Advertise on podcast: Less Insurance Dependence Podcast

In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, host Lester De Alwis welcomes Tessina Bullock, President of Veritas Dental and Co-Founder of Veritas Dental Resources, to explain why so many dental practices accept PPO fees they should never have agreed to. Tessina shares how practices can start negotiating for what their work is worth, why low reimbursement rates hurt staffing, clinical quality, and marketing, the most common mistakes practices make when negotiating on their own, and how the IPA model can give independent practices more leverage. Complimentary Marketing Strategy Meeting: Most practices are losing patients online without knowing it. Book a free audit to see where your online visibility stands - https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/msm/  Complimentary Practice Growth Session with Gary Takacs: Want your team to present treatment and communicate the value of your dentistry with confidence? Book a free one-on-one session and walk away with a personalized action plan - https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/

Liz Lord, founder of the Professional Transformation Institute, joins Lester De Alwis to explain why so much change in a dental practice fades and what it takes to make it permanent. Drawing on more than three decades in dentistry and over 20 years of coaching, Liz shares why lasting change starts with the owner's own thinking, why leadership is a team effort that can be learned, and how a practice can tell when change has truly stuck. Learn the one habit any dentist can start this week: get curious before you react. Find Liz at professionaltransformationinstitute.com. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Sandy Baird, founder of Baird Concepts, returns to the Less Insurance Dependence podcast to make the case that the path away from insurance dependence runs through systems, not willpower. From the mental barriers that keep dentists stuck, to the real dollar cost of untracked PPO write-offs, to how trained teams multiply marketing ROI and drive case acceptance, Sandy lays out a gradual, data-driven path any practice can start this week. Reach Sandy at [email protected] or bairdconcepts.com. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Naren Arulrajah, CEO of Ekwa Marketing, joins host Don Adeesha to explain why dental ads so often generate attention without generating booked appointments. From the trust gap that cuts ad-driven conversion rates in half, to the real cost comparison between paid ads and organic SEO, this episode breaks down exactly what a practice needs before spending another dollar on ads: a welcoming landing page video, full-face before-and-after photography, and a steady stream of five-star paragraph reviews. Get a free six-hour marketing audit at lessinsurancedependence.com/msm. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Timothy James McNeely, founder and CEO of the Lifestone Companies and author of High Value Exit, joins Lester De Alwis to reveal why 100% of dentists will exit their practice, and why the value of that exit is set years before any buyer arrives. Learn the five hidden gaps costing dentists 15 to 25% of their exit value, why insurance dependence hits a practice's worth twice, once on earnings and once on the sale multiple, and the 15-minute report every dentist can pull this week to start seeing their practice the way a buyer will. Download the free High-Value Exit book and speaker packet linked in the show notes, or reach Timothy directly at 818-534-4949. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Rushi Ganmukhi, founder and CEO of Bola AI, joins Lester De Alwis to make the case that documentation is not just a time problem for dental practices; it is a revenue problem. Drawing on a case study with one of the largest DSOs, Rushi explains how voice AI freed up hygienists to do more thorough perio charting, catch more disease, and drive higher case acceptance, all without adding a single minute to the appointment. Get a free demo at bola.ai/demo, or download the free SOAP checklist and ebook linked in the show notes. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Dr. David Moffet, a dental practice coach and founder of the Ultimate Patient Experience, joins Lester De Alwis to make the case that most practices are fixing symptoms rather than the underlying problem. From reactivation lists that will never respond, to specific scripting for cancellation calls, to why team culture has to come before patient experience training, Dr. Moffet shares two decades of hands-on coaching experience built on growing his own practice into a $3.4 million business. Reach Dr. Moffet at [email protected]. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Scott Plantenberg of Professional Transition Strategies joins host Angie to reveal where dentists most commonly lose value in a practice transition, and why nearly every mistake traces back to one thing: not knowing your true number. From EBITDA calculation tricks that can swing a valuation by hundreds of thousands of dollars, to a real case study where competitive bidding raised an offer by 1.5x EBITDA, this episode makes the case for getting an independent, unbiased practice valuation years before any offer arrives. Contact Scott at [email protected] Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands in unscheduled treatment. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Naren Arulrajah, CEO of Ekwa Marketing and co-host of Less Insurance Dependence, joins host Angie to explain why marketing to PPO and fee-for-service patients as one audience quietly undercuts both. From the real cost of a stagnant PPO reimbursement to a client's journey from $700,000 working four days a week to $1.3 million working three days a week, this episode breaks down how mindset, not insurance status, shapes patient trust, phone conversion, and long-term practice growth.   Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit   If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Lisa Grogan, dental business and leadership consultant, joins Lester De Alwis to make the case that a busy schedule can quietly hide an unprofitable practice. Lisa shares her ABC framework (Attract, Belief, Conversion) and her LENS Method for reading how a team's energy and mindset influence premium case acceptance, plus two free tools any dentist can use immediately: a Smile Assessment Form and a free ABC scorecard at lisagrogandentalcoach.com. Learn why full doesn't always mean profitable, and how to start converting the cases that actually matter.   Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit   If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Danielle Kramer, CEO and founder of Easy Dental Solutions, joins Lester De Alwis to make the case that insurance dependence is rarely just a fee problem. Drawing on nearly every role she's held inside a dental practice, Danielle breaks down the four-pillar playbook (systems, culture, communication, and team) and explains why communication, specifically how financial options are presented to patients, is the biggest unlock for going fee-for-service. Learn why a cohesive, appreciated team changes case acceptance, and the one fix to the morning huddle that starts the culture shift this week. Reach Danielle at [email protected]. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Thomas Passalacqua, executive coach and founder of Ascend Professional Pathways, joins Lester De Alwis to make the case that breaking free from dependence on insurance starts with leadership clarity, not a fee schedule or a marketing plan. Drawing on his experience both selling to dental practices and helping acquire them, Thomas shares his ESSENCE Clarity Process; a four-step framework for identifying a goal, assessing real obstacles, pairing specific actions, and reflecting on progress. Learn why team alignment is a direct product of leader clarity, and the one mindset exercise every practice owner can start this week. Find Thomas at ascendpropathways.com. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Heidi Mount, a dental practice coach with over 33 years of experience, joins host Lester De Alwis to reveal where the average dental practice quietly loses revenue every single day. From the pot of gold hiding in the unscheduled treatment list to the exact minutes wasted on a mistimed crown prep, this episode breaks down how to stop the leak, fix insurance objections with better communication, and use a simple new patient report to find your practice's most profitable niche. Connect with Heidi at coachheidimount.com or [email protected].   Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Naren Arulrajah, Founder and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, joins host Don Adeesha to argue that most dental practices don't have a traffic problem; they have a conversion problem. From the real cost of an unbooked new patient call to why the popular "Book Now" button is quietly losing practice patients, this episode breaks down the exact benchmarks of a 70% booking rate and a 95% call answer rate that determine whether marketing dollars are actually turning into non-insurance patients. Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session

Episode 400 of the Less Insurance Dependence podcast marks eight consecutive years of weekly publishing without a single missed episode. Gary Takacs joins host Ashton Rogers to share what he has learned from coaching over 400 practices through the process of reducing insurance dependence: the FEAR acronym that keeps less than 10% of dentists fee-for-service, the three-criteria stoplight framework for evaluating readiness, a real case study showing a $360,000 net improvement in year one out of network, and why the professional joy of dentistry is directly tied to practicing on the right terms.  Book a complimentary Practice Growth Audit with Ekwa. Most dental practices are losing patients online without knowing it. You walk away with a comprehensive online analysis report tailored to your practice, market, and competition. Claim Your Complimentary Practice Growth Audit If you want to improve how your team presents treatment and communicates value to patients, book a complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session with Gary Takacs, one conversation, and a personalized action plan. One conversation with Gary has helped practices recover thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment costs. Book Your Complimentary Practice Breakthrough Session