The Real Cost of PPOs in Dentistry

In this episode, Jordon Comstock and Dan from Elevation Association continue their deep dive into the realities of PPO dependence, fee-for-service transitions, and the changing economics of dentistry. The conversation explores how insurance reimbursement pressures, write-offs, overhead, and poor financial tracking are quietly reducing profitability for dental practice owners across the country. Dan shares what he’s seeing firsthand while helping practices transition toward fee-for-service models — including the operational, financial, and communication changes practices must make to succeed. One of the biggest themes of the episode is this: Many practices are losing far more money to write-offs than they realize because they are not properly tracking the data. The episode also covers: Why dentist owner income is declining How insurance companies use regional fee averages against practices Why “zeroing out” codes hurts practices and surrounding offices How PPO write-offs distort financial data Why most practices don’t accurately track write-offs The operational steps required before dropping PPOs Why patient membership plans are critical before transitioning out of network The importance of bookkeeping and clean P&Ls How recurring revenue and membership plans create stability The role of overhead reduction in improving profitability Why preparation matters before becoming fee-for-service Dan also shares practical insights into: Tracking write-offs correctly Building patient membership benefit plans Understanding reimbursement data Training teams to communicate differently with patients Setting realistic expectations during a PPO transition Jordon Comstock - BoomCloudapps.comDr. Dan Nelson - Elevation Association