Marketing and insurance that work together — yes, really

Before opening your doors, two core components must work in sync: your patient acquisition strategy and your revenue model. These early decisions will shape everything from scheduling to profitability. When marketing efforts and insurance participation are developed together, they create a more sustainable foundation — and help you avoid mismatches between the patients you attract and how you get reimbursed.

Choose your payor mix

Your insurance model should reflect your patient base, clinical goals, and community needs. There’s no single right answer. Some practices focus on volume, others on premium services — and many evolve over time.

Common models include:

• Fee-for-Service (FFS): No network participation; patients pay directly. Often used in high-income areas or for specialty care
• Hybrid: A mix of in-network and out-of-network participation
• Medicaid/HMO: High-volume approach serving lower-income or underserved populations

“You can start with one model and shift over time as your practice and goals evolve.” — Moffat

Link marketing strategy to operations

Your marketing plan should do more than drive visibility — it should bring in patients who are a match for your clinical services, availability, and financial model.

Henry Schein partners with teams like CMOShare, who focus on connecting marketing campaigns to real operational data — like call answer rates, scheduling gaps, and treatment mix. This helps ensure your marketing spend supports your business performance, not just your brand.

Build a reimbursement strategy that supports growth

At the same time, your insurance participation model must support your financial goals.

Through Henry Schein, practices have access to support from firms like Unitas PPO Solutions, that help define payor strategy before launch. This includes:

• Reviewing demographics and local plan options
• Building your fee schedule (UCR)
• Managing credentialing and administrative requirements
• Adjusting participation as the practice matures