Reducing Patient Attrition Through Smarter
Membership Plans
Retaining Patients
Without Insurance
Dr. Kimber Holmes, owner of Pasadena Family Dentistry, has always approached her practice with an entrepreneurial mindset. After purchasing her first office outside of Houston in 1996, she expanded in 2004 by acquiring and merging a second practice, bringing in a large influx of new patients.
The Challenge: Retaining Patients Without Insurance
As she analyzed her growing patient base, two key trends stood out: a rapidly increasing elderly population and rising patient attrition, especially among those same patients.
“If a patient lost their insurance,” Dr. Holmes explained, “they assumed they couldn’t come here anymore because they thought they couldn’t afford it.”
Like many practices, the default solution was to focus on bringing in new patients to offset the loss. But Dr. Holmes knew that wasn’t sustainable, nor did it align with how she wanted to run her practice.
“Dentistry is the easy part,” she said. “Relationships are hard.”
She wanted a better way to retain the patients she had already built relationships with, especially those aging out of traditional insurance coverage.
While exploring solutions, she discovered in-house membership plans and immediately saw their potential. However, building and managing a plan manually proved to be complex and time-consuming.
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The Solution: A Scalable Membership Plan with DentalHQ
“I could tell it was quality, and it was started by a dentist who understands my challenges,” she said. “Why reinvent the wheel when everything I need is already here? DentalHQ is a no-brainer.”
After implementing DentalHQ in October 2018, her team was able to easily launch and manage a membership plan without the burden of manual tracking or administration.
The platform allowed them to:
- Offer affordable care options for uninsured and aging patients
- Simplify enrollment and plan management
- Introduce specialized plans, including periodontal options
- Create a more predictable and consistent patient experience
“DentalHQ is actually enabling us to attract new patients as well as do a better job of keeping our existing ones,” Dr. Holmes shared.
“DentalHQ is actually enabling us to attract new patients as well as do a better job of keeping our existing ones,” Dr. Holmes shared.
The Results: Improved Retention and Practice Growth
- 293 active members, with approximately half being new patients
- Stronger retention among elderly and uninsured patients
- Increased case acceptance, particularly for periodontal services
- More efficient workflows with reduced administrative burden
By removing cost uncertainty and providing a clear, affordable path to care, more patients are choosing to stay and move forward with treatment.
“I could tell it was quality, and it was started by a dentist who understands my challenges,” she said. “Why reinvent the wheel when everything I need is already here? DentalHQ is a no-brainer.”
The Future: Strengthening Relationships That Last
Membership plans have given her team a way to support patients through life changes, especially when insurance is no longer an option.
Her approach is easy: focus on retention, prioritize relationships, and make care accessible.
Ready to Enhance Your Dental Practice Membership Management?
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