29%20%281500%20%C3%97%20140%20px%29%20%281%29.png" class="align-center" /></a>
<p>From startup to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/group-practices">enterprise</a> most dental practices aren't strangers to insurance. Being a part of a preferred provider organization (PPO) or other contract arrangement can bring great advantages to your office through increased patient volume and revenue.</p>

<p>Whether you’re fully fee-for-service or are participating with one or many types of insurance — we know and respect that every practice and their relationship with conventional coverage is different. However many offices find themselves blindly participating with unprofitable PPOs. As a result, dental teams work long hours, lose money on procedures, and deal with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/why-dentists-should-implement-membership-plan-dropping-bad-ppos">unnecessary hassles</a>.</p>

<p>It goes without saying that busy does not always equal profitable. If you’re asking, “How can I increase revenue when my calendar is booked out for months?“ The answer is through strengthening your coverage strategy. So how do you know what to look for? Keep reading to find out.</p>

<h2>Questions to ask when looking at your practices PPO performance</h2>

<ul>
	<li>What are your most valuable and frequently used codes? </li>
	<li>Which carrier fee schedule works for your practice and is appropriate for your market?</li>
	<li>How many active patients do you have from each payer? What is your patient retention rate?</li>
	<li>Why are you deserving of better reimbursements? How will your patients feel the difference? </li>
	<li>Is there a plan that is more of an administrative burden than others? In other words, do you spend most of your energy on one resistant carrier? </li>
</ul>

<p>This information will be essential if you choose to renegotiate. We talk more about negotiations in Part 2. </p>

<ul>
	<li>Adopting the Necessary Mindset to Confidently Improve PPO Participation</li>
</ul>

<h2>Key indicators that a PPO is positively supporting your practice and patients</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Ability to uphold a moderate fee schedule while maintaining a high rate of collection:</strong> If you find that your practice is able to maintain a moderate fee schedule (which is competitive in the marketplace) while simultaneously maintaining a collections ratio of 97 or higher, This can serve as an indicator of success.</li>
	<li><strong>Growing active patients from the payer that match the practice’s ideal patient demographics and behaviors:</strong> Look for trends within your active payer population. If patients are routinely visiting 2-3X a year and accepting recommended care, this is a sign that the payer is providing access to quality coverage. </li>
	<li><strong>Renewals with no changes to fee schedules or other terms:</strong> Meaning the payer has consistently renewed your contract without any changes or requests to renegotiate. </li>
</ul>

<h2>Warning signs that indicate poor PPO performance</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Delayed payment processing: </strong>How quickly you get paid is the lifeblood of your practice. If your office is fielding reimbursements for upwards of 60 days you are essentially financing treatment for insurers which can become unsustainable overtime. </li>
	<li><strong>Excessive requests for documentation: </strong>This can become problematic when it starts to interfere with patient care and lead to unexpected rejections for common procedures. Resulting in delays in treatment, more paperwork for your front office staff and even increased costs due to higher instances of aging accounts receivable.</li>
	<li><strong>Inadequacies in patient coverage impacting the ability to accept care:</strong> If you find that patients are having difficulty getting the treatment they need due to excessive cost sharing (e.g. high deductibles, coinsurance and copays) then it may be time to explore alternative <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">financing or coverage solutions</a> that will be more beneficial for your patients. Overly restrictive plans can negatively impact a patient’s decision to move forward with treatment.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Why personalizing your approach to managing PPOs is crucial for success</h2>

<p>It is essential for dental teams to take into consideration their patient mix and financial goals when <a href="https://www.kleer.com/lp/ebook/how-drop-bad-ppos-without-losing-patients-or-production">assessing which PPOs should be kept, dropped, or renegotiated</a>. Making sure you understand the trends of each payer in your office before taking any action will help you make a more informed decision.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, being part of any managed care plan should be an added benefit for your practice and patients. Taking the time to look at your data and adjust your participation strategy accordingly can make all the difference.</p>

<p>In Part 2 of this series, we will cover how to negotiate with payers and find leverage points that can help get you the reimbursement you deserve.</p>

<h2>This series is produced in partnership with Teresa Duncan.</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/">Teresa Duncan</a>, FAADOM, MS is the author of Moving Your Patients to Yes: Easy Insurance Conversations as well as a contributing author to the ADA’s annual CDT Companion Guide™. Her podcasts “Nobody Told Me That!” and “Chew On This!” provide regular coding and management updates. Teresa was recently presented with AADOM's Lifetime Achievement Award.</p>


From startup to enterprise most dental practices aren't strangers to insurance. Being a part of a preferred provider organization (PPO) or other contract arrangement can bring great advantages to your office through increased patient volume and revenue.

Identifying the Most Important Benchmarks that Indicate Whether a PPO is Good, Bad, or Manageable. 

How Kleer helped Pearl Street Dental Group improve case acceptance and retention among their non-insured patients.

How Kleer helped Pearl Street Dental Partners increase production by 150%

Learn how Cataloochee Dental Group overcame insurance restrictions, inflation concerns, and administered challenges with Kleer&#039;s cloud-based membership plan solution. 

How Kleer Helped Cataloochee Dental Group Cut Insurance Participation by 70%

Get inspired by fellow AADOM Office Managers who have harnessed subscription-based coverage, elevating patient care, achieving real results, and boosting practice revenue!

How AADOM Rockstars Unleashed the Power of Kleer for Epic Results!

<p>You can opt-in to Kleer’s automated marketing feature directly in your <a href="https://dentist.kleer.com/auth/login">Practice Portal.</a> When you enable this feature Kleer's proprietary integration solution automatically identifies patients in your practice management software (PMS) that are a good fit for your membership plan, which includes:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Active</strong> (visited your practice in the last year) <strong>Uninsured</strong> (no insurance)</li>
	<li><strong>Dormant</strong> (not active) <strong>Uninsured</strong></li>
	<li><strong>Dormant Insured</strong> (have record of an insurer, but it has likely changed)</li>
</ul>

<p>With your permission, Kleer will send personalized emails that engage patients through two of the following automated campaigns:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Announcement Campaign: </strong>Five emails across 90 days to non-member patients to announce your membership plan.</li>
	<li><strong>Seasonal Campaign:</strong> One email each quarter of the year to each non-member patient to remind them of the availability of your membership plan offering.</li>
</ul>

<p>Kleer also tracks the response rates and results of each campaign to show you the impact it has on your success.</p>

<h2>How to turn on automated marketing:</h2>

<p>Current Kleer Pro customers who have PMS Sync Features enabled can turn on automated marketing by going to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>“Product Settings”</li>
	<li>Click “Edit”</li>
	<li>Under “PMS Sync Features” click “Settings” under the Automated Marketing Column</li>
	<li>Check “Allow Automated Marketing to Your Patients”</li>
	<li>Check “Accept Automated Marketing Terms and Conditions”</li>
	<li>Check one or both of the campaign settings to begin marketing to patients.</li>
</ul>

<p>Within a week eligible patients with valid emails will start to receive emails.</p>

<h2>Put your brand front and center:</h2>

<p>If your practice has Brand Personalization enabled, all email communication will be custom branded accordingly.</p>

<p>If nothing is preset OR Brand Personalization is disabled in your Kleer Portal, neutral branding will be applied, but your practice’s information will still be used (name, landing page, etc).</p>

<h2>How Automated Marketing will Impact your Growth</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>It drives engagement across the patient spectrum.</strong> Campaigns are designed to be highly targeted based on patient behavior and coverage status — ensuring you're reaching the right patient at the right time to boost membership plan enrollment.</li>
	<li><strong>It delivers consistent compelling messaging with one click. </strong>Streamline your workflow, optimize your time, and minimize manual effort — helping you to grow your membership plan without taking away from patient care.</li>
	<li><strong>It reengages more qualified patients.</strong> 89% of uninsured patients are interested in purchasing a dental care plan — even if they don't articulate it. Kleer will unlock the potential of those patients, turning them into life-long members.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Behind the Numbers of Automated Marketing</h2>

<p>Kleer regularly runs extensive tests and pilots to ensure new applications work properly and scale across 90%+ of all PMS systems. Kleer's automated marketing pilot included 4 geographically diverse practices with well established membership plans with at least 40 members. Over the course of the three month "announcement campaign" practices achieved the following results:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>11 membership sales</strong> (on average) that could be directly tied back to email marketing through tracking each patient email “open” and “click” action.</li>
	<li><strong>A 55% increase</strong> (on average) in membership sales during the time of the email marketing campaign.</li>
	<li>70% of new memberships sold (on average) came from the <strong>Active Uninsureds segment</strong>.</li>
</ul>

<p>*Results were measured from the 4 practices and do not necessarily reflect results that would occur for every practice.</p>

<h2>Get Started Today</h2>

<p>This feature is available to all Kleer Pro Customers.</p>

<ul>
	<li>Not a Kleer Pro Customer?
	<ul>
		<li><a href="https://kleer.com/kleer-pro/upgrade">Click here</a> to send us an upgrade request.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Non-Existing Customers
	<ul>
		<li><a href="https://kleer.com/request-demo">Request your demo here</a> to learn more about Kleer’s software and capabilities.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>


You can opt-in to Kleer’s automated marketing feature directly in your Practice Portal. When you enable this feature Kleer's proprietary integration solution automatically identifies patients in y

Engage Dormant and Uninsured Dental Patients with Kleer&#039;s Automated Marketing Feature

<p>Dentists take varied approaches in how they treat patients — after all, every tooth is unique — and the dental practice’s approach to marketing should follow the same philosophy.</p>

<p>If you’re trying to attract new patients to your dental practice or better engage dormant ones, there’s not always a one-size-fits-all solution.</p>

<p>A Gen Z patient may gather information from social media, while a Millennial might check out Google, and a Boomer may respond better to direct mail. If you want to reach them all, you’re going to have to diversify.</p>

<h3>What is multi-channel marketing?</h3>

<p>Multi-channel marketing is just what the name implies: a marketing strategy that leverages multiple channels and mediums to spread a specific message.</p>

<p>Perhaps you send out a postcard at the beginning of the month. Simultaneously, you run Facebook ads promoting your practice. Couple those with a geo-targeted Google advertisements and a custom landing page to book an appointment, and you’ve covered a lot of bases.</p>

<p>Creating a comprehensive dental marketing campaign like this helps you reach patients no matter where they are. Over <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/03/26/about-three-in-ten-u-s-adults-say-they-are-almost-constantly-online/">85% of adults</a> in the U.S. report going online at least once a day, with 30% reporting that they are online almost constantly (up from 21% in 2015).</p>

<h3>Tips for multi-channel marketing</h3>

<p>As you begin crafting your marketing campaigns, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind:</p>

<h4>1. Test the same messages across multiple mediums.</h4>

<p>While you may need to tailor messaging at times, it should be similar enough that it’s synonymous with your brand. Keep visual elements uniform so that your marketing placements are recognizable — consistency is key in brand recognition.</p>

<h4>2. Focus on what makes your practice unique.</h4>

<p>Is it your dental membership plan? Your evening hours? Your specialty services? Make yourself stand out amongst the competition, to differentiate yourself to prospective patients.</p>

<h4>3. Give different channels a try</h4>

<p>By testing new channels, you can see which performs best. Keep in mind before heavily investing you might want to consider implementing a test budget with one or two initiatives. Maybe Facebook ads aren’t showing a big return, but Google banner ads are. Don’t give up on one entirely, but focus your investment into strategies that deliver results.</p>

<h4>4. Track the results</h4>

<p>As you’re testing your multi-channel marketing strategies, keep track of the returns and outcomes. Did that email campaign generate more appointments? How did the cost per click change from last month? Understanding these types of metrics helps refine and create better campaigns as time goes on.</p>

<h4>5. Leverage your data</h4>

<p>Data is your friend. With data, you can gain valuable insights into who your patients are and how best to reach them. Utilizing data helps you target the right audience and tailor messages specifically for them.</p>

<h3>Recommended channel placements and strategies</h3>

<h4>Use call ads on Facebook and Instagram</h4>

<p>Facebook and Instagram ads are a great way to target potential patients in your area. With <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/378168646496279">the call feature</a>, you can create an interactive ad that allows users who click it to directly call your practice from their device.</p>

<h4>Setup remarketing ads</h4>

<p>Remarketing (also known as retargeting) helps you reach people who’ve already visited your website. By setting up a remarketing campaign, you can display ads to those visitors when they browse the web or use other Google services.</p>

<h4>Try Google Maps</h4>

<p>Google Maps is for more than for just going places. With <a href="https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7040605?hl=en">Google Map ads</a>, you can create interactive ads that allow users to click your practice’s location and get directions. You can also target potential patients by selecting ZIP codes or drawing a custom area on the map.</p>

<h4>Optimize your local SEO strategy</h4>

<p>Local search engine optimization (SEO) helps you rank higher in the local SERPs for dental-related keywords. To start optimizing your website for local SEO, add the name of your city and/or town to relevant pages on your site. If your practice has multiple locations be sure to create unique content for each page.</p>

<p>You can also create a <a href="https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-my-business/">Google My Business</a> page, which is a great place to encourage reviews for word of mouth marketing, and appear first when potential patients search for “dentist near me” or other similar phrases in their area.</p>

<h4>Direct mail campaigns</h4>

<p>Although direct mail may feel outdated, it’s still a great way to reach potential patients in your area. Statistics show that direct-mail response rates range from <a href="https://www.msp-pgh.com/direct-mail-vs-digital-marketing/">2.9 to 5.3 percent</a>, while email marketing response rates lag behind at about 0.6%. While email marketing may not be as effective in generating new dental patients, it’s a great way to reach out to existing ones.</p>

<h4>Send automated emails to your dormant and uninsured patients</h4>

<p>Automated emails are a great way to re-engage your uninsured and dormant patients. It's also the most cost effective. Consider sending emails with incentive-based offers, such as signing up to be a part of your dental membership plan. Kleer recently concluded an automated email marketing pilot with four geographically diverse practices that ran from January to July of 2023.</p>

<p>In that time practices yielded about a 55% increase in membership enrollment during the time of the email marketing campaign. Enabling them to bring in more revenue from their uninsured patient base.</p>

<h3>When you work with Kleer, you work with the best.</h3>

<p>Remember that no matter how large or small your practice is, any marketing efforts are better than none for your business. Ultimately marketing is a process, so you should test a few different methods to find out which works the best for you. Every campaign is a learning experience at the end of the day, whether successful or not!</p>

<p>We know your patients are your #1 priority and Kleer can easily automate your marketing to maximize their potential — with no effort required from your team. Plus, take advantage of the resources you’ll gain from the <a href="https://kleer.com/kleer-advantage">Kleer Membership Advantage</a>, an exclusive partner ecosystem made up of marketing experts to help you create the perfect multi-channel marketing strategy for your practice.</p>

<p>When you get started with Kleer you can leverage all of these tools immediately to educate your staff and start advertising around your community. Marketing could be as simple as word of mouth, so never pass up an opportunity to mention your membership plan.</p>

<p>Kleer will be with you every step of the way to ensure your practice has a successful membership plan. To learn more, <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/kleer.com/request-demo">schedule your free consultation</a>.</p>


Dentists take varied approaches in how they treat patients — after all, every tooth is unique — and the dental practice’s approach to marketing should follow the same philosophy.

A Multichannel Marketing Approach to Attract More Patients. 

<p>Kleer is proud to share that we’ve made the <a href="https://www.inc.com/inc5000">Inc. 5000 list</a>! The 2023 Inc. 5000, is an annual list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. This is the first year Kleer qualified, and ranked at number 1951 in addition to 204 among business products and services.</p>

<p>The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other household name brands gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.</p>

<p>In its first year to qualify for the annual Inc. awards, Kleer also ranked 43rd fastest-growing company headquartered in Pennsylvania and 204th fastest-growing business product and services company in the United States. Founder and CEO Dave Monahan shares his thoughts below on what it takes to grow successfully and how we keep up that momentum.</p>

<p>“We’re honored to be named among this impressive list of fast-growing companies,” said Dave Monahan, CEO and founder of Kleer. “It’s incredibly difficult to grow as quickly as we have at Kleer. It all comes down to the commitment of our team to providing value to customers and keeping them happy. I’m grateful to each and every employee for the role they’ve played in that.”</p>

<p>The Inc. 5000 class of 2023 represents companies that have driven rapid revenue growth while navigating inflationary pressure, the rising costs of capital, and seemingly intractable hiring challenges. Among this year’s top 500 companies, the average median three-year revenue growth rate ticked up to an astonishing 2,238 percent. In all, this year’s Inc. 5000 companies have added 1,187,266 jobs to the economy over the past three years.</p>

<p>“Running a business has only gotten harder since the end of the pandemic,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “To make the Inc. 5000—with the fast growth that requires—is truly an accomplishment. Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that are building our future.”</p>

<p>For complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database, go to <a href="https://www.inc.com/inc5000">www.inc.com/inc5000</a>.</p>

<p>Since 2018, Kleer has provided dental practices and DSOs with a unique software solution that enables them to offer subscription-based dental membership plans directly to patients and employers. Practices are fully in control, setting the subscription price, fee schedule, and treatment protocols. The platform helps practices reduce dependence on insurance, automate day-to-day plan management, and increase patient loyalty and engagement to maximize profitability and drive long-term growth.</p>

<h4>Methodology</h4>

<p>Companies on the 2023 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2019. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2022. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2019 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places.</p>

<h4>Want to Know More About Kleer?</h4>

<p>Powerful, automated, and data-driven, Kleer’s cloud-based software and world class support team removes all of the complexities, hassles, and costs of dealing with insurance — improving patient access to care, increasing patient visits and treatment acceptance, and providing the foundation for dental practice success. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=press-release&amp;utm_medium=press-release&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-august-inc-5000-press-release&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Schedule a demo today</a> to see how Kleer can transform your practice and make a lasting impact.</p>


Kleer is proud to share that we’ve made the Inc. 5000 list! The 2023 Inc. 5000, is an annual list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States.

Kleer is Named one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/">Kleer</a> is the most powerful dental membership platform, trusted by 7,000 dentists across the US. Kleer and <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/">Skytale</a> have partnered to help offer practices the tools and strategy to be more efficient, innovative and profitable. Over the next several weeks we will be sharing a 3 part blog series that highlights tips and strategies to implement at your practice.</p>

<p>Building a successful dental practice requires more than just acquiring new patients. Retaining existing patients is equally important, as it fosters loyalty, establishes long-term relationships, and ultimately drives practice growth. In this article, we will delve into the key strategies that dental practices can implement to improve patient retention rates and create a customer experience that keeps patients engaged from beginning to end.</p>

<h3>Engage with Existing Patients</h3>

<p>Engaging with existing patients is crucial for building lasting relationships and enhancing their overall experience. By designing a customer-centric experience from beginning to end, dental practices can create an environment that makes patients feel valued and connected.</p>

<h4>Customer Service</h4>

<p>From the moment patients first interact with your practice, prioritize exceptional customer service. Train your staff to be warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, and ensure they handle phone calls and inquiries with professionalism and efficiency. Every touchpoint, from how patients see your advertisements to their in-office experience, should leave a positive impression.</p>

<h4>Patient Scheduling </h4>

<p>Simplify and optimize the scheduling process to make it convenient for patients. Implement online scheduling systems, offer flexible appointment options, and ensure your staff is trained to effectively manage patient appointments.</p>

<h4>Appointment Confirmation</h4>

<p>Establish a reliable and effective appointment confirmation process. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/value-personalization-practices-dsos">Send personalized reminders</a> via email, text messages, or phone calls to minimize no-shows and keep your schedule running smoothly.</p>

<h4>Dental Hygiene Schedule</h4>

<p>Proactively schedule re-care and follow-up appointments from the dental chair. Measure the percentage of re-appointments from hygiene and maintain a goal of 87%. This will reduce the number of outgoing calls needed in the future and keep the schedule full.</p>

<h4>Post-Appointment Follow-Up</h4>

<p>Following up with patients can help your practice address any questions or concerns after a procedure. Sending <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/increase-membership-plan-engagement-text-messages">branded SMS</a> text messages is a best practice when following up with patients because it has a significantly higher open-rate, sometimes averaging over 90%. With email communication averaging an open-rate around 28%, it should be treated as the fall-back option.</p>

<h3>Offer Transparent Fees and Enhance Case Acceptance</h3>

<p>Transparent fees and a high-end customer experience go hand in hand when it comes to increasing case acceptance rates. Patients appreciate transparency in dental fees, and it fosters trust and confidence in the services you provide. Consider the following strategies:</p>

<h4>Transparent Fees</h4>

<p>Clearly communicate your fees and treatment costs to patients to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/offer-your-dental-patients-transparent-treatment-fees">help increase case acceptance</a>. Make sure to provide your patients with detailed treatment plans, explain the value and benefits of each procedure, and answer any questions they may have to help patients understand the value a procedure will bring to their oral health.</p>

<h4>Review Practice Management System</h4>

<p>Take a critical look at your dental service organization's (DSO) practice management system. Ensure your practice is taking advantage of all the modules and capabilities the software offers, from treatment planning, reporting tools, and even the clinical charting/note capabilities. An efficient practice maximizes the tools at their disposal, leading to improved patient experiences, reduction of administrative errors, and more clarity into the productivity of the business.</p>

<h4>Dental Membership Plan</h4>

<p>Implement a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">dental membership program</a> for uninsured patients. This program offers affordable, preventive care packages and discounts on additional treatments, fostering loyalty and increasing patient retention.</p>

<h3>Marketing a Dental Membership Program</h3>

<p>Once you have established a dental membership program, effectively marketing it is crucial for attracting and retaining patients. Consider the following marketing strategies:</p>

<h4>Create Awareness</h4>

<p>Utilize various marketing channels, including your practice website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and digital advertising, to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-promote-dental-membership-plan">create awareness</a> about your dental membership program. Make sure to clearly outline the benefits, cost savings, and convenience it offers.</p>

<h4>Personalized Communication</h4>

<p>Craft personalized messages that resonate with your target audience and address the specific needs and concerns of uninsured patients. In these communications, you can emphasize how the membership program caters to their oral health needs.</p>

<h4>Referral Incentives</h4>

<p>Encourage your existing patients to refer their friends and family to the dental membership program. Offer incentives such as discounts, free services, or loyalty rewards to both the referrer and the new member.</p>

<p>Building a successful dental practice goes beyond providing excellent dental care. Engaging with existing patients and creating a customer-centric experience are key elements in driving patient retention. By focusing on customer service, transparent fees, and implementing a dental membership program, dental practices can foster loyalty, increase case acceptance, and ultimately thrive in the competitive dental industry. Stay tuned for the next two parts of this series, where we delve deeper into these strategies and provide actionable steps for implementation.</p>

<p>If you would like to get more dental strategies and learn how the Kleer platform can help your practice growth, you can book a call to demo the platform <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-august-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_form=&amp;utm_asset=">here</a>.</p>


Building a successful dental practice requires more than just acquiring new patients. Retaining existing patients is equally important, as it fosters loyalty, establishes long-term relationships, and ultimately drives practice growth. In this article, we will delve into the key strategies that dental practices can implement to improve patient retention rates and create a customer experience that keeps patients engaged from beginning to end.

Skytale DSO Growth Series: Value your Existing Patients 

<h4><meta charset="utf-8" /></h4>

<p>According to Mckinsey and Company, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-value-of-getting-personalization-right-or-wrong-is-multiplying#/" target="_blank">outperformers organize their business around personalization</a>. Rather than focusing solely on short-term wins, they look for long-term growth drivers and emphasize customer lifetime value. </p>

<p>Personalization keeps patients engaged with your practice, and while an attrition rate of 20% may seem normal for dental practices — it's one of the highest in healthcare. Some attrition is natural — patients leave a practice for various reasons. Regardless, it should be a wake-up call that patient retention is critical to your practice's success and, in many cases, is more important than acquiring new patients. </p>

<p>In today's dental climate, dental teams must put their efforts toward getting more value from current patients, delivering positive care experiences, and providing more dental care choices.</p>

<p>A great framework to think about <a href="https://amperity.com/resources/personalization-at-scale?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid_search&amp;utm_campaign=CDP-X-AMER-US-NBD-PHBR-RSA&amp;utm_adgroup=Personalization&amp;_bg=148097511577&amp;utm_content=662373820949&amp;utm_term=personalization%20at%20scale&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bm=p&amp;_bt=662373820949&amp;_bk=personalization%20at%20scale&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwwvilBhCFARIsADvYi7J9M3TI_cWi8aCTmNAcm0q5bpqAWznK9Eu7qgJTqRBi2GcqBwxAwKwaArIkEALw_wcB" target="_blank">personalization </a> is in three key stages:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Start with business drivers.</li>
	<li>Lean into moments that matter.</li>
	<li>Take a journey-based approach.</li>
</ul>

<p>Here are some best practices to consider as you nurture existing patient relationships so your practice can bypass attracting new ones. </p>

<h3>Business drivers: </h3>

<h4>Leverage data and analytics</h4>

<p>Embracing data and analytics to identify personalization opportunities throughout the patient journey allows practices to determine where the most value lies. For instance, data can show variances in patient behavior based on how they access care (i.e., PPO, fee-for-service, membership plan, discount plan, etc.), which types of messages and incentives resonate with patients, or reveal opportunities to expand your offerings to cater to patient needs. Aligning your objectives with customer-centric KPIs helps establish clear targets and outcomes to drive these efforts effectively.</p>

<h4>Adopt an agile operating model</h4>

<p>Personalization requires a collaborative approach. Create cross-functional teams with expertise from different areas, such as marketing, clinical patient care, treatment coordination, and operations. Each team member can contribute unique insights and skills to implement personalized strategies. Embrace an agile operating model that allows your team to gather patient insights and continuously improve patient experiences. By working together, you can create tailored and meaningful interactions with your patients, fostering lasting relationships and driving the success of your dental practice.</p>

<h3>Moments that matter: </h3>

<h4><span style="font-size: 1.143em; font-weight: inherit;">Be patient-centric and provide remarkable customer service</span></h4>

<p>Being patient-centric means making it easy and convenient for patients to visit and interact with you. According to a study from <a href="https://www.ajmc.com/" target="_blank"><em>The American Journal of Managed Care</em></a>, patient dissatisfaction and long wait times negatively affect provider perceptions and quality of care. Also, <a href="https://vanguardcommunications.net/patient-complaints" target="_blank">96% of customer complaints</a> are related to customer service rather than patient health care. So, if you want your practice to be truly patient-centric, every patient's dental care must be a top priority, in and out of the office. This means wowing patients in several ways, including emotionally, professionally, and medically. </p>

<h4>Make patients feel well-served and optimistic about their experiences</h4>

<p>The ultimate goal is to create happy, healthy, and loyal patients. Patients who feel a personal connection with your practice are your champions. They're more likely to rave about the wonderful experiences they've had with your team and your unparalleled expertise. They are the audience who will spread the word about you, write positive online reviews, and help boost your reputation. They're invaluable.</p>

<h3>A journey-based approach: </h3>

<h4>Keep your patients on a schedule</h4>

<p>One of the most important aspects of running a successful practice is to keep the appointment schedule full. A crucial aspect of running a successful practice involves balancing regular hygiene visits, checkups, and treatment procedures. However, research shows uninsured patients tend to be less compliant with preventive care visits and treatment acceptance, completing only a fraction of the procedures compared to insured patients. </p>

<p>Enter <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans" target="_blank">membership plans</a> — a game-changer in personalized patient care. By offering direct coverage to uninsured patients, you provide them with a tailored solution that aligns with their needs and preferences. These patients are motivated to get their money's worth by utilizing the plan for preventive care, cleanings, and other treatment services. Practices keep all subscription fees and 100% of the procedure revenue, making patients with membership plans two to three times more valuable than both uninsured and insured patients.</p>

<h3>Maximize value with personalization</h3>

<p>Historically, dentists have placed a heavy emphasis on patient acquisition efforts, but this is an endless and costly grind. Personalization holds immense value for dental practices and DSOs, offering a pathway to long-term growth and increased customer lifetime value. </p>

<p>If you want to embrace membership plans as part of your personalization strategy, look no further than Kleer's advanced cloud-based software. To learn more, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-july-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=revenue-growth&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo" target="_blank">request your demo today</a>! </p>
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According to Mckinsey and Company, outperformers organize their business around personalization. Rather than focusing solely on short-term wins, they look for long-term growth drivers and emphasize customer lifetime value.


The Value of Personalization for Practices &amp; DSOs

<p>Patient loyalty plays a crucial role in determining the success of dental organizations and impacts a significant financial metric — EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization). </p>

<p>Dental and DSO executives rightfully place a strong emphasis on EBITDA. However, amidst this priority, they frequently miss the unlocked potential lying within their existing patient base.</p>

<p>EBITDA is a key indicator of a business's operational performance, overall financial health, and capacity to generate cash. To help make sense of this relationship, let's review three primary ways that patient loyalty affects EBITDA:</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Appointment volume:</strong> Loyal patients seek your care exclusively and consistently recommend your services to others. A consistent flow of patients bolsters your revenue-generating capacity and supports economies of scale, enabling your practice to optimize its resources and achieve greater cost efficiencies.</li>
	<li aria-level="1"><strong>Cost of acquisition:</strong> Compared with marketing to acquire new patients, marketing to retain current patients is easier, cheaper, and more profitable. On average, dental practices spend<a href="https://patientnews.com/what-should-i-pay-new-dental-patient/"> $150-$300</a> for each new patient that comes to their practice, but only<a href="https://www.offthecusp.com/the-3-es-to-dental-patient-retention-and-treatment-acceptance/#:~:text=When%20patients%20leave%20your%20chair,%2C%20you're%20not%20alone"> 40% of these patients</a> complete a second appointment. This is a significant problem for practices that rely heavily on acquisition for growth. The expenses to acquire new patients rise to sustain a certain level of gross revenue. </li>
	<li aria-level="1"><strong>Retention: </strong>Loyal patients have a higher lifetime value, as they generate consistent hygiene and treatment revenue. Enhanced patient retention directly impacts EBITDA byreducing churn and its associated costs. </li>
</ul>

<p>No matter the size of your practice, you want to keep your patients as close as possible for as long as possible. Investing in better processes helps dental teams better fulfill patient needs. This, in turn, produces a measurable financial outcome — EBITDA growth — while making a more significant impact on your practice goals.</p>

<p>So what are the best ways to increase patient loyalty? Let's explore some effective strategies:</p>

<h2>Prioritize privacy and convenience</h2>

<p>Respecting and safeguarding patient privacy and communicating with them <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/increase-membership-plan-engagement-text-messages">through their preferred method</a> makes patients feel valued and secure in their interactions with your practice. Additionally, emphasizing convenience, such as online appointment scheduling, and accepting digital payments and intake forms, demonstrates a commitment to providing a seamless experience.</p>

<p><strong>Bonus EBITDA Impact:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">Increased convenience through digital engagement platforms helps reduce no-show rates and can quickly fill cancellations or gaps in your schedule.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Manage your reputation and listen to feedback</h2>

<p>Your online reputation significantly contributes to your ability to build trust with patients. Make sure you have accurate information listed on review sites, such as Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades. And keep track of patients' feedback about their experiences in the office. </p>

<p>Polling on social media or sending an email or text surveying a recent experience is a great way to get quick answers. Use the data to make changes that are meaningful to patients and impactful to your business.</p>

<p><strong>Bonus EBITDA Impact: </strong></p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">Increasing your online ratings improve discoverability, organic acquisition, and higher rates of appointment booking.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Support greater investments in care with seamless financial experiences</h2>

<p>Patient financing plays a pivotal role in breaking down patient-provider pain points — as<a href="https://www.cedar.com/all-press/cedar-study-finds-over-90-of-consumers-say-the-quality-of-their-healthcare-financial-experience-impacts-if-they-will-return-to-a-healthcare-provider/"> 90% of patients</a> say loyalty depends on their financial experience. When patients feel that their unique circumstances are being considered and they are not subjected to rigid financial terms, they are more likely to commit to your care without being deterred by high upfront costs.</p>

<p><strong>Bonus EBITDA Impact:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">Using a third-party patient financing provider minimizes the likelihood of non-payment and losses for services rendered.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Build repeatable loyalty through a subscription-based membership plan</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">Dental membership plans</a> are one of the easiest ways to foster a direct relationship with patients. Uninsured patients visit the dentist once every two years. And it's not always because they dread going to the dentist or had a bad experience — it's because they lack dental coverage and fear the cost of care.</p>

<p>A subscription-based membership plan unlocks the earning potential of your uninsured patients by taking the mystery and fear out of committing to oral care. The simplicity, transparency, and affordability of a membership plan make patients feel financially savvy, closer to your practice, and good about themselves for committing to better oral health.</p>

<p><strong>Bonus EBITDA Impact:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">Membership plans generate recurring subscription revenue that provides guaranteed income to your practice. This kind of financial security is particularly valuable during economic downturns and periods of uncertainty.</li>
</ul>

<h3>Maximize your results with better coverage from Kleer</h3>

<p>Embracing patient loyalty as a cornerstone of your practice's strategy promises a brighter future filled with greater patient satisfaction and business success.</p>

<p>Over 7,000 dentists use Kleer's dental membership plan solution to win more patients, strengthen relationships with existing ones, and create greater demand for their business. See how Kleer can boost your bottom line when you <a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-july-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=revenue-growth&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">schedule your demo today</a>!</p>


Patient loyalty plays a crucial role in determining the success of dental organizations and impacts a significant financial metric — EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization). 

The Impact of Patient Loyalty on EBITDA

<ul>
	<li>Nation’s leading in-house dental membership plan provider collaborates with Overjet on dental AI solutions</li>
	<li>Improving dental diagnoses for patients by enabling easier access to AI-powered radiograph analysis and clinical insights</li>
</ul>

<p>Boston, MA — July 12, 2023 — Overjet, the industry leader in dental artificial intelligence solutions, today announced a partnership with Kleer, the nation’s premier dental membership platform. Through this collaboration, Kleer customers enjoy access to Overjet’s innovative artificial intelligence technology to analyze X-rays and provide clinical insights.</p>

<p>Since 2018, Kleer has provided dental practices and DSOs with a unique software solution that enables them to offer subscription-based dental membership plans directly to patients and employers. Practices are fully in control, setting the subscription price, fee schedule, and treatment protocols. The platform helps practices reduce dependence on insurance, automate day-to-day plan management, and increase patient loyalty and engagement to maximize profitability and drive long-term growth.</p>

<p><img alt="Dave Monahan, CEO and Founder | Kleer" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e075ca04-91a8-4812-a3cb-2825136443d6" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_0.png" /></p>

<p>Dave Monahan, CEO and founder of Kleer, said, “Our strategic partnership program is a critical component of Kleer’s mission to liberate dental care. Through our alliances with leading technology companies like Overjet, our goal is to help dental teams do their jobs better, faster, and more efficiently while improving the quality of care for patients’. We’re excited to introduce Overjet’s dental AI technology to Kleer’s network of providers to help dental teams deliver best-in-class clinical care.”</p>

<p>Overjet’s FDA-cleared software analyzes and annotates X-rays in real-time, detecting decay, quantifying bone loss, and drawing attention to other areas of concern.</p>

<p>Wardah Inam, CEO and founder of Overjet: “We’ve long admired Kleer in its efforts for setting new precedents in delivering personalized care directly to patients. We share Kleer’s commitment in empowering dentists and patients with advanced, customized options to improve patient access to care and treatment acceptance.”</p>

<p>To learn more about how dental support organizations are using Overjet’s dental AI platform to lead the change to clinically precise, efficient &amp; patient-centric dental care, visit www.overjet.com.</p>

<h3>About Kleer</h3>

<p>Powerful, automated, and data-driven, Kleer’s cloud-based software and world class support team remove all of the complexities, hassles, and costs of dealing with insurance — improving patient access to care, increasing patient visits and treatment acceptance, and providing the foundation for dental practice success. To learn more visit <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.kleer.com">kleer.com</a>.</p>

<h2>About Overjet</h2>

<p>Founded by experts from MIT and Harvard School of Dentistry, Overjet develops accurate and quantified ways to detect pathologies and integrates actionable insights into workflows. Every day, private practices, dental groups and insurance companies rely on the accurate information provided by Overjet to drive care and service to patients. Learn more at <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.overjet.com">overjet.com</a>.</p>



	Nation’s leading in-house dental membership plan provider collaborates with Overjet on dental AI solutions
	Improving dental diagnoses for patients by enabling easier access to AI-powered radiograph analysis and clinical insights

Kleer Partners with Overjet, Providing Dental AI Offerings to Help Improve Patient Outcomes 

During a time of uncertainty, Tewksbury Dental Associates turned to Kleer as a partner in their Membership Plan Solution.<br />


How One Practice Leveraged Kleer to Flourish without PPOs

<p>It's never a bad time to plan for the future and evaluate how transitioning bad PPOs out of your practice could bolster your bottom line.</p>

<p>It may seem counterintuitive — won't <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-drop-bad-ppos-without-losing-patients-or-production?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-june-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=drop-ppos&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=drop-ppos-toolkit">dropping PPOs</a> cause patients to leave your practice? Possibly. So here are a few strategies you can leverage to help you both protect your practice and make your life easier.</p>

<h2>Protect your practice and patients with better coverage</h2>

<p>Dental insurance is a pain. Low reimbursements and claims denials (and the paperwork that goes into dealing with them) can negatively impact your practice's production and profitability, while high co-pays, premiums, and deductibles strain patients. Although you may feel eager to cut ties, before dropping any PPOs, you'll want to give your patients (and potential new patients) options for coverage.</p>

<p>A <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry">dental membership plan</a> is perfectly designed to fill the coverage gap for patients whose insurance plans you no longer accept and also generates recurring revenue that can help cover any impact on production caused by patients leaving the practice.</p>

<p>In fact Kleer-powered membership plan patients perform similarly to patients utilizing a PPO except on average practices collect 36% more. This is due to the fact that dentists are paid at a rate that accurately reflects the total cost of production, versus having to accept the reduced rates of insurance plans.</p>

<h2>Avoid leveraging dental discount plans</h2>

<p>As you shed the burden of PPOs, you should also stop offering dental discount plans. Dental discount plans sponsored by PPOs or other third-party organizations determine fee schedules, treatment plans, and how your office gets paid.</p>

<p>This can cause financial strain on your practice, as the plan's predetermined pricing may not benefit you. And as far as being a source for patient loyalty, typically, patients purchase these plans for a one-time treatment, meaning the plans themselves do not change long-term patient behavior. In <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans">contrast to dental membership plans</a>, discount plans lack hygiene and preventive care services which are key components that drive patient loyalty. In turn, the likelihood that patients renew their discount plan averages about 20-40%, whereas membership plan renewals average 75-80%.</p>

<h2>Begin analyzing your PPOs</h2>

<p>You'll have to crunch the numbers. Look at the amount of PPOs that comprise your patient base, the average reimbursement rate, the weighted average discount for each PPO, and the net production for each.</p>

<p>This math can be complicated, so we've provided the necessary tools and resources — to help you identify which coverage plans work for you and which do not. This <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/how-drop-bad-ppos-without-losing-patients-or-production?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-june-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=drop-ppos&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=drop-ppos-toolkit">step-by-step toolkit</a> guides you through the full analysis and can help you create a plan to successfully transition away from your lowest-paying PPOs without impacting your bottom-line. </p>

<p>If you are still deciding whether to drop a PPO, this analysis may also shed light on plans you need to renegotiate.</p>

<h2>Flex your negotiation muscle</h2>

<p>If you want to negotiate your insurance plans, creating a proposal outlining your strategy is best. This will help you convey your position to the payer(s) and persuade them to accept your proposed changes. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your proposal.</p>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Identify your most valuable codes</strong>. These procedure codes are performed most frequently and/or are the most expensive. Narrow your list to 10-15 codes to negotiate.</li>
	<li><strong>Create a fee schedule proposal for the valuable codes.</strong> What fee schedule works for your practice and is appropriate for your market?</li>
	<li><strong>Determine your value to the payer. </strong>How many active patients do you have from the payer? What is your patient retention rate?</li>
	<li><strong>Consider how to gain leverage in the negotiation. </strong>But avoid bringing up termination unless prepared to do it.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Master the transition</h2>

<p>At Kleer strengthening patient relationships and helping build financially sound practices is what we're best at. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-june-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=drop-ppos&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Schedule a consultation today</a> to learn more about Kleer's powerful membership plan solution and how we can best support you through the transition!</p>


It's never a bad time to plan for the future and evaluate how transitioning bad PPOs out of your practice could bolster your bottom line.

How to Effectively Evaluate Your PPOs

<p>The start of the second half of the year brings new fervor, new ideas, and <b>new growth</b>. The best time to scale a DSO is now, especially if your practice is operating successfully and booking patients at max capacity. As you strategize for a continued year of growth, here are some tips from our partners at Skytale. </p>

<h2>Use data to scale a DSO</h2>

<p>Growing a DSO won’t come from looking into a crystal ball or chasing a gut feeling. There’s a far more effective strategy than wishful thinking that will put you in the driver’s seat—using good data to make informed decisions.</p>

<p>A <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/podcast/using-data-to-drive-and-scale-a-dso-with-eric-pastan-david-wilson-and-greg-mahoney/">data-driven DSO</a> starts with a leadership team that takes an interest in what moves performance and how to use that data to help employees succeed. Your organization should be able to improve outcomes on all the fronts you’re measuring and have a higher likelihood of success over time. Here are a few key areas to focus on when thinking about data:</p>

<ul>
	<li>
	<p><b>The quality of data going into the system. </b>The type of data you put in is the type of data you get out. You can make sure everyone on the team understands their role and the need to properly input data.</p>
	</li>
	<li><b>The practice management system your DSO uses.</b> Good software will allow you to compare and contrast results from different offices, providers, and so on. It can also create dashboards and simplify the data to help you understand it.</li>
	<li><b>The </b><a href="https://skytalegroup.com/healthcare/how-to-use-key-performance-indicators-kpis-in-your-healthcare-practice/"><b>key performance indicators (KPIs)</b></a><b> tracked over time.</b> As we say at Skytale, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” The best KPIs measure patient care, cost, and cash.</li>
	<li><b>The decisions you make using the data you have.</b> This is where those formula-over-feeling decisions come in. Now that you have historical data and KPIs showing potential areas for improvement, you can make tweaks and pull different levers. And if you’ve faced a certain issue before, you can check what decisions were made and how they performed.</li>
</ul>

<p>Data functions as the headlights of the organization—it allows you to see what’s coming down the road. Otherwise, it’s like driving in the dark. If your data needs work, start tackling that as soon as possible with your leadership team so you can be ready to scale up!</p>

<h2>Improve case acceptance</h2>

<p>Many practices pour dollars into marketing and acquiring new patients to scale their business. And while this might be a helpful method, it’s equally or more important to focus on your relationships with current patients.</p>

<p>Here are a few reasons why <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2017/05/18/5-reasons-why-repeat-business-is-better-than-new.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">repeat patients might be even better than new patients</a>:</p>

<ol>
	<li aria-level="1">Current patients spend more.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Current patients are easier to sell to and have a higher chance of converting.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Current patients cost your business less than new patients.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Current patients refer 50% more people to your business.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Current patients impact future profits more than new patients.</li>
</ol>

<p>To translate this to your DSO, let’s think about patient retention in terms of <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/dental/grow-your-dso-with-better-patient-experiences/">patient experience and case acceptance</a>. Skytale has seen case acceptance grow from 43% to 96% when clients rework the strategic design of their patient experience. This might look like how patients are greeted by reception, how they’re handed off from hygienist to dentist and back to reception, and how treatment plans are presented.</p>

<p>When it comes to presenting treatment, it’s more than an offhand offer—it’s a sale. You can teach your staff how to categorize patients when it comes to accepting treatment. For example:</p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">A: Accepted immediately</li>
	<li aria-level="1">B: Patient expresses commitment but wants to confer with someone else</li>
	<li aria-level="1">C: No information is provided, patient wants to think about it</li>
	<li aria-level="1">D: Represents a flat “no”</li>
</ul>

<p>These categories inform follow-up communications. Ultimately, if your DSO can retain current patients and sell more treatments to them, you’ll see the results in your bottom line.</p>

<h2>Consider a partnership</h2>

<p>While a DSO partnership with a doctor can help scale a DSO, there are several important <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/dental/dso-partnership-considerations-for-owners/">partnership considerations for owners</a>. It’s a long-term investment that calls for professionalism, patient care, and even a personality fit.</p>

<p>As you’re seeking a partner, start by defining their limits of control, responsibility, and financial commitment. Consider whether a potential candidate is someone you could work with and depend on for years to come. And we suggest staying open to their input—change can often be welcome and refreshing for a practice!</p>

<p>There are also several types of compensation to consider:</p>

<ul>
	<li aria-level="1">Collection rate partner compensation: Higher rate of compensation in exchange for a buy-in.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Profit sharing partner compensation: Share of profits earned by the business.</li>
	<li aria-level="1">Stock purchase compensation: Sell shares of your practice.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Determine your strategy to scale a DSO</h2>

<p>Part of your roadmap for scaling needs to consider how you’ll add more practices to your DSO. But what’s the difference between <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/med-spa/de-novo-growth-strategy-for-med-spas/">de novo growth and acquisition</a>?</p>

<p>A de novo growth strategy is when a DSO scales by opening a new location from the ground up under the same brand. The leadership team will typically search for a new space, hire a new team, and market for new patients.</p>

<p>An acquisition strategy is when a DSO purchases another existing dental practice. The DSO may or may not keep the practice’s existing brand. It’s an effective way to hit the ground running, as the practice is already operating successfully.</p>

<h2>Scale a DSO with a financial consultant like skytale</h2>

<p>Are you a DSO owner ready to scale and grow? Why not take the next step with a financial consultant who can lead you through every step of the way?</p>

<p>Skytale offers <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/services/strategic-growth-advisory/">strategic consulting</a> to dental clients with an appetite for growth. We’d love to hear about your goals and workshop how we can help you get there. <a href="https://skytalegroup.com/get-in-touch/">Get in touch today to start the conversation!</a></p>


The start of the second half of the year brings new fervor, new ideas, and new growth. The best time to scale a DSO is now, especially if your practice is operating successfully and booking patients at max capacity.

Proven Strategies to Propel DSO Growth

<p>The complexity, cost, and limitations of traditional dental insurance create a barrier to oral care, leaving small businesses across the country unable to offer dental benefits and their employees without access to care.</p>

<p>While large corporations often dominate the headlines, it's essential to recognize the significance of small businesses. In the United States, small businesses comprise <a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/tag/small-business-statistics">99.9% </a>of all businesses and employ nearly 50% of the country's workforce. However, unlike their larger counterparts, small businesses often need help to provide the same employee benefits. About <a href="https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/shortchanged-benefits.aspx#:~:text=Only%2044%20percent%20of%20employees,or%20more%20workers%20have%20benefits.">96% </a>of employers at large companies receive benefits compared to only 44% of workers at small companies.</p>

<p>This leaves a substantial portion of the population needing access to employer-sponsored dental benefits. But you can change that. Kleer Employee Care empowers you to turn your <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/complete-guide-membership-plan-models-dentistry">dental membership plan </a>into their employee dental benefit, making oral care accessible to employees and their families.</p>

<h2>Bring new, long-term patients to your practice and generate more revenue</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-employee-care">Kleer Employee Care</a> is a superior dental benefit that brings new, long-term, fee-for-service patients to your practice — creating loyal patients who visit more, accept more treatment, and generate more production. It also adds a reliable, recurring revenue stream because the benefits act as a subscription. And plan fees are paid directly to your practice by employers and their employees. </p>

<h2>Providing benefits directly to local employers has never been easier.</h2>

<p>Easily design your dental benefits plan and set your pricing to fit the specific needs of local employers in your area. You can lean on us to market your plan successfully — we'll set you up for success with a comprehensive marketing library that includes an employer marketing playbook, employer brochures, templates for marketing campaigns and presentations, and widgets and tools to promote your plan on your website easily.</p>

<p>Employers can quickly and easily enroll in your plan, set their contribution amount, invite employees, and manage their new benefits from the Kleer Employer Portal. Once employees get the email invitation from their employer, they can select a care plan for themselves and their dependents. When a care plan is purchased, they become a member of your dental benefits plan — making their new dental benefits immediately accessible.</p>

<p>You can track and manage the performance of your employer dental benefits plan from employee participation, revenue, payments, and renewals within the Kleer Practice Portal.</p>

<h2>Launch your employee care plan when you sign-up for Kleer Pro®</h2>

<p>By transforming your dental membership plans into employee dental benefits, you can bring affordable oral care to your community while attracting new, loyal patients to your practice. Plus, when you go pro, you get access to more than just our employer features but can take your membership plan to even greater heights with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-intelligence/get-started?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-june-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=kleer-intelligence&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Kleer Intelligence™ PMS integration solution</a>, preferred support, brand personalization, and more.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-june-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=drop-ppos&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Schedule a demo today</a> to see how Kleer can transform your practice and make a lasting impact.</p>


The complexity, cost, and limitations of traditional dental insurance create a barrier to oral care, leaving small businesses across the country unable to offer dental benefits and their employees without access to care.

Attract Small Businesses to Your Dental Practice

Membership plans are a predictive way to improve patient loyalty and practice results. With so many options available, it’s not always easy to figure out exactly which partner is best for your practice. Nobody likes a gatekeeper so we’ve provided a comprehensive summary of Kleer’s products and services, filled to the brim with case studies, resources, and a tool to calculate the opportunity that awaits!

Calculate Your Potential Practice Profitability 

The team at Gen4 Dental Partners wanted to implement a scalable membership plan to better serve their growing patient base. They were searching for a partner with the capabilities to provide their offices a high level of support to drive plan adoption while also maintaining partner dentist autonomy on pricing and structure.  Gen4 valued the importance of assisting patients in receiving necessary care and sought to enhance production and patient loyalty across their practices.

DSO Implements Kleer at 40+ Locations in 14 Days — Achieving Rapid Results!

<p>You've spent some time trying to wrap your mind around dental membership plans and the benefits of adding reliable, recurring revenue to your dental business. Now, you may be wondering — how do you make sure to create a membership that's profitable, the perfect fit for your patients, and brimming with value – without risking burnout or putting your bottom line at risk?</p>

<p>This article covers everything you need to know.</p>

<h2>What is a membership plan model?</h2>

<p><strong>A membership plan is a subscription-based model that gives consumers increased access to purchase goods or services for a monthly or annually recurring fee.</strong> This model appeals to businesses that wish to offer customers a more exclusive or personalized service and convenience. It is also a new revenue source, discovery tool, and competitive differentiator.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-10-trends-in-digital-commerce#:~:text=Organizations%20can%20benefit%20from%20subscription,succeed%20in%20increasing%20customer%20retention.">Gartner predicted</a> by 2023, that 75% of organizations providing products or services directly to consumers will offer subscription services. This goes beyond news outlets, streaming services, and wholesalers but across industries and verticals, including healthcare and dentistry.</p>

<h2>How are memberships being popularized in healthcare?</h2>

<p>This year, Amazon introduced an affordable healthcare subscription service for uninsured consumers. Amazon Pharmacy's new Prime membership benefit, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/23/01/b30539413/amazon-pharmacy-introduces-rxpass-unlimited-prescription-medications-for-only-5-a-month-delivered-?utm_campaign=partner_feed&amp;utm_source=yahooFinance&amp;utm_medium=partner_feed&amp;utm_content=site">RxPass</a>, offers patients access to medications that treat over 80 common health conditions at an affordable price of just $5 per month.</p>

<p>Additionally, healthcare providers have started to adopt a membership model for primary and preventive care services, improving how patients access care and accept treatment.</p>

<p>The modern membership plan model is poised to <a href="https://www.pymnts.com/healthcare/2022/healthcare-as-a-subscription-breaks-down-payer-provider-pain-points/">evolve healthcare</a> by delivering enhanced patient engagement and convenience, increasing loyalty, improving retention, and offering a new sustainable revenue source for healthcare providers.</p>

<h2>The impact of membership plans in Dentistry</h2>

<p><strong>Currently, in the United States, roughly <a href="https://www.carequest.org/resource-library/snapshot-765-million-americans-without-dental-insurance#:~:text=An%20estimated%2076.5%20million%20adults,likely%20to%20lack%20dental%20insurance.">77 million individuals</a> are without dental coverage</strong>. Research from Accenture reveals that of 21,000 consumers surveyed, <a href="http://research%20from%20accenture%20reveals%20that%2071%25%20of%20people%20cite%20access%20as%20a%20top%20factor%20in%20selecting%20a%20new%20healthcare%20provider./">71% cite access </a>as a top factor in selecting a new healthcare provider.</p>

<p>Dentists that offer a membership plan can better attract and retain patients, from retirees who have lost dental benefits to patients working in industries that don't provide them to patients whose insurance is out-of-network — and everyone else in between. <strong>Dental membership plans help patients and their families access the dental care they need</strong> <strong>at a transparent price</strong>, as determined by your practice.</p>

<h3>Additional membership plan benefits include:</h3>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Decreased marketing spend:</strong> New patient reappointment rates average below 50%, meaning practices spend a lot of marketing money to get patients in the door, but most never return for further treatment. Once you enroll a patient into your membership plan, you don't have to spend <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/why-extra-marketing-dollars-wont-result-life-long-patients">more money marketing</a> to them again. In fact, membership plan patients visit 2-3X as often, accept over 100%+ the amount of recommended treatment, and are 80% more likely to renew their subscription year-over-year.</li>
	<li><strong>Decreased appointment cancellations:</strong> Membership plans help build a direct relationship with patients, including their routine care. As patients continue to utilize and pay for their benefits, this guarantees they value their plan and their health. If your membership patients consistently book — and keep — their hygiene appointments they are <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/tips-reduce-cancellations-and-fill-your-schedule-best-dental-patients">less likely to cancel</a> over time.</li>
	<li><strong>Supports the whole community:</strong> Membership plans deliver more than just a financial return on investment — they drive impact. By improving community access to care, dental practices report increased patient satisfaction and loyalty, and treatment acceptance. Patients in your community feel better about the value of services and are more connected to your care.</li>
	<li><strong>Develop insights to impact practice decisions:</strong> Understanding patient behavior and willingness to accept and receive care is essential to your dental practice. Membership plans offer real-time insights into plan utilization, treatment acceptance, and overall health outcomes. This makes it easier for practice owners to monitor patient behavior in real-time and make adjustments to the plan design and offerings, helping practices more efficiently manage their populations and close gaps in care.</li>
	<li><strong>Improved financial forecasting:</strong> A membership plan model allows you to predict future revenue accurately. For dentists facing demand fluctuations or preparing for a slower time of year, recurring membership plan revenue can help balance seasonal change.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Providing solutions to patients whose insurance you no longer accept." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bbfce51f-eb6c-4c94-b216-c21d11476eba" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2023-05%20Content%20Pillar%20Blog.png" /></p>

<h2>Making the switch from an insurance-based practice to a membership model</h2>

<p>Membership plans help break down patient-provider pain points and strengthen the practice coverage foundation. Practices can do it themselves or utilize <a href="https://www.kleer.com/more-profitable-practice">advanced, easy-to-use digital platforms </a>to automate plan management and provide patients with greater convenience and flexibility.</p>

<p>Reducing your dependence on PPOs will protect your business and streamline your procedures. Plus, removing the interference of a third party leaves the decisions about care and treatment up to you.</p>

<p>Shifting from an insurance-based model to a membership plan requires thoughtful consideration. How do you explain this shift to existing patients without alienating them? How do you design and launch a program that ensures maximum success? Here are some simple solutions.</p>

<h3>Strategic communication steps:</h3>

<ol>
	<li><strong>Identify patients impacted:</strong> Run a report from your practice management system to identify patients who are covered by each insurance plan you are dropping. The report should include the patient's name, insurance plan, last visit, next visit, email, and phone number.</li>
	<li><strong>Communicate the change to patients impacted:</strong> You must proactively communicate PPO changes to your patients. This can include a series of emails, calls, and discussions during visits. You cannot over-communicate.</li>
	<li><strong>Communicate the "why": </strong>Explain why you are moving away from insurance and the benefits of a membership plan to your patients.</li>
</ol>

<h3>Membership plan best practices</h3>

<ul>
	<li><strong>Provide comprehensive treatment:</strong> Include preventive care—usually two cleanings, two exams, and routine X-rays each year—and discounts on additional treatment.</li>
	<li><strong>Provide transparent pricing and price it right: </strong>Transparent pricing builds patient trust. Price your plans to achieve the optimal balance of patient value and practice results.</li>
	<li><strong>Ensure compliance:</strong> Dental plans must adhere to multiple federal and state regulations, including HIPAA, consumer protection laws, fee splitting laws, advertising laws, and payment processing laws.</li>
	<li><strong>Make it simple to join:</strong> It should be easy for patients to sign up from any device and anywhere.</li>
	<li><strong>Make it easy to pay:</strong> Consider whether you will offer monthly or yearly payment plans or both. More now than ever, patients will appreciate the option to pay monthly installments.</li>
	<li><strong>Make it immediate: </strong>Begin benefits the moment a patient signs up.</li>
	<li><strong>Make it hassle-free: </strong>Eliminate sign-up fees, deductibles, waiting periods, annual maximums, and preapprovals. Assign a plan coordinator: Assign one person in your office to manage and track the plan.</li>
	<li><strong>Get your team on board:</strong> Make sure all team members, including the doctors, understand and promote the benefits of a membership plan to your patients.</li>
	<li><strong>Offer your plan to everyone: </strong>Don't pick and choose to whom you offer your membership plan. Membership plan patients are worth 2-3X the value of the average uninsured patient.</li>
	<li><strong>Set goals and track progress:</strong> You can start small and then build. Initially, set a goal to sign up 25% of the uninsured patients you see each week.</li>
	<li><strong>Promote the plan:</strong> Promote it in your office, on your website, and through social media.</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Kleer's advanced, cloud-based platform" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3ff090a4-347b-45d1-97e8-2266a257c531" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/4.png" /></p>

<h2>Choose a dental membership platform that supports your success.</h2>

<p>Everyone wins when you provide a comprehensive, transparent, compliant, hassle-free membership plan. To simplify your approach, <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.kleer.com">Kleer</a> can help.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/www.kleer.com">Kleer</a> powers some of the<strong> fastest-growing dental practices and DSOs</strong> with subscription-based dental membership plans. From building and pricing your plan to onboarding, marketing, support, and beyond, we have the expertise and insight that comes from working with thousands of dental practices across the country.</p>

<p>Transform your practice with Kleer’s industry-leading membership plan solutions. <a href="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/kleer.com/more-profitable-practice">Get started today!</a></p>


You've spent some time trying to wrap your mind around dental membership plans and the benefits of adding reliable, recurring revenue to your dental business.

The Complete Guide to Membership Plan Models in Dentistry 

<p>Let’s face it, dental procedures can be expensive. Many patients are left balking at the cost of dental care, even when it is much-needed. For the third of Americans without dental insurance, these numbers can be even more daunting.</p>

<p>Cost distress can manifest in different ways, such as patients delaying or skipping appointments, choosing less expensive treatment options, or forgoing treatment altogether. Concerns around cost have negative impacts on oral health and while financial discussions can feel awkward, they are a critical step in providing your patients with the treatment they need.</p>

<p>Effectively—and compassionately—screening dental patients for cost distress is the first stage in providing better patient care. Here are a few simple communication steps.</p>

<h2>1. Start the conversation early</h2>

<p>Financial discussions should start early, so there aren’t big surprises down the road. If a patient has an idea of what their financial responsibility will be upfront, you can begin suggesting solutions before they ever see an estimate of what treatment will cost. This discussion can start before the patient enters your office by posting information on fees, coverage options, and alternative ways to pay to your website, so patients get a chance to review their options ahead of time.</p>

<p>When the patient does come in for treatment, it is important to make the most of their intake process by providing them with easy-to-understand fact sheets about coverage and financing. This is an opportunity to discuss payment options or alternative coverage solutions that your practice offers. By presenting the patient with these options before they get in the chair, you’re already starting to nurture the relationship and gain their trust.</p>

<h2>2. Use empathetic language</h2>

<p>Empathy is the key to any financial discussion. Patients feel exposed when the cost of care is not transparent or easy to understand and as a result, forgo treatment completely. As a dentist and healthcare worker it is your fiduciary duty to offer care and treatment recommendations that are in the best interest of your patients — so let them know this. Becoming a trusted advocate for your patients is an invaluable asset that will help your practice build loyalty, reputation, and revenue.</p>

<p>When discussing financial options with patients, use language that conveys understanding. Avoid using words like “expensive” or “costly” when discussing a treatment plan — replace such terms with phrases like “a significant investment in your health.” Let patients know that you understand the <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">financial commitment</a> they are making and that you want to help them make the best decision. Through this, you can position your practice as a partner in their health, not just another service provider.</p>

<h2>3. Provide clear transparent fees</h2>

<p>Insurance, pricing, payment plans and collections can be confusing to practitioners, so it goes without saying that it can be even more confusing to patients. While patients think they may have a ballpark understanding of cost, the <a href="https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/some-insurers-overestimate-costs-to-reduce-member-rebates-study-shows.html">price of dental care is consistently overestimated</a> by two to four times what it actually is. As a result, many patients — even those with insurance or quality dental coverage — think care may be out of reach.</p>

<p>Being upfront about fees takes the guesswork out of the patient’s budget, regardless of their financial status. Start <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/offer-your-dental-patients-transparent-treatment-fees">open conversations about fees</a> when the patient is in for routine care, so that they are comfortable with your pricing and payment policies. The dentist or the practice’s financial coordinator should be able to give patients clear numbers about predicted cost, and not be vague about the specifics.</p>

<p>An easy way to set a framework for clear pricing is through an in-house dental membership plan. Membership plans give patients access to important preventive care and treatment savings. Paying a set monthly or annual fee directly to your practice allows patients to appreciate the ease of payment, consistent pricing, and fee transparency.</p>

<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>

<p>Whatever the solution, the bottom line is that being open and compassionate about financial barriers to oral health is critical in providing quality patient care. When you invest in your patients beyond the chair, their investment in your practice — and their own oral health — will grow in a way that benefits everyone.</p>

<p>If you’re looking for a solution to help you ease into tougher cost and treatment conversations, Kleer can help, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/membership-plan-success">click here to learn more</a> about building a coverage solution fit for your practice and patients.</p>


Let’s face it, dental procedures can be expensive. Many patients are left balking at the cost of dental care, even when it is much-needed. For the third of Americans without dental insurance, these numbers can be even more daunting.

Screening Dental Patients for Cost Distress: 3 Tips for Success 

<p>Let’s face it, the insurance-based dental care system is broken. It’s difficult for dentists to grant the care their patients need because the insurance companies control everything— access, pricing, payment and treatment. Dental membership plans put control back into the hands of dentists and enable them to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/5-reasons-why-dental-insurance-isnt-worth-it-patients">provide their patients</a> with the care they need without the hassles including deductibles, pre-approvals, payment processing delays, claim denials, annual maximums and the coordination of benefits. With membership plans, practices can improve patient access to care while improving their bottom line.</p>

<p>While dental membership plans are the perfect solution to the battle of working in an <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/why-dentists-should-implement-membership-plan-dropping-bad-ppos">insurance-controlled system</a>, many dentists and their staff are confused with compliance and licensing requirements. There’s worry over what dentists must do to stay compliant with state and federal regulations.</p>

<p>Membership plans must be compliant with regulations including HIPAA, federal anti-kickback laws, federal physician self-referral laws, federal consumer protection laws, FTC laws and state healthcare and dentistry laws. These laws can vary by state and require implementation of a variety of features including disclosures, consents, data security infrastructure, support processes and payment terms.</p>

<p>If your practice already has an in-house dental membership plan in place, or you're looking to implement one yourself, here’s 5 tips to be sure you're protecting your practice and your patients.</p>

<h3>1. Know your state laws and regulations</h3>

<p>Check with your state board of dentistry and make sure you understand the requirements.</p>

<h3>2. Properly structure your plan</h3>

<p>Make sure that what you're offering through your dental membership plan isn't too good to be true and doesn't violate any anti-kickback laws or other regulations.</p>

<h3>3. Consider your patient’s privacy</h3>

<p>HIPAA and state privacy laws will require you to properly manage your patients' protected health information (PHI). Make sure that you have an appropriate system in place to ensure that PHI is kept secure.</p>

<h3>4. Build a plan for payments and renewals</h3>

<p>Decide how you'll be collecting payments and have a system in place for renewals. You'll also need to decide if processing payments will be owned by you or a third party.</p>

<h3>5. Confirm you're disclosing properly</h3>

<p>Properly disclose prices, payment terms, limitations, and exclusions associated with the membership plan to patients.</p>

<h2>Simplify Compliance and Membership Management with Kleer</h2>

<p>Kleer has completed a detailed legal review of state and federal regulations and has built features into the platform for compliance and continuously monitors state and federal guidelines to ensure our platform remains up to date. Not only does Kleer simplify compliance, it also eliminates the time consuming processes of managing a membership plan with features such as automated enrollment, renewals, payment processing, payment posting to PMS, and more.</p>

<p>Protect your practice and gain the confidence that comes from knowing you’re offering a premium coverage solution for your patients. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/more-profitable-practice">Get started with Kleer</a>.</p>


Let’s face it, the insurance-based dental care system is broken. It’s difficult for dentists to grant the care their patients need because the insurance companies control everything— access, pricing, payment and treatment.

Simplify Membership Plan Compliance: What Dental Leaders Need to Know

<p><strong>Congrats!</strong> You're a dental service organization (DSO) offering an in-house membership plan for your patients, and it's been flourishing. Your patients are happy, and treatment acceptance is up, but billing, renewals, and managing data across locations pose a significant challenge as you scale.</p>

<p>Membership plans are only as good as the technology behind them (and what that tech can provide for your DSO). When it comes to upgrading your membership plan, there are a few key considerations. To start, you'll need to identify technology that can be customized to fit the unique <a href="https://www.groupdentistrynow.com/dso-group-blog/5-reasons-why-membership-plans-are-key-to-boosting-your-dsos-profitability/">needs of your DSO</a> — from providing options for monthly and annual payments to issuing automated renewals to managing revenue and tracking performance across locations. Let's review what to look for in a membership plan.</p>

<h2>Flexible payments to benefit patients</h2>

<p>Consider the consumer experience and why customers abandon a full shopping cart. One major component is the total purchase cost. You can bundle your membership plan the same way, with monthly and annual payment options to provide the convenience of <a href="https://revcycleintelligence.com/news/How-Personalized-Payment-Plans-Improve-Patient-Collections#:~:text=Personalized%2C%20flexible%20payment%20plans%20in,what%20is%20owed%20to%20them.">flexible billing cycles</a> that suit a patient's needs. Plus, they're automated, keeping your patients enrolled in their plan and utilizing their benefits without adding additional work for your administrative teams. Better yet, you're also getting a built-in discovery tool to help attract new patients and turn them into lifelong members by modernizing how they pay for coverage and care.</p>

<h2>Auto-renewal to improve member retention</h2>

<p>The longer a patient subscribes to their dental membership plan, the more care they will receive over time. <a href="https://www.sage.com/en-us/blog/glossary/what-is-auto-renewal/#:~:text=Auto%2Drenewal%20(also%20known%20as,agreed%20upon%20period%20of%20time.">Automating renewals</a> helps patients stay on top of their preventive care and accept the treatment they need to stay healthy — increasing a patient’s lifetime value and decreasing the number of those who passively let their subscription expire. Automated renewals also enable a "set it and forget it" mentality for patients. That way, your offices can provide a seamless, uninterrupted coverage experience; all patients have to do is book their next appointment.</p>

<h2>Ability to handle membership plan performance at scale</h2>

<p>A practice generating recurring revenue sees a higher degree of stability in terms of finances and operation. With clear dashboards and performance data rolled up by location, region, or enterprise, DSOs can easily estimate their business value and plan for the future. Tracking these data points can help identify trends in payment and collection patterns and be used to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/why-dentists-should-not-be-afraid-drop-bad-ppos">negotiate better payment terms</a> with insurance companies or to change your current billing practices.</p>

<p>At the local level, practices can see all membership plan activities in one place, tailor plans based on patient demographics or economic region, and quickly make adjustments to plans as needed. All of which help grow patient loyalty and set your DSO up for lasting success.</p>

<h2>The ultimate membership plan solution</h2>

<p>Upgrading your membership plan means more than just rolling out a new payment option for offices to manage on their own — it's about leveraging the power of technology to keep up with your scaling business, building loyalty among patients, and maximizing revenue potential across locations.</p>

<p>At Kleer, we developed our membership plan software with every practice in mind, regardless of shape or size. With a clean and user-friendly dashboard, a Customer Success Team to help train and onboard your administrators, and an easy automated renewal and payment system, Kleer is the ultimate solution for launching or upgrading your existing membership plan solution.</p>

<p>Not sure what you're looking for in membership plan software? Download our <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/your-guide-choosing-best-dental-membership-plan-software">Choosing the Right Membership Plan Checklist</a> for free and take the first step towards making the best investment for your practice.</p>


Congrats! You're a dental service organization (DSO) offering an in-house membership plan for your patients, and it's been flourishing.

It&#039;s Time For Your DSO to Upgrade Your In-house Membership Plan 

<p>You can now opt-in to Kleer’s patient text messaging feature in your Practice Portal. Patients will receive real-time, transactional notifications that are less than 160 characters and timebound to occur only between 8AM and 5PM local-to-member time.  </p>

<h2>To turn on text messaging: </h2>

<ul>
	<li>Go to your <strong>Kleer Practice Portal</strong>,</li>
	<li>Click "<strong>Settings</strong>" in the left-side menu,</li>
	<li>Under the "<strong>Practice Info</strong>" drop-down menu, select "<strong>Edit</strong>,"</li>
</ul>

<p><img alt="Kleer Portal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="27d7b538-065a-4552-9fa9-5ad5c79a6cd1" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%201000%20%C3%97%20500%20px%29%20%281%29.gif" /></p>

<ul>
	<li>Scroll down to the bottom of the page,</li>
	<li>Select "<strong>OK for Kleer to Text Members</strong>," </li>
	<li>Click "<strong>Save!</strong>"</li>
</ul>

<p>Text messages can have a positive impact on things like reducing failed payments – improving your patients’ experience and ultimately your plan’s overall performance.</p>

<h2>Why are transactional text messages so impactful?</h2>

<ul>
	<li><strong>They improve engagement and establish trust. </strong>Transactional text messages are more than just notifications – they help establish a reliable communication channel between your practice and your patients. A patient who gets important updates about their plan is a patient who feels comfortable using it.</li>
	<li><strong>They’re timely.</strong> Because transactional text messages are automated – triggered by specific events, requiring no manual input from your team – they allow for the prompt delivery of important information about their plan.</li>
	<li><strong>And they’re reliable.</strong> Text notifications ensure that important information and updates are delivered to patients instantly and without delay through a secure communication channel.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Here are the key events that will trigger a text message to your patients, plus sample text messages that they’ll receive:</h2>

<h5>When a patient signs up</h5>

<p><strong>Helps the new member access their account</strong></p>

<p><em>"Thank you for joining our dental plan. You can start using your benefits today! </em></p>

<p><em> (Login URL), (Practice Name), (Practice Phone Number)</em></p>

<p><em>Reply STOP to stop texts"</em></p>

<h5>When there’s an error processing a patient’s payment</h5>

<p><strong>Helps resolve the payment issue so your practice doesn’t have to</strong></p>

<p><em>"There was a payment issue with your dental plan. Call (Practice Phone Number) or visit (Login URL) to update your payment</em></p>

<p><em>(Practice Name)</em></p>

<p><em>Reply STOP to stop texts"</em></p>

<h5>When the payment processing error has been resolved</h5>

<p><strong>Provides an update on a successful payment processing status</strong></p>

<p><em>"A payment issue with your dental plan has been resolved. Thank you! </em></p>

<p><em>(Practice Name)</em></p>

<p><em>Reply STOP to stop texts"</em></p>

<h5>When the account holder adds a new member</h5>

<p><strong>Helps the new member access their account</strong></p>

<p><em>"Thanks for adding (New Member First Name) to your dental plan. Their benefits start today! </em></p>

<p><em> (Login URL) (Practice Name)</em></p>

<p><em>Reply STOP to stop texts"</em></p>

<p> </p>

<h2>It’s easy for patients to opt-out of text messaging. They have two ways to do this:</h2>

<ol>
	<li>Simply reply to a text message with the word “STOP”</li>
	<li>Navigate to the “Account” section of their member portal, and deselect “System Text Notifications."</li>
</ol>

<p><img alt="Image of patient text messaging system opt out" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b31fa0da-1dd9-4bbb-adb0-7b549a91f5f6" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/hjNnbL7A.png" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p> </p>


You can now opt-in to Kleer’s patient text messaging feature in your Practice Portal.

Increase Membership Plan Engagement with Text Messages

<p>Dental membership plans are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional dental insurance. They offer patients an affordable way to receive preventive care and provide a predictable stream of revenue for dental practices. However, when it comes to compensating hygienists while utilizing a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans">dental membership plan</a>, there are some unique challenges to consider. In this blog post, we'll explore some simple solutions.</p>

<h2>Payment structures matter</h2>

<p>How you structure your hygienists’ pay can be affected by membership plans. If you are paying your hygienists on a daily or hourly rate, a membership plan won’t affect their salaries, since the hygienist gets paid the same amount regardless of production. This is the easiest way to pay hygienists when implementing a membership plan, since payment and the plans are not dependent on each other. However, if there are lots of gaps in your schedule, you may be paying your hygienist to not work.</p>

<p>If your hygienists are nonexempt employees, federal law requires that they be paid minimum wage (at least) for the hours they work. Adding a commission to the hourly rate can be a big incentive for hygienists to join your practice, and take more appointments. The practice sets a daily revenue goal, and commission is paid for anything that exceeds that goal. Generally, <a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/human-resources/article/16394533/compensating-hygienists">hygienists working on commission</a> want to receive 30-40% percent of daily production. For example, if a hygienist was on a combined wage plus commission pay schedule, they may be getting paid 30% above the production goal. If the daily production goal was $2,000 and the hygienist produced $2,200, the excess would earn the hygienist $60 on top of their base pay. For hygienists working on straight commission, it's usually easiest to pay commission off of production, at a rate of around 28-33%. This can get a little tricky when discounted fees or promotions are run — or, when dental membership plan patients come in for their cleanings.</p>

<h2>Solutions for payment</h2>

<p>While dental membership plans can be incredibly beneficial, they do prompt some head scratching when it comes to <a href="https://www.dentalproductsreport.com/view/how-should-i-pay-my-rdh">paying your hygienists</a> if they are on a production-based payment model (or hybrid model with combined hourly wages and production bonuses). While the practice collects membership plan fees, the date of treatment won’t always align with the payment date, which can be tricky for billing purposes. If production is no longer in play, how is that commission calculated?</p>

<p>One way to solve this conundrum is to use the average. Make sure the cost of the services that your membership plan covers is equal or greater to the annual membership plan price. While aligning your dental membership plan fees with production is the most straightforward approach to commission payments, communication is key in ensuring that everyone understands plan pricing, and that they feel they are being compensated fairly. Another approach is to discuss a standard reimbursement rate. This option gives you more flexibility to adjust plan prices without affecting the hygienists’ pay. However, in this case, if you do decide to decrease your plan pricing, you may end up paying commission out of your practice revenue. When setting dental membership fees, you’ll want to leave room for adjustments.</p>

<p>Practices can also consider a hybrid approach that combines the two strategies. Payments could be fixed for certain services like cleanings, while variable and dependent on the membership plan pricing for X-rays or fluoride treatments.</p>

<p>Whichever approach you choose, it is important to reemphasize that communication is paramount. You’ll need to have clear communication with your hygiene team about how they will be paid, and about any fluctuations in payments—or you’re going to have a very frustrated team.</p>

<h2>Provide training and support</h2>

<p>The success of your dental membership plan largely rests on your team’s buy-in to the concept and how well they integrate it into their workflow. Ensuring your team understands the ins and outs of the plan positions them to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/offer-your-dental-patients-transparent-treatment-fees">promote it to patients effectively</a>. Since hygienists often have the patient’s ear more than the doctor or the front-desk team, having them serve as promoters can get a lot of patients on board.</p>

<p>For this to be effective, hygienists need to feel confident about the plan and comfortable talking about it. Ensure your team understands the value of in-house membership plans, and that they can communicate it effectively to patients, explaining how it can benefit their oral health with pricing that's transparent and affordable.  b</p>

<p>A dental membership plan is a wonderful thing to offer your patients, and it doesn’t have to be complicated to implement or compensate for. With open communication, patients, hygienists and practices alike can all benefit from in-house dental membership plan. Not sure how to get started? Kleer can help. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-april-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Click here to request your free consultation. </a></p>


Dental membership plans are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional dental insurance. They offer patients an affordable way to receive preventive care and provide a predictable stream of revenue for dental practices.

How to Pay Your Hygienists When You Have a Dental Membership Plan

<p>While there are many factors that contribute to profitability, having a stellar hygiene program is one of the most significant. The most profitable DSOs recognize the value of a robust hygiene program and invest heavily in it. These DSOs utilize a mix of strategy and technology to get patients in for their cleanings, identify and treat patients with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-increase-treatment-compliance-among-periodontal-patients">periodontal disease</a>, and offer options for better preventative care.</p>

<p>Understanding how you can get the most out of your hygiene department can mean a big difference for your bottom line. Here are some things to keep in mind:</p>

<h2>Understand the significance of hygiene production</h2>

<p>After the dentist, the hygiene department is the second-largest profit center in the dental practice. On average, daily hygiene production should be about 30% of overall office production.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.speareducation.com/spear-review/2014/08/five-characteristics-profitable-dental-hygiene-department-part-ii">Successful hygiene programs</a> recognize the need to provide more comprehensive preventative care than just the standard prophy or bite-wings. Hygienists that see eight to 10 patients per day and only provide these services generally have average production of $85-95 per hour. When hygiene programs add in comprehensive services (such as panoramic x-rays, fluoride, oral cancer screenings and adjunctive therapies), production can rise to $180-200 per hour.</p>

<p>These benefits will also go beyond the hourly hygiene rates. Hygienists spend much more time with patients than the dentist does, and generally see their patients multiple times a year (often more times than patients see their primary care physicians). This gives hygienists a unique opportunity to develop relationships with patients and build trust.</p>

<p>Patients that trust their dental professional are more likely to remain loyal to the practice—plus, happy patients are often great sources for referrals. Additionally, trust in the hygienist’s recommendations will lead to higher treatment acceptance for recommended protocols and higher return rates to the dental chair.</p>

<h2>Preventative care reduces out-of-pocket costs</h2>

<p>Getting patients back into the chair regularly is critical to good preventative care. Dental hygiene is one of the last preventative health options in healthcare, as most doctors only see patients once they are already sick. In contrast, preventative care can help prevent disease, reducing the risk of severe periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is an issue that is obviously negative to a patient’s oral health, but it also can incur major out-of-pocket costs—costs that could be deterring patients from coming to the dentist in the first place. In fact, nearly 50 percent of patients who don’t visit the dentist on an annual basis have cited cost, fear of cost or not having dental coverage as their reason for not going. And patients do have a reason to balk at costs: While rates vary by procedure, on average periodontal treatment will cost a patient $1,700 to $1,800. In comparison, the average cost of a cleaning is around $125.</p>

<p>Making hygiene appointments (and preventative care options) more accessible to patients can help prevent many of the expensive procedures that poor oral hygiene can cause. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/dental-membership-plans-vs-dental-discount-plans">Dental membership plans</a> are a great way to offset the cost of hygiene care (thus helping patients avoid problems and the associated bills down the road). For example, with Kleer, patients have the option to elect their own plan, which typically includes cleanings, exams, oral screenings, X-rays and emergency exams. Fluoride treatments can also be included for children. The accessibility makes patients more comfortable in seeking care, so when problems do arise, they have a trusted professional they can turn to.</p>

<h2>Leverage technology to improve Hygiene reappointments and improve case acceptance</h2>

<p>When your patients trust your hygienist, they will want to pursue preventative care and the hygienist’s treatment recommendations, and remain committed to coming back to do so… unless they forget. Handing out appointment cards or asking patients to stop at the front desk to schedule another appointment often results in the patient not following through, despite their best intentions.</p>

<p>Instead of putting the responsibility on the patient, practices can utilize technology to simplify appointment scheduling. Chairside scheduling programs allow the hygienist to schedule the follow-up appointment right from the chair.</p>

<p>Additionally, many practices are using software that sends automated reminder texts or emails to refresh patients’ memories about appointments. This had the added bonus of freeing up staff to focus on patient care instead of spending time manually issuing appointment reminders. This automated technology is simple for the practice, while also demonstrating to the patient that the practice is modern and up-to-date on technology.</p>

<h2>Perfect treatment presentations</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/16388301/building-your-best-hygiene-department">Successful hygiene departments</a> have a unified front. These departments have a shared vision of what the ideal hygiene care should look like. This includes a clear understanding of the purpose and role of the department (and the team member’s specific role), what they hope to accomplish for the patients, and the department’s protocols. Everyone should be on the same page about what treatments are available, and what payment options can help make costs affordable.</p>

<p>Consistent messaging is particularly important if patients are visiting larger practices where they may see different hygienists. The entire team should be able to deliver the same education and recommendations, and work under the same preventative philosophy. Teams that work in concert like this are able to give treatment presentations that reinforce the importance of the treatment and educate the patient consistently. As mentioned before, this requires all of the staff to be up to date on protocols and disease management, and stay abreast of any changes in treatment options in the practice.</p>

<h2>Improve practice profitability and results</h2>

<p>A stellar hygiene program benefits not only the patient, but also the practice. Developing a strong hygiene program (and even stronger patient relationships) can make dental care more accessible—and accepted—by patients.</p>

<p>To learn more about how Kleer's membership platform can support the advancement of your hygiene program and provide an improved patient experience, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-april-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">request a consultation today</a>.</p>


While there are many factors that contribute to profitability, having a stellar hygiene program is one of the most significant. The most profitable DSOs recognize the value of a robust hygiene program and invest heavily in it.

Why the Most Profitable DSO&#039;s Have Stellar Hygiene Programs

<p>Have you noticed reduced staff productivity, increased absenteeism, carelessness, or heard unwanted feedback from patients? If so, your team may be experiencing symptoms of burnout.</p>

<p>Working in a dental practice requires the staff to cope with anxious clients, manage scheduling issues, and perform a multitude of complex tasks every day. Not only does it require high focus and concentration, but it’s also a physically taxing work environment.</p>

<p>The American Psychological Association (APA) found that workplace burnout has risen since 2021, with healthcare workers among those who are the most affected—which includes dentists and their staff. The APA’s studies have shown that 3 out of 5 employees have reported <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress">negative impacts of work-related stress</a>, making this a crucial topic for retention and success.</p>

<p>With inevitable circumstances creating hardships for dentists, COVID-19 being only one of them, practices must create an environment that combats stress. While some causes of burnout can be out of your control, there are many ways to keep employees engaged and happy at work.</p>

<h2>Show dental employees they’re appreciated</h2>

<p>With a never-ending list of tasks, hours of working hard, and multiple clients daily, not being recognized for hard work can substantially affect productivity or worse. According to Forbes, 46% of U.S. workers <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/11/20/why-employee-recognition-is-more-crucial-than-ever/">left a job because they felt underappreciated</a>.</p>

<p>Making your staff feel appreciated can come in a variety of forms. You can recognize an outstanding individual performer by celebrating an employee of the month. Handing out gift cards can be an easy way to lift spirits and say thanks for their extra effort. Giving handwritten thank you notes to let team members know how much they’re needed goes a long way. Or simply dedicate time every week to call out the wins you’re noticing from individual people in front of the entire team.</p>

<p>Whether you show gratitude with a quick thanks, an award, or free lunch of their choice, a little recognition can go a long way.</p>

<h2>Check in with your dental staff</h2>

<p>Stand out from other practices and create a space for workers to feel heard.</p>

<p>According to Harvard Business Review, nearly 40% of global employees reported that no one in the company had <a href="https://hbr.org/2020/08/8-ways-managers-can-support-employees-mental-health">checked in to see if they were doing okay</a>. While evaluations have their perks, they are often a significant source of anxiety for workers and can lead to wants and needs being overshadowed by their progress.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/behavioral-insights-millennial-dental-patient">Millennial dental patients </a>and staff differ in their desires from previous generations. More than any generation before, Millennial employees put high value into businesses that create an open environment. They crave safe spaces where they can be involved, making it imperative that leaders take time to get to know their team.</p>

<p>If your team is more reserved or shy, try creating an anonymous survey sent out monthly or having a box in the break room dedicated to improvement suggestions. Address these responses in a big group meeting where you can reach a unanimous solution, and no one gets singled out for their idea. If timidness is not an issue, schedule one-on-one sessions with employees where they lead the discussion.</p>

<p>Creating a compassionate, human-centric space can help combat burnout and keep employees happy with their job. In every one-on-one meeting, start incorporating wellness questions. Ask your team what is overwhelming them, how you can support them, and check in on their mental health.</p>

<h2>Upgrade essential equipment in your dental office</h2>

<p>Dental practices need specialized tools and gear to ensure proper patient care and employee satisfaction. Focus on upgrading the fundamental pieces of equipment that are used day in and out.</p>

<p>Here are examples of crucial tools your team needs to be set up for success:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Headsets and phones for taking calls and scheduling appointments</li>
	<li>Printers and copy machines for managing patient records</li>
	<li>Computers, administrative software, and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">dental membership plans</a></li>
	<li>Cabinetry that’s durable, functional, and easy to organize and access instruments, suppliers, and gear</li>
	<li>Sterilization equipment including autoclaves, ultrasonic cleaners, and heat sterilizers</li>
	<li>X-ray equipment for diagnosing and planning treatment</li>
	<li>Practice lighting for waiting areas, hallways, and operating rooms</li>
	<li>Chairs for workers who sit all day, patients waiting in the lobby, and dental operating chairs</li>
	<li>Personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, gowns, goggles, face shields, and sanitizers</li>
</ul>

<h2>Reevaluate compensation and benefits</h2>

<p>Take time to research the salaries offered by competitors and see how your practice stacks up. Are you honoring your longest team members for their loyalty? Evaluate performance and see if there is room for increases or bonuses to reward deserving employees.</p>

<p>Along with compensation, take a look at the benefits you offer. Membership plans are an excellent option to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/employee-care">give employees dental benefits</a>. You can also explore less common perks, like education credits, a fitness stipend for gym memberships, or reimbursements for childcare.</p>

<p>Unlimited paid time off is another popular consideration. It helps employers be as flexible as possible and allows workers the time they need to live their personal life without feeling the stress of the job. And make sure your staff uses their time off—they’ll thank you for it later. The main idea is to be as supportive and flexible as possible.</p>

<h2>Plan exciting events outside of the dental practice</h2>

<p>Promoting work relationships is one of the leading factors in employee satisfaction. Allow your team to get to know each other outside work by planning holiday parties, team bonding activities, and exciting workshops.</p>

<p>Attending events outside of the practice together can really allow relationships to flourish. Spending time together outside of work will not only strengthen the existing culture but also help new employees become acquainted with each other.</p>

<p>Planning an event provides so much more than just a fun time. Building relationships within the team gives employees a support system on a tough day and the confidence to express their wants and needs. Ultimately, it makes work something the team looks forward to together. Besides, when was the last time you had a team dinner on the weekend or a company retreat?</p>

<h2>Reducing dental practice burnout</h2>

<p>In conclusion, burnout among dental employees is a growing concern that can negatively affect productivity and employee satisfaction. By taking these steps, practices can improve employee engagement and overall practice success.</p>

<p>And if you’re looking for tools to provide better care for patients while easing the burden on your front office team — see how Kleer can help you build a high performing membership plan that requires little administration. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-march-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Get started today</a>!</p>

<h3>Reference</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress">Burnout and Stress are Everywhere</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/11/20/why-employee-recognition-is-more-crucial-than-ever/">Why Employee Recognition is More Crucial Than Ever</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://hbr.org/2020/08/8-ways-managers-can-support-employees-mental-health">8 Ways Managers Can Support Employees Mental Health </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/behavioral-insights-millennial-dental-patient">Behavioral Insights into Millennial Dental Patients</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/about-dental-membership-plans">About Kleer</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/employee-care">Kleer Employee Care</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-march-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Get Started with Kleer</a></li>
</ul>


Have you noticed reduced staff productivity, increased absenteeism, carelessness, or heard unwanted feedback from patients? If so, your team may be experiencing symptoms of burnout.

Reducing Practice Burnout: Give Your Team The Tools They Need

<p>World Oral Health Day (WOHD) has a rich history and celebrates the importance of oral health to overall well-being. On WOHD, we recognize the millions of people around the world who are living in pain or discomfort due to untreated dental problems that can be prevented if proper care is accessed. We also celebrate the progress made towards improving oral health equity.</p>

<p>The focus of this year’s <a href="https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/">World Oral Health Day</a> is on the importance of oral health at every stage of life, because no matter what age you are, caring for your mouth and looking after your oral health is important. And increasing access to affordable, quality services for all individuals regardless of age, geographic location or socioeconomic status is key to improving oral health outcomes.</p>

<p>Here are 4 simple ways to make a difference.</p>

<h2>Empower communities through prevention</h2>

<p>Prevention is key to good oral health. In many communities, a lack of education and access to dental care is leading to an increase in oral health problems. By empowering communities with the knowledge and tools, we can help reduce the burden of poor oral health.</p>

<p>One way to do this is through education. By providing patients with educational materials, such as brochures or flyers, they can take with them and reference at anytime. These materials provide patients with key information on good oral health practices and the best ways to care for their teeth and gums.</p>

<h2>Launch a social media campaign</h2>

<p>Launch a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">social media campaign</a> to promote simple oral health practices and raise awareness about World Oral Health Day. You can share posts on your social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, that inspire patients to maintain good oral hygiene and remind them about the importance of regular dental check-ups.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources">Checkout these fun resources!</a></p>

<h2>Promote your dental membership plan</h2>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-march-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">Dental membership plans </a>are a great way to encourage patients to seek regular, preventive dental care. With routine hygiene visits included, membership plan patients consistently book — and keep — their appointments, completing 2-3X more hygiene reappointments than other uninsured patients and accepting nearly 3X the amount of treatment. You can instantly promote your membership plan through your website and social media platforms, as well as with direct mail or email campaigns.</p>

<h2>Support local programs that provide oral health services</h2>

<p>Look for opportunities to support local organizations that provide oral health services in underserved communities. Offer to provide supplies, volunteer your time and resources, or host a donation drive to help ensure that those who need access to oral care can get it.</p>

<p>By taking these steps we can all make a difference in improving oral health outcomes and increasing access to quality preventive care for everyone.</p>

<p>On World Oral Health Day, let’s all make a commitment to do our part to promote good oral health for ourselves and others. Happy World Oral Health Day!</p>

<h3>Resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/">WOHD 2023</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">Social Media Marketing Tips for Dental Practices</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources">WOHD Resources</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-march-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">About Kleer</a></li>
</ul>


World Oral Health Day (WOHD) has a rich history and celebrates the importance of oral health to overall well-being.

Expanding Access and Improving Outcomes for World Oral Health Day

Don’t miss an opportunity to attract, engage, and retain more patients with these 10 simple steps to build the ideal membership plan solution for your group or DSO. 

The DSO Leaders Guide to Create a Successful Membership Plan

<h3>Blurry pricing could be hurting your practice. </h3>

<p><em>“How much is this car?”</em></p>

<p><em>“It’s hard to say. We’ll send you a bill after we file the paperwork. Be sure to pay the bill when you get it.”</em></p>

<p>Now, imagine being that confused car customer. Do you roll the dice and hope the price is under budget? Or do you pass on the purchase because your other bills are more pressing. Lack of pricing is a source of financial stress, not just for car shoppers but also health care consumers. This happens every day in our offices. Dental patients often can’t determine whether our services are priced accurately and to them, cavities and crowns mean large numbers with a high cost.</p>

<p>Patients have the right to know the cost of their dental care upfront, as well as what their dental insurance covers. Pricing transparency <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">provides all patients with the opportunity</a> to make educated decisions about their prescribed treatment. Why is it so hard to achieve accuracy? It could be from misaligned fee schedules, frequency limitations, and restrictive clauses that can make it difficult to provide consistently accurate estimates. Even the most experienced insurance coordinators can be surprised by a new plan provision.</p>

<p>Let’s go back to the car dealership. What happens when the invoice arrives with a price 10-15% higher than you budgeted? You’ve driven the car home and there are no returns at this point. Does this sound similar to a patient with a delivered crown who now receives an unexpected costly bill? Thankfully I’ve never had a patient return a nicely seated crown over a balance but I’m sure it’s happened! Surprised consumers will think twice before visiting an establishment with blurry pricing.</p>

<p>Dental patients should be able to trust our coinsurance estimates. They’re not knowledgeable enough to decipher their plan benefits and apply all the possible clauses. Our patients with lower or fixed incomes truly depend on us to not bust their budgets. A new crown often means patients are dipping into hard-earned savings. If the insurance estimate comes back short, then you can bet that your patient will stress over finding the extra dollars. Perhaps the next time they’ll think twice before returning your calls.</p>

<p>Accurate pricing strengthens the relationship between the dental office and the patient. It drives engagement and treatment compliance, which can lead to improved oral health outcomes. Whether you are offering your patients accurate coinsurance estimations or simply a <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-platform">predictable fee through your membership plan</a>, keep in mind that maintaining your patients’ trust is essential. Wouldn’t it be nice if questions about fees could take a back seat to more important treatment conversations? It’s not just the ideal situation but it’s what our patients deserve.</p>

<h4>About the Author</h4>

<p><img alt="Teresa Duncan, MS" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5066da11-c689-44ec-aa64-6a6411d4b81f" src="https://www.dapperdogstudio.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Dental%20Town%20-%20Award%20-%20Hero%20%28750%20%C3%97%20346%20px%29.png" /></p>

<p>With over 20 years of healthcare experience, Teresa addresses topics such as Insurance Coding, Office Manager Training and Patient Conversations. Her memberships include the National Speakers Association and the National Association of Dental Plans. She has been named one of the Top 25 Women in Dentistry and is the author of <a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/Odysseybooks"><u>Moving Your Patients to Yes: Easy Insurance Conversations</u></a> as well as a contributing author to the ADA’s annual CDT Companion Guide™. Her podcasts “<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobody-told-me-that-with-teresa-duncan/id1278687236"><em>Nobody Told Me That!</em></a>” and “<em><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/podcasts/chew-on-this-a-dental-podcast">Chew On This</a>!”</em> provide regular coding and management updates. Teresa received her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management.</p>

<h3> </h3>

<h3>Resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">How Patients Benefit from Dental Membership Plans</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-platform">The Kleer Platform</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/Odysseybooks">Odyssey Books</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nobody-told-me-that-with-teresa-duncan/id1278687236">Nobody Told Me That Podcast</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.odysseymgmt.com/podcasts/chew-on-this-a-dental-podcast">Chew On This Podcast </a></li>
</ul>


Blurry pricing could be hurting your practice. 

“How much is this car?”

“It’s hard to say. We’ll send you a bill after we file the paperwork. Be sure to pay the bill when you get it.”

Offer Your Dental Patients Transparent Treatment Fees 

<p>February is <strong>Gum Disease Awareness Month</strong> and the perfect time to focus on the importance of periodontal health.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, bleeding gums don't concern a large portion of the population — but, as every dental professional knows, they should. Patients don't realize that bleeding gums can be a symptom of periodontal disease — so they brush it off and avoid the necessary care to stay healthy.</p>

<p>These patients aren't alone: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/conditions/periodontal-disease.html">47.2% of adults</a> ages 30 and up have some form of periodontal disease. This number increases drastically to 70.1% in those 65 and older.</p>

<p>Many of these patients <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935673/">won't pursue treatment</a>, and studies have shown that patients that don't attend regular periodontal maintenance appointments have more tooth loss than those who do. So how do you get these patients back on track? It starts with having an office culture focused on periodontal health and the importance of treatment compliance. Here are three solutions you can prioritize now:</p>

<h2>Empower patients with education</h2>

<p>Since 75% of periodontal disease can be diagnosed in the hygiene chair, helping patients understand their condition and the consequences of not getting treatment is essential to ensuring they engage with care. Communication between hygienists, dentists, treatment coordinators, and patients should be open, honest, and ongoing.</p>

<p>It's essential to explain to patients with periodontitis that this condition requires regular follow-up. Periodontitis can be destructive, resulting in bone loss which may eventually cause tooth loss if not addressed. Stress that halts the disease's progression requires specialized treatment along with lasting improvements in an oral hygiene routine — it takes both parties working together as a team for success!</p>

<p>Having resources such as printouts, handouts, and online educational materials is a great way to supplement a patient's understanding.</p>

<h2>Be strategic with appointment-related communication</h2>

<p>One of the most effective ways to ensure patients attend their periodontal follow-up is through proactive appointment reminders. Sending notifications (either verbal or digital) closer to the date of a recall appointment has been proven to increase patient attendance significantly.</p>

<p>How you communicate with patients is almost as important as what you communicate. By personalizing your reminder messages, such as creating templates with patient-specific information and addressing the patient by name, you can make them feel more comfortable and remind them of why their appointment is necessary.</p>

<p>You can also target patients' specific needs and concerns. For example, for a patient who has periodontitis but is <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/combating-cost-conscious-patients-4-ways-improve-case-acceptance">worried about cost</a>, you could send them information about financing or alternative coverage options available at your practice.</p>

<h2>Remove cost barriers to care</h2>

<p>Your office's greatest flight risk is patients without adequate dental coverage and unfortunately, the majority of patients cannot pay upfront for care. Given the limitations, exclusions, and nuances of traditional coverage options, membership plans offer the simplest and most profitable solution to make necessary preventive and treatment services more accessible.</p>

<p>With traditional coverage options like dental insurance and discount plans, patients are stuck dealing with enrollment processes that often come with delays in benefits which leads to more roadblocks in order to receive necessary treatment.</p>

<p>An <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">innovative membership plan</a> solution powered by Kleer can help simplify enrollment and provide immediate access to care — increasing the likelihood of catching periodontal problems early and maximizing opportunities for education and discussion around treatment options.</p>

<p>When an office utilizes a Kleer-powered membership plan:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Patients can sign up in your office or from any device and select the plan that best serves their preventive or <strong>periodontal dental needs</strong>.</li>
	<li>Only a patient name, phone number, email address, and payment are required to enroll.</li>
	<li>The sign-up process takes less than 2 minutes, and benefits start immediately. Once enrolled, patients can review benefits, manage payments, add family members, and contact your office from the Kleer Patient Portal.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Patients who receive periodontal care have better health outcomes</h2>

<p>Patient education and removing cost barriers are essential for driving treatment compliance for periodontal disease. When patients return regularly and are confident in accepting recommendations for further treatment, it simultaneously increases overall practice performance and profitability. Ultimately, the benefits create a symbiotic win-win for the practice and a patient's periodontal health.</p>

<p>To learn more about how Kleer's membership platform can support your periodontal patients and provide an improved patient experience, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-february-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">request a consultation today</a>.</p>

<h3>Resources</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935673/">Prevalence of Periodontitis in US Adults</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/combating-cost-conscious-patients-4-ways-improve-case-acceptance">Combatting Cost Conscious Patients</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">How Patients Benefit From a Dental Membership Plan</a></li>
</ul>


February is Gum Disease Awareness Month and the perfect time to focus on the importance of periodontal health.

How to Increase Treatment Compliance Among Periodontal Patients

<p>The state of oral health in the U.S. has dramatically improved in the last 60 years, but the country still has plenty of strides to make — specifically regarding how children and their families access quality dental care.</p>

<p>Studies have shown that improvements in the oral health of young children <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212323/">have yet to follow this national trend</a>.</p>

<p>Oral health disparities in some of the youngest groups of children may be widening. Dental cavities are now the most common childhood disease, thanks to genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, while oral health applications have made many advancements in recent years, they only reach some. But by launching a dental membership plan, your practice can have a hand in closing the gap.</p>

<h2>Traditional Dental Insurance Isn't Cutting It</h2>

<p>Over 77 million people in the U.S. lack dental coverage. Between the expansion of the gig economy and the lack of access to employer-sponsored benefits, patients need coverage. Including the individuals with incomes too low for subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but too high to be eligible for government assistance programs. In contrast, offices need more affordable options to offer patients to help them get the care they need.</p>

<p><strong>Data reflects that:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Patients without benefits visit the dentist 3 times less than insured patients</li>
	<li>Uninsured patients accept half of the treatment compared to those with insurance</li>
	<li>75% of uninsured patients cite lack of coverage as the reason why they don't visit the dentist</li>
</ul>

<p><br />
Families are disadvantaged when they struggle to ensure their children have access to quality dental care. Smile Starters knew this problem well, so they turned to Kleer's advanced platform to help provide coverage to <a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-studies/smile-starters">underserved children in North Carolina</a>. Parents and guardians loved the simplicity of the sign-up process and the affordability of a Kleer-powered plan, resulting in better health outcomes for their children.</p>

<p>Kleer has partnered with hundreds of pediatric practices nationwide to help them increase production, attract new patients, and create reliable, recurring revenue.</p>

<p><strong>Practices can leverage Kleer to:</strong></p>

<ul>
	<li>Connect families with fair and equitable access to dental care.</li>
	<li>Customize care plans based on patients' age range.</li>
	<li>Customize plan inclusions (e.g., fluoride, sealants).</li>
	<li>Automatically transition patients through plans as they grow.</li>
	<li>Optimize membership plan pricing with Kleer's SmartPricing™ feature.</li>
	<li>Create efficiencies through automation, practice management integration, and 1:1 support to free up time.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Access to Dental Care isn't Equal</h2>

<p>Insurance isn't the only factor standing in the way of pediatric dental care. Race and ethnicity often play a role. A 2022 study from Pew finds that the <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/03/11/inequitable-access-to-oral-health-care-continues-to-harm-children-of-color">prevalence of both treated and untreated tooth decay</a> among American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Hispanic, and Black third-graders is considerably higher than in their White classmates. The use of dental sealants to prevent decay tends to be lower in minority youth as well.</p>

<p>Geography is a major factor as well. Pew states that more than 64 million people in the U.S. live in areas with major dental shortages. That means that when parents in that population cannot easily access public transportation or get time off from work, their children struggle to receive necessary preventive care.</p>

<p>This provides an excellent opportunity for forward-thinking dental leaders to expand community access to care. For example, Fenton Family Dental leveraged the latest technology to offer extended hours and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/how-switching-kleer-helped-multi-location-practice-improve-community-access-care">weekend appointments to accommodate all their patients</a>.</p>

<p>Since implementing a Kleer-powered membership plan, Fenton Family Dental has reported improved patient satisfaction and loyalty. And when a parent feels comfortable with a practice, they'll feel at ease taking their children there to receive routine care.</p>

<h2>Give Your Pediatric Patients the Kleer Advantage</h2>

<p>As you know, a lack of access to dental care can impact children for the rest of their lives. By offering an affordable and convenient dental membership plan, your practice can help families fit dental care into their budgets and help kids have healthy smiles for life.</p>

<p>To learn more about Kleer, <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2023-february-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">request your free 1:1 consultation</a>.</p>

<h3>References:</h3>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212323/">Improving Children's Oral Health</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-studies/smile-starters">Smile Starters Provides Affordable Pediatric Dental Coverage to Underserved Kids </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-advantage">The Kleer Advantage </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/03/11/inequitable-access-to-oral-health-care-continues-to-harm-children-of-color">Inequitable Access to Oral Health Care Continues to Harm Children of Color </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/case-study/how-switching-kleer-helped-multi-location-practice-improve-community-access-care">How Switching to Kleer Helped this Multi-Location Practice Improve Community Access to Care</a></li>
</ul>


The state of oral health in the U.S. has dramatically improved in the last 60 years, but the country still has plenty of strides to make — specifically regarding how children and their families access quality dental care.

How Dental Memberships Offer Health Equity for Pediatric Patients

<p>Dental insurance is on the decline. According to a recent study, <a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/macro-op-ed/article/14284116/new-data-show-that-americans-are-still-not-getting-the-dental-care-they-need">77 million Americans</a> don't have dental insurance, and as layoffs loom, that number is expected to grow.</p>

<p>Without employer-sponsored coverage, consumers are just going without. In fact, the majority of people that don't have employer-sponsored dental care will not elect to purchase dental insurance—it's too expensive and too confusing. This leaves a significant population paying out of pocket and potentially avoiding trips to your office over the fear of cost.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">Patients need coverage</a> but don't realize there is an easy way to get it. Membership plans eliminate the confusion associated with conventional coverage, reduce the apprehension of treatment costs, and increase the convenience of care.</p>

<p>When you think about it, it's no surprise that a dental membership plan would be attractive. In a rapidly growing subscription-based economy, consumers are accustomed to memberships (thank you, Netflix, Costco, and fitness chains!).</p>

<h2>Membership plans in dentistry</h2>

<p>Introducing this tried-and-true model in dentistry is a recipe for success. Patients get access to simple, affordable dental coverage and are subsequently more likely to come into your office and accept treatment — which means increased production and revenue for your practice. On average, membership-plan patients accept 2-3X more procedures than uninsured patients and generate 2-3X more annual revenue.</p>

<p>While some practices manage their in-house membership plan independently, turning to an experienced partner provides greater results. Kleer's intuitive membership platform is helping practices see unrivaled returns on investment.</p>

<p>Over two years, data collected from Kleer customers found that uninsured patients averaged just 1.5 visits per year, while patients enrolled in a Kleer-powered membership plan averaged three visits per year. Treatment acceptance grew by 145%, while <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-increase-production-existing-dental-patients">production increased</a> 172%. Most impressively, collections from membership-plan patients over uninsured patients grew from $317 per year to $893 per year—a 182% increase.</p>

<h2>Measuring membership plan impact and ROI</h2>

<p>Kleer's cloud-based platform streamlines enrollment and renewals, simplifies billing, increases collections, centralizes reporting, and more. Plus plans are entirely customizable to reflect local economics, patient demographics, and dentists' treatment preferences. And the results have been consistent across solo, group, and DSO practices of all sizes.</p>

<h3>Case Study 1</h3>

<p>One group practice in New Jersey, with 15 dentists, realized they needed a centralized hub to ensure the maximum success of their membership plan across five locations.</p>

<p>Once the team began automating their membership plan with Kleer and left their excel reports behind them, the benefits were almost immediate. 2 years of data reflects that:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Treatment acceptance grew by 109%</li>
	<li>Production increased by 169%</li>
	<li>Collections grew from $387 to $1320—a 246% increase</li>
</ul>

<h3>Case Study 2</h3>

<p>While independent practices aren’t faced with the exact same challenges as groups, the difficulty of managing a membership plan with limited resources and the inability to automate prove just as taxing.</p>

<p>An independent practice in central California built its in-house plan with the intention of serving a large population of uninsured patients. The plan quickly grew to over 100 patients, and the front office spent much of their time processing payments and trying to follow up on renewals. They turned to Kleer for a better option.</p>

<p>As a result, the team was able to stay on top of their membership plan and drastically improve their <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/10-ways-generate-more-revenue-your-dental-practice">bottom line</a>. Two years of data reflects that:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Patient visits increased by 127%</li>
	<li>Treatment acceptance grew 203%</li>
	<li>Collections rose from $416 to $2,593—a 523% increase</li>
</ul>

<h2>The proof is in the product</h2>

<p>At Kleer, we developed our membership plan software with you in mind. With a clean and user-friendly dashboard, a Customer Success Team to help train and onboard your administrators, and an easy automated payment system that integrates directly with your practice management software, it's no surprise that Kleer is the ultimate solution for launching and operating a successful membership plan.</p>

<p>Don't just take our word for it. Our white paper reveals data from solo and group dental practices detailing how they transformed their uninsured patients into their most loyal and profitable asset. <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/kleer-gets-results?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2022-january-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=profitability&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=kleer-gets-results-white-paper">Download your copy here</a>.</p>

<h4>Resources</h4>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.dentaleconomics.com/macro-op-ed/article/14284116/new-data-show-that-americans-are-still-not-getting-the-dental-care-they-need">New Data: American Still Not Getting the Coverage They Need </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-patients-benefit-dental-membership-plans">How Patients Benefit from Dental Membership Plans </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/how-increase-production-existing-dental-patients">How to Increase Production for Existing Dental Patients </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/10-ways-generate-more-revenue-your-dental-practice">10 Ways to Generate More Revenue </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/kleer-gets-results?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2022-january-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=profitability&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=kleer-gets-results-white-paper">Kleer Gets Results White Paper</a></li>
</ul>


How Solo, Group, and DSO Practices are Increasing Uninsured Patient Revenue

<p>You know the feeling. You're sitting in your dental chair, looking at the clock, and realizing you've been working for hours non-stop. Did your office manager submit all the paperwork for the day? Was the patient's insurance information verified? Did your dental assistant get coverage for their shift tomorrow? Are there enough materials to get you through the week? Navigating the complexities of operating your dental practice is challenging, making it easy to let certain business processes, including your membership plan, fall by the wayside.</p>

<p>If your team manages an in-house membership plan alone, we understand why it can happen. Practices are working overtime, employees are stretched thin, and managing a membership plan keeps falling to the bottom of your priorities.</p>

<p>But the truth is, how your patients' access care is the foundation of practice performance — and ultimately profitability — which means that the coverage options you offer your patients (like your membership plan) are fundamental to how you get paid. So how can you make membership plan management easier while delivering quality patient care? You need a partner in success.</p>

<p>Let's explore why partnering with the right membership partner can save you effort, money, and time!</p>

<h2>Having a support structure is pivotal</h2>

<p>From helping in-network providers transition away from PPOs to reducing cost barriers to care for patients, you'll want to partner with a dedicated team of experts to support your performance and profitability goals.</p>

<h3>Customizing care plans that work for you and your patients</h3>

<p>Tailoring plans to fit the needs of your patients can take time and effort. But with the right partner, you can easily and quickly design multiple care plans to best serve your patient demographics and ensure your <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-advantage">plan pricing is as profitable</a> — and competitive — as possible.</p>

<h3>Personalized onboarding and implementation</h3>

<p>Your partner should be able to guide you through the onboarding process from start to finish. They should understand your unique practice culture and customize your implementation based on your practice size and needs.</p>

<h3>Manage your plan efficiently and in real-time</h3>

<p>Utilizing an <a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-platform">intuitive platform</a> eliminates the time-consuming tasks of managing a membership plan so you can focus on patient care. You should look for features that enhance your ability to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Measure membership plan performance with a simple, user-friendly dashboard</li>
	<li>Track recurring revenue and deposits to your bank account</li>
	<li>Monitor member enrollment, activity, and payments</li>
	<li>Automate the member renewal process</li>
	<li>Improve administrative efficiency with patient self-service tools</li>
	<li>Integrate directly with your PMS to enhance plan management, engage patients, and measure results</li>
</ul>

<h3>Grow your plan with free and customizable marketing tools and resources</h3>

<p>Having access to professionally designed email and <a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">social media templates</a> to advertise your membership to patients who don't have dental insurance — or to all your patients — takes the burden off your team. You'd be surprised how many patients would consider dropping their dental insurance and opting for an in-house membership plan if presented with the option.</p>

<h3>Maintain federal and state regulatory compliance</h3>

<p>Creating a membership plan that is HIPAA and DMPO compliant can be tricky, and consulting with lawyers and health care experts gets expensive. Your partner should be able to get answers to — and help with — compliance questions to ensure that your plan meets all federal and state regulations, especially regarding privacy, data security, and payment processing laws like PCI. </p>

<h2>Advancements in membership plan technology</h2>

<p>Membership plans are quickly growing in capability to better serve the needs of dental practices and their patients. Kleer is leading this effort with <a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/ki-white-paper?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2022-january-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=kleer-intelligence&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ki-white-paper">Kleer Intelligence</a> — the next step in membership plan innovation — designed to dramatically improve plan management, tracking, and results.</p>

<p>Built upon Kleer's experience working with 1,000s of dental practices, a data-centric approach to product development, and an 18-month R&amp;D effort, Kleer Intelligence helps your practice automate membership plan administration and maximize outcomes.</p>

<p>The goal is to be able to minimize your to-do list while maximizing results because:</p>

<h3>Membership plan patients are more loyal, more compliant, and more profitable</h3>

<p>Because you're developing a direct relationship and because routine care is included, membership patients consistently book — and keep — their hygiene appointments. When compared to your uninsured patients, membership plan patients:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Visit 2-3X more often than uninsured patients</li>
	<li>Accept up to 2.5X more treatment</li>
	<li>Generate 2.9X the production</li>
</ul>

<h3>The speed of collections on membership plan patients is unparalleled</h3>

<p>Kleer-powered membership plan patients pay for their subscription upfront and for any additional care at the time of treatment, so there are no accounts receivable or past-due balances to delay your practice from getting paid.</p>

<h3>They add a recurring revenue component to your practice profit model</h3>

<p>Monthly and/or annual membership plan fees consistently paid by patients create a reliable, recurring revenue stream for your practice. ﻿</p>

<h2>Everything and more with Kleer</h2>

<p>If you're ready to take the first step towards creating and managing your in-house membership plan or improving your existing one, you’re in good hands. Kleer is the trusted membership platform solution for over 7,000 dentists.</p>

<p>At Kleer, we developed our membership plan software with you in mind. With a clean and user-friendly dashboard, a Customer Success Team to help train and onboard your administrators, easy automated processes, and seamless integration capabilities, Kleer is the ultimate solution if you want to ease the effort, money, and time it takes to run a successful and profitable membership plan.</p>

<p>Don't wait — <a href="https://www.kleer.com/thank-you/request-demo?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2022-january-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=about-kleer&amp;utm_form=request-demo&amp;utm_asset=request-demo">schedule your free 1:1 consultation</a>.</p>

<h5>Resources:</h5>

<ul>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-advantage">The Kleer Advantage</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/kleer-platform">The Kleer Platform </a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/blog/social-media-marketing-tips-dental-practices">Social Media Marketing Tips for Dental Practices</a></li>
	<li><a href="https://www.kleer.com/ebook/ki-white-paper?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=content-marketing&amp;utm_campaign=kleer-2022-january-blog-post&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=kleer-intelligence&amp;utm_form=content-download&amp;utm_asset=ki-white-paper">Kleer Intelligence: The Ultimate Membership Plan Solution</a></li>
</ul>


You know the feeling. You're sitting in your dental chair, looking at the clock, and realizing you've been working for hours non-stop. Did your office manager submit all the paperwork for the day? Was the patient's insurance information verified?

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