Improving Patient Retention With an In-House Vision Membership Plan
Canby eyecare
Canby, or
Canby eyecare
Canby, or
The Challenge: Insurance was holding them back
As the owner of Canby Eyecare, Dr. Ashley McFerron knew firsthand how limiting vision insurance could be for both patients and the practice. “It’s less work to care for a patient with a membership plan than with a third-party payer,” Dr. McFerron said. “It’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done for my practice.”
Ashley had tried offering an in-office membership plan before, multiple times, in fact. But managing it manually was a logistical nightmare, and the effort always fizzled out. In the meantime, Canby Eyecare had been offering cash pay discounts as a fallback for uninsured patients. It wasn’t ideal, and when Dr. McFerron acquired the only other optometry office in town, the patient volume and variety of insurance challenges only grew.
It was time for a new strategy that made care more accessible, retained patients, and didn’t rely so heavily on third-party payers.
The Solution: An automated
in-house vision membership plan
In February 2024, Canby Eyecare officially launched its VisionHQ membership plan. Onboarding was quick and easy, and the team embraced the new system right away. Staff members were eager to offer patients something better, and patients responded immediately.
The team signed up three members on the first day alone. Since then, the plan has helped improve retention, especially among patients whose insurance isn’t accepted at the practice.
“We’ve had patients on VisionHQ come back just over a year later for their annual exam,” Dr. McFerron said. “With VisionHQ, the value hits them again when they see that annual charge, and they come back.”
" You know, we only took two vision insurance plans and we've dropped one since we've started - and we haven't looked back.
That's been the best thing ever. And you know, we're hoping to drop part of another plan moving forward and then the other part at another time. The truth is, it's less work to take care of a patient with a membership plan than with a third party payer. We all know that it's less staff time, and you get the money quicker!
It's been one of the be best things I've ever done in my practice."
The Results: A Smarter Path Forward
VisionHQ has now become part of Canby Eyecare’s long-term growth strategy. They’ve already dropped one insurance plan entirely and are planning to phase out more. The ROI on a VisionHQ patient? “Greater than third-party insurance,” Dr. McFerron said.
Patients appreciate the value, too, especially those on plans who wouldn’t otherwise have access to certain hardware or benefits. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the team continues to promote their plan with marketing materials, which helps support their retention rate of around 80-90%.
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