How To Create, Organize, And Automate Your In-House Dental Practice Membership Plan With Jordon Comstock

Jordon had a wonderful conversation with Jonathan Van horn from Dentist Metrics. Here is what you will learn when listening to this podcast:

According to recent statistics, 55% of American’s don’t have dental insurance. And if your practice is only serving the 45% of patients that do, you’re leaving a ton of money (and profit) on the table.

One way to serve those without insurance is to offer an in-house membership plan, but when done improperly, it can often be more of a headache than a plus.

Fortunately, there’s a method to the madness when it comes to in-house membership plans, which is why I’m excited to have today’s guest Jordon Comstock on the show. Jordon is the founder of BoomCloud a membership plan software that helps you focus on what matters.

If Jordon’s name sounds familiar, you may have heard Jordon and his partner Ben have me on the Navigating Dental Insurance podcast in which discussed dental insurance.

What I love about Jordon’s story is how he created a software based on his own needs, and in our conversation, we discuss in-house membership plans in depth.

• How Jordan got involved in the dental industry.
• The biggest problems most practices face who have in-house membership plans.
• Why Jordan’s love of technology and dentistry allowed him to create a product that dentists need.
• The many benefits of recurring revenue and why that should be a focus.
• What Jordon learned from developing and testing his software and how it applies to growing your own dental practice.

Listen to the podcast:

Ready to replace PPO write-offs with recurring revenue? See how practices use recurring membership billing built for dental to build in-house membership plans.

Why Traditional Practices Struggle Without a Membership Model

For decades, dental practices have relied heavily on dental insurance networks to drive patient volume. However, participating in traditional PPO networks comes at a steep price: write-offs ranging from 30% to 50%, delayed claims reimbursements, and endless administrative friction. At the same time, over half of the adult population in the United States does not have dental benefits. When uninsured patients believe they cannot afford routine preventive care, they delay treatment until an emergency arises.

When you learn how to create organize automate house membership programs, you solve both issues at once. You give your uninsured patients an affordable, transparent way to access care while establishing a predictable, recurring cash flow for your business. Rather than letting insurance companies dictate your fees and treatment plans, a direct-to-patient membership model puts clinical control back where it belongs: between you and your patient.

Step 1: Create the Foundation of Your Membership Plan

The first step in launching a successful in-house program is designing clear, attractive care packages. Your plan should not feel like a complex insurance policy. Instead, think of it as a subscription to oral health that bundles preventive care with courtesy discounts on restorative or cosmetic treatments.

Most thriving practices create two to three core tiers to cover their patient demographics:

• Standard Adult Hygiene Plan: Covers 2 cleanings per year, 2 periodic exams, 1 set of routine bitewing X-rays, 1 emergency exam with an X-ray, and a 15% discount on additional treatments (such as fillings, crowns, or root canals).
• Child Hygiene Plan: Designed for patients aged 13 and under. Includes 2 cleanings, 2 exams, routine bitewings, 2 fluoride treatments, and 15% off additional procedures.
• Periodontal Maintenance Plan: Tailored for patients requiring more frequent care. Includes 3 to 4 perio maintenance visits per year, 2 exams, routine radiographs, and 15% off additional procedures.

When setting your prices, look at your current standard fees (UCR). If two cleanings, two exams, and bitewings normally cost $420 out of pocket, pricing your adult membership at $35 per month ($420 per year) makes preventive care manageable for the patient while guaranteeing your revenue upfront.

Step 2: Organize Your Fees, Terms, and Team

Once your plan tiers are established, you must organize the operational framework to support them. Mismanagement often occurs when practices treat membership programs casually without documented guidelines or trained staff.

Organize your program around these operational pillars:

1. Clear Plan Terms: Define exactly when benefits begin (typically upon the first payment) and how long the agreement lasts (usually a 12-month commitment). Ensure patients understand that the program is not an insurance policy and cannot be combined with third-party dental insurance.
2. Transparent Fee Schedules: Make sure your front office knows exactly which services are included at 100% and which procedures qualify for the courtesy percentage discount.
3. Team Scripting and Alignment: Train your treatment coordinators and hygienists on how to present the plan. When an uninsured patient hesitates over the cost of a cleaning, your team should comfortably explain: "We offer an in-house wellness plan that covers all your routine preventive care for just $35 a month, plus gives you an immediate 15% savings on any treatment you need today."

Step 3: Automate Billing and Administrative Workflows

Managing an in-house plan manually using spreadsheets, paper renewal forms, and manual credit card processing is unsustainable. As soon as your practice grows past 50 members, manual tracking leads to missed billing dates, expired credit cards, uncollected membership dues, and administrative burnout.

To scale efficiently, you must automate the recurring billing and enrollment process. Modern membership software allows you to streamline these critical areas:

• Online Patient Enrollment: Enable patients to sign up on your practice website from their smartphone or computer, eliminating paperwork and manual data entry.
• Automated Recurring Billing: Collect subscription payments monthly or annually automatically via credit card or ACH, creating hands-off recurring revenue.
• Failed Payment Recovery: Automatically retry cards when transactions fail, and trigger automated decline notifications so patients can update their billing information without requiring phone calls from your front desk.
• Self-Service Member Portals: Give patients the ability to manage their payment methods and view their membership status online at any time.

The Simple Math of Recurring Revenue (MRR and ARR)

Building an automated membership program adds significant enterprise value to your dental practice by generating predictable monthly recurring revenue (MRR) and annual recurring revenue (ARR). Unlike fee-for-service visits that start at zero every month, membership dues provide baseline stability.

Consider a simple practice arithmetic scenario:

• 200 Adult Members paying $30 per month = $6,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).
• 50 Perio Members paying $50 per month = $2,500 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR).
• Total Monthly Revenue: $8,500 MRR.
• Total Annualized Revenue: $102,000 ARR in predictable subscription cash flow.

This $102,000 arrives before your team performs a single restorative procedure. Furthermore, data consistently shows that subscription members visit the practice more regularly, accept treatment at higher rates, and remain loyal patients for years because they have invested in their ongoing care.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an in-house membership plan and dental insurance?

An in-house membership plan is a direct agreement between the patient and your dental practice. Patients pay a monthly or annual fee directly to you for preventive care and discounted procedures. Unlike insurance, there are no claims to submit, no pre-authorizations, no deductibles, no annual maximums, and zero third-party write-offs or delays.

How many members does a dental practice need for the plan to be profitable?

A membership plan is profitable from the very first member because fees cover preventive care while eliminating insurance processing costs. However, reaching 150 to 200 active members provides substantial financial stability, generating thousands of dollars in predictable monthly recurring revenue while significantly increasing case acceptance for elective and restorative procedures.

Why shouldn't we manage recurring membership billing through spreadsheets?

Tracking memberships manually on spreadsheets quickly leads to lost revenue from expired credit cards, failed payments, and missed renewal dates. Manual tracking also consumes valuable front-desk hours. Dedicated membership software automates monthly billing, handles failed card retries, and tracks real-time revenue analytics without burdening your administrative team.

Can patients sign up for our membership plan online?

Yes. With modern membership software, your practice can embed a secure online enrollment portal directly on your website. Patients can select their plan tier, enter their payment details, and enroll 24/7 from their phone or computer, completely eliminating front-office data entry and paperwork.