Patients Aren’t Loyal to Networks. They’re Loyal to Experience
We’ve all heard it before.
“If I drop that plan, I’ll lose patients.”
“If I go out-of-network, people won’t follow me.”
“Patients won’t pay out of pocket.”
These beliefs feel logical because for years, the entire system has trained you to believe that insurance drives loyalty.
But here’s what we’ve seen, time and time again:
Patients aren’t loyal to networks. They’re loyal to experience.
Networks Don’t Create Loyalty. Relationships Do
Think about your best patients.
The ones who send you referrals
The ones who write great reviews
The ones who come back year after year
The ones who follow your recommendations and trust your advice
Are they with you because of their vision plan?
No. They’re with you because of how you made them feel. Because of how your team treated them. Because they trust your expertise and they value the experience you created for them.
Most patients aren’t loyal to their network. They’re just used to it. Once you show them something better, they’ll stay. And they’ll often pay more for it.
So Why Do So Many Practices Stay Stuck?
Because the fear of change feels bigger than the pain of the current model.
You’re busy. You’re profitable on paper. You’re nervous about losing volume.
But here’s what’s really happening:
Your margins are shrinking
Your schedule is overloaded
Your team is stressed
Your business is serving everyone but you
That’s not loyalty. That’s dependency. And it’s not sustainable.
The Experience Is the Advantage
If you want patients to stay with you regardless of plan status, build an experience they can’t get anywhere else.
Here’s what that looks like:
1. Simplicity
Most insurance systems are confusing. When your process is clear, transparent, and easy to understand, patients instantly feel more confident.
2. Time and attention
When you’re not buried under volume requirements, you can actually listen. Educate. Connect. That’s what people remember.
3. Personalization
Tailor your care. Tailor your recommendations. Tailor your handoffs. Make people feel like they matter, not like they’re a number on a benefits sheet.
4. Membership-based alternatives
When patients can pay a simple monthly or annual fee for care, discounts, and access, they don’t feel like they’re missing out. They feel taken care of.
5. Team alignment
Your staff should understand your values, your care model, and how to communicate it with confidence. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds loyalty.
Final Thought: Loyalty Is Earned, Not Rented
Insurance plans don’t own your patients.
You do, through the quality of the experience you provide.
And once patients feel what it’s like to be truly seen, supported, and valued, they don’t care what network you’re in. They care that you care.
So stop building your practice around someone else's platform. Build it around your people, your team, and the care only you can provide.
Because the right patients aren’t shopping for benefits.
They’re looking for someone worth staying with.
Make it you.
Want to build a care experience that earns loyalty, not just foot traffic?
At DirectOD, we help independent optometrists create direct-pay models, care plans, and patient experiences that keep people coming back, whether they’re in-network or not.
Let’s talk about what that could look like for you.
Patients Aren’t Loyal to Networks. They’re Loyal to Experience
We’ve all heard it before.
“If I drop that plan, I’ll lose patients.”
“If I go out-of-network, people won’t follow me.”
“Patients won’t pay out of pocket.”
These beliefs feel logical because for years, the entire system has trained you to believe that insurance drives loyalty.
But here’s what we’ve seen, time and time again:
Patients aren’t loyal to networks. They’re loyal to experience.
Networks Don’t Create Loyalty. Relationships Do
Think about your best patients.
The ones who send you referrals
The ones who write great reviews
The ones who come back year after year
The ones who follow your recommendations and trust your advice
Are they with you because of their vision plan?
No. They’re with you because of how you made them feel. Because of how your team treated them. Because they trust your expertise and they value the experience you created for them.
Most patients aren’t loyal to their network. They’re just used to it. Once you show them something better, they’ll stay. And they’ll often pay more for it.
So Why Do So Many Practices Stay Stuck?
Because the fear of change feels bigger than the pain of the current model.
You’re busy. You’re profitable on paper. You’re nervous about losing volume.
But here’s what’s really happening:
Your margins are shrinking
Your schedule is overloaded
Your team is stressed
Your business is serving everyone but you
That’s not loyalty. That’s dependency. And it’s not sustainable.
The Experience Is the Advantage
If you want patients to stay with you regardless of plan status, build an experience they can’t get anywhere else.
Here’s what that looks like:
1. Simplicity
Most insurance systems are confusing. When your process is clear, transparent, and easy to understand, patients instantly feel more confident.
2. Time and attention
When you’re not buried under volume requirements, you can actually listen. Educate. Connect. That’s what people remember.
3. Personalization
Tailor your care. Tailor your recommendations. Tailor your handoffs. Make people feel like they matter, not like they’re a number on a benefits sheet.
4. Membership-based alternatives
When patients can pay a simple monthly or annual fee for care, discounts, and access, they don’t feel like they’re missing out. They feel taken care of.
5. Team alignment
Your staff should understand your values, your care model, and how to communicate it with confidence. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds loyalty.
Final Thought: Loyalty Is Earned, Not Rented
Insurance plans don’t own your patients.
You do, through the quality of the experience you provide.
And once patients feel what it’s like to be truly seen, supported, and valued, they don’t care what network you’re in. They care that you care.
So stop building your practice around someone else's platform. Build it around your people, your team, and the care only you can provide.
Because the right patients aren’t shopping for benefits.
They’re looking for someone worth staying with.
Make it you.
Want to build a care experience that earns loyalty, not just foot traffic?
At DirectOD, we help independent optometrists create direct-pay models, care plans, and patient experiences that keep people coming back, whether they’re in-network or not.
Let’s talk about what that could look like for you.