The Dental Marketer The Hidden Costs of PPOs: Are Carriers Losing Your Practice Revenue? | Lisa Weber | FF
Feb 23, 2026
Lisa Weber, PPO expert and founder of Unlock the PPO, helps practices spot hidden administrative costs of PPO participation. She tells the story of a dentist weighing hiring a staffer for UnitedHealthcare versus terminating the network. Conversations cover measuring carrier revenue versus staffing cost, tracking which insurers drain time, and when dropping a network improves workflow.
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Hidden Administrative Costs Exceed Fee Differences
- Administrative costs of PPO participation are often hidden and not reflected in simple fee-schedule comparisons.
- Dentists usually see write-offs but miss front-desk hours spent on claims, appeals, and network management that erode profit margins.
Hiring Front Desk For One Carrier Cost More Than Revenue
- Lisa Weber recounts a dentist who planned to hire a full-time front desk person largely to manage UnitedHealthcare paperwork.
- The practice had earned $21,000 from UnitedHealthcare the prior year, less than the salary and benefits of the new hire, so Lisa advised terminating the network.
Terminate Networks That Drain Staff Time
- Terminate networks that cost more administratively than they pay by comparing revenue to staff time and hiring needs.
- Lisa recommended firing UnitedHealthcare for that doctor after calculating the carrier's limited revenue versus the extra staffing burden.