Case Studies

The Fridley, MN Clinic was producing strong clinical value, but too much of that value was being lost to discounted reimbursement, leaving the practice with 32.2% write-offs on $6.65 million of production. Rather than recommend one abrupt move, Dental Profit Advisory advised a phased transition that improved collections, reduced write-offs, and strengthened profitability in stages while protecting operational stability. The first phase alone projected a meaningful lift in revenue and profit, and the broader phased path created a clear route toward a stronger, more owner-controlled patient base. The success of this case was not just in identifying the financial upside, but in building a strategy the clinic could execute confidently through better sequencing, stronger patient communication, and lower implementation risk.

The Fosston, MN Clinic was already operating from a position of strength, with a large fee-for-service base, 1,875 active patients, and more demand than provider-constrained capacity required. That made this case very different from clinics that need to move in phases or first prove patient growth before making a change. Dental Profit Advisory recommended a full move out of network because the projected upside was substantial, including about $391,000 in added annual revenue and profit growth of more than 80%, while the patient base remained strong even after planned attrition. Just as importantly, attrition, production, and multivariable stress testing showed that only extreme scenarios would make the transition unattractive, giving the clinic a high likelihood of success.

The Eden Prairie, MN Clinics were not ready to move fully out of network, but they had a clear opportunity to improve reimbursement within their largest payer segment, which represented about one-third of the patient base. Dental Profit Advisory recommended a tier upgrade because most affected patients were expected to see little or no financial impact, the projected revenue gain was about $196,000 annually across both locations, and the model remained positive even with meaningful attrition. Just as importantly, the clinics were growing quickly and churning slowly, giving them time to offset patient loss before the change took effect. The success of this case was not just higher reimbursement, but choosing a tailored intermediate step that improved financial stability while moving the group closer to its long-term fee-for-service goal.

The Stillwater, MN Clinic was not advised to move out of network yet with their remaining insurance contract because the issue was not reimbursement alone, but timing, patient acquisition strength, and replacement demand. While the financial model showed a slight baseline upside, the projected gain was too narrow relative to the risk of patient loss, production softening, and limited excess demand. Dental Profit Advisory instead recommended first growing the patient base, improving new patient access, reducing churn, and proving acquisition channels so a future transition could be made from a far stronger and lower-risk position.