FEE FOR SERVICE ACADEMY
We Turn Insurance
Write-Offs Into
Additional Profit
The Fee for Service Academy helps established dentists evaluate and execute a structured transition away from insurance participation with confidence, preparation, action, accountability, and support.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET STARTED?
Check Your Fit
Ready to see if FFSA might be right for your practice? Complete our pre-qualification form.
10 MINUTES
START PRE-QUAL FORMTalk With Mark
Prefer to talk things through before filling anything out? Schedule time with Mark to discuss your practice and questions.
30 MINUTES
SCHEDULE WITH MARKSend A Message
Just have a quick question? Send us a message on Facebook Messenger and we'll point you in the right direction.
QUICK QUESTION
MESSAGE USFind Your Trajectory
Most dentists focus on what they've already written off. The better question is:
How much wealth is still available to capture before retirement?
What Would It
Mean To You?
- More money at retirement?
- Money to reward your team with a raise now and then?
- More time for family, hobbies, or other business interests?
- All of the above?
AREN'T FEE FOR SERVICE TRANSITIONS HARD?
They Can Be.
They are hard (or in some cases financially dangerous) if you do not prepare, do not sequence your steps, do not learn what to do, and do not understand how to minimize attrition, not to mention, deal with what the insurance companies will do to you.
They Don't Have To Be.
If you're properly prepared, have the right sequence in place, and are supported by our team, your own team, and a community of peers who have been through the process, you'll know how to minimize attrition and confidently navigate the tactics insurance companies will use along the way.
When done correctly, transitioning to fee for service is absolutely worth it.
THE FFS ACADEMY DIFFERENCE
We Are Specialists.
We won’t help you with lease negotiations, find your next hygienist, appraise the value of your practice, or babysit your dysfunctional team. We don’t do those things. We specialize in managing fee for service transitions.
That’s all we do. We are good at it.
WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY
...go for it with the assistance of experienced consultants, like Laura and Mark.
If you are contemplating this change yourself, my advice is to go for it with the assistance of experienced consultants, like Laura and Mark. The basic idea is simple, but it takes time and care to do it well. Be patient, trust the process, it works. I wish you well.
Co-Founder
Mark Dilatush
Mark understands how to evaluate readiness, reduce risk, prepare practices before major changes occur, and guide owners through every phase of the transition process.
As he approaches retirement, Mark's focus has shifted toward passing on the methodology and lessons learned from decades of experience helping dentists reclaim control of their practices.
Co-Founder
Laura Russell
Laura has spent decades coaching dental teams and helping practices implement meaningful change.
She has witnessed firsthand how transitions affect team dynamics, systems, communication, and culture. Her experience ensures that the people side of the transition receives just as much attention as the numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Fee for Service Academy?
The simple answer: Specialization.
If someone you love had a highly complex dental case, would you send them to a generalist or a specialist?
Transitioning to fee for service is no different. It is complex. Nearly every system in your practice will need to change, and your entire team needs to be aligned.
That is where Fee for Service Academy comes in.
We do more than provide a roadmap. We provide community. You will go through the transition alongside peers facing the same challenges, giving you motivation, accountability, and support every step of the way.
After decades of helping dentists build the practice they truly want, we created a proven system focused specifically on fee for service transitions.
You and your team move through the process at your own pace, with expert guidance and a peer group beside you.
Will I lose patients if I drop insurance?
You will lose patients. This is to be expected. Typically, you will KEEP patients who value your practice more than the difference between your fees and what their insurance covers. You will NOT lose all your patients on any particular plan. Attrition management is one of the key aspects of the FFSA program.
How long does a fee for service transition take?
If you are very motivated and have the support of everyone around you, follow our instructions to the letter, you might get rid of your first plan by the end of month three. For a total transition, it depends on how many contracts you signed.
How do I know if my practice is ready?
We will know if your practice is ready. We won’t let you in as a student/member if we don’t believe you are ready. If YOU don’t believe you are ready, you probably are not ready. Here’s a short list of practice/owner characteristics which might mean they are ready:
• Doctor/Owner has been in practice 8 to 25 years
• Doctor/Owner doesn’t want to work more weekly patient care hours than they are right now
• Practice production and collections have been stagnant for a while
• Staff wants a raise but the Doctor/Owner can’t justify it because their finances haven’t improved
• Doctor/Owner doesn’t want or have the room for an associate
• Doctor/Owner doesn’t want to sell to a DSO and watch them capture the value within the practice
If you start with those 5 or 6 questions, and most of them represent where you are right now, you might be ready.
If you think you are ready, we can give you our opinion after you complete our qualification form.
Why should I hire FFSA instead of doing this myself?
Hmmm, you would likely waste far more time/energy/money than FFSA tuition while you are learning lessons we’ve already learned and now train or implement directly. So, technically yes. You could do this yourself, but it probably doesn’t make sense to do so.
What results can I expect after going fee for service?
Ultimately complete fee for service transitions provide the owner more choices in life.
You can choose to:
• Reward your hard working team now and then.
• Work 3 ten hour days each week, and have 4 days off!
• Take on a new hobby or business interest.
• Spend more time with family and friends.
One of the choices you have after making a complete fee for service transition is expanding!
You might change your mind, build out three more ops, and bring on an associate. We’re sure the associate will appreciate you being fee for service and it will be a LOT easier to attract the best associate talent.
You might want to have an associate do all the bread and butter dentistry while you focus on clear aligners, sleep apnea, implants, cosmetics, or some other aspect of more challenging dentistry.
The point is: All the choices will be yours. You will no longer be tethered to insurance reimbursement schedules.
You will be free.