Dental Savings Plan for Patients: How Dr. Dan Nelson Built Freedom & Dropped All PPOs
🪝 The Hook: What If You Didn’t Need Insurance Anymore?
Imagine walking into your practice and not seeing massive write-offs.
No 40% adjustments.
No reimbursement games.
No “we can’t pay you that much.”
Just collections.
That’s exactly what happened when Dr. Dan Nelson and his team at Elevation Association built a powerful dental savings plan for patients — and eventually dropped every PPO contract, including Delta Dental.
This wasn’t a reckless move.
It was strategic.
And it worked.
😤 The Problem: Insurance Was Crushing the Model
Before going fee-for-service, Dr. Nelson faced the same pain most dentists are feeling right now:
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Reimbursements hadn’t meaningfully increased in over 20 years
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Overhead was climbing (inflation, wage growth, hygiene shortages)
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Write-offs hit up to 60% on some procedures
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Production stayed high… but margins kept shrinking
The math stopped working.
They were working harder, running faster, and earning less.
That’s not growth.
That’s burnout disguised as success.
Something had to change.
💡 The Epiphany: Build the Parachute Before You Jump
Instead of rage-canceling PPOs overnight (terrible idea), Dr. Nelson did something smarter.
He built a dental savings plan for patients years before dropping insurance.
Why?
Because you don’t jump without a parachute.
The savings plan became the foundation for:
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Predictable revenue
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Controlled pricing
They didn’t replace insurance overnight.
They built an alternative first.
That’s the difference between chaos and strategy.
🦷 What Is a Dental Savings Plan for Patients?
A dental savings plan for patients is an in-house membership program that allows patients to:
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Pay a monthly or annual fee
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Receive preventive care included
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Get discounts on additional treatment
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Avoid insurance hassles
No deductibles.
No waiting periods.
No third-party middleman.
Patients pay the practice directly.
The practice controls the model.
Simple. Powerful. Profitable.
🚀 How Elevation Association Built a Powerful Savings Plan
Dr. Nelson and his team didn’t treat their savings plan like a “discount club.”
They treated it like a business system.
Here’s what they did right:
1️⃣ They Made It Part of Their Identity
The team understood the mission:
“We are building independence from insurance.”
This wasn’t optional. It was strategic.
Everyone rowed in the same direction.
2️⃣ They Incentivized Growth
The top-growing membership practices all do this.
They bonused team members on new member enrollments.
Why?
Because alignment drives growth.
When front desk believes in the plan and is rewarded for it, enrollment increases dramatically.
3️⃣ They Used BoomCloud™ to Scale
Trying to manage a savings plan on spreadsheets?
That’s how you create a mess.
Using BoomCloud™:
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Automated recurring billing
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Managed renewals
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Tracked MRR & ARR
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Monitored retention
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Generated reporting
The software removed administrative friction and allowed the plan to scale without chaos.
That’s critical.
Because complexity kills momentum.
💰 The Financial Impact: MRR Changes Everything
Here’s where it gets exciting.
When you build a dental savings plan for patients, you create:
Example:
400 members × $35/month = $14,000 per month
That’s $168,000 per year before treatment.
Now imagine 600 members.
You’re building stability.
And stability gives you confidence.
📉 The Transition: Dropping PPOs the Smart Way
After years of building their savings plan, Dr. Nelson’s team:
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Tracked KPIs relentlessly
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Monitored attrition
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Strengthened communication
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Built outreach systems
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Prepared patients early
When Delta Dental finally got dropped?
They were ready.
Yes, there was some schedule fallout.
Yes, hygiene had temporary holes.
That’s normal.
But the recurring revenue cushion and strong patient relationships prevented collapse.
And within about a year, things regulated.
Then something amazing happened…
🔓 The Freedom
Dr. Nelson described it perfectly.
It felt like removing a ball and chain.
No more massive write-offs.
No more reimbursement fights.
No more running from op to op just to survive margins.
They slowed down.
They regained control.
They practiced dentistry on their terms.
That’s the real goal.
📊 Why a Dental Savings Plan for Patients Increases Loyalty
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Show up more consistently
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Accept more treatment
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Stay longer
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Refer more friends
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Spend 2X–4X more over time
Why?
Because they feel connected to the practice — not their insurance card.
Insurance builds transactional relationships.
Membership builds relational loyalty.
And loyalty builds lifetime value.
⚠ Common Mistakes Dentists Make
If you’re considering building a dental savings plan for patients, avoid these:
❌ Underpricing the plan
❌ Not training your team
❌ Canceling PPOs too fast
❌ Treating it like a simple discount
❌ Not tracking retention
Dr. Nelson’s success wasn’t luck.
It was preparation.
🧠 The Bigger Picture: Control Your Business Model
Insurance companies are consolidating.
They’re buying practices.
They’re influencing education.
Reimbursements remain stagnant.
You can’t control insurance.
But you can control your business model.
A dental savings plan for patients puts power back where it belongs — with the provider.
❓ FAQs About Dental Savings Plans
Will patients actually join?
Yes. Especially uninsured patients and even many insured patients looking for simplicity.
How long does it take to build momentum?
Typically 6–12 months to build meaningful recurring revenue.
Is it risky to drop PPOs?
If you build your savings plan first and transition strategically, risk is manageable.
Do patients understand it?
When positioned clearly and confidently, absolutely.
🎯 Final Thought
The goal isn’t just to drop PPOs.
The goal is to build something better.
Dr. Dan Nelson and Elevation Association didn’t rage against insurance.
They replaced it with a smarter model.
A powerful dental savings plan for patients built with BoomCloud™ gave them:
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Predictable revenue
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Higher collections
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Stronger loyalty
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Operational control
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And freedom
That’s not theory.
That’s execution.
📥 Ready to Build Your Own Dental Savings Plan?
Download the million-dollar membership plan ebook
👉 https://boomcloud.myclickfunnels.com/million-dollar-book
Take The Six-Figure Patient Membership Plan Course
👉 https://www.boomcloudapp.com/six-figure-membership-course
Schedule a Demo of BoomCloud™ & Learn how to manage & grow your membership plan
👉 https://boomcloudapps.com/demo-schedule
