Strategies for Expanding Revenue through Comprehensive Health Checkups

― Enhancing the Quality of Management Decisions and Achieving Sustainable Medical Management ―

The management environment surrounding medical institutions has become increasingly challenging. With uncertainty clouding the future of insurance-based medical revenue, more facilities are turning toward strengthening their comprehensive health checkup (Ningen Dock) programs as a means to build a more stable business foundation.

At the same time, public interest in “prevention” and “early detection” continues to grow, with government policies actively promoting the extension of healthy life expectancy. This shift represents not merely a business opportunity, but an ideal alignment of social responsibility and business sustainability for medical institutions.

Because Ningen Dock services are conducted outside the insurance system, institutions enjoy a high degree of freedom in designing pricing structures, service menus, and operational models that reflect their strengths and the needs of their patient base. In other words, with a strategic approach, it is possible to optimize profitability, utilization, and brand value simultaneously.

Foundational Strategy for Expanding Revenue through Comprehensive Health Checkups ― Balancing Risk and Investment

At Afya Management and Innovation Inc., we often receive inquiries such as:

“How can we improve the profitability of our health checkup programs?” or “When and how should we make capital investments?”

Our consistent emphasis is on strategically combining initiatives with differing levels of risk, investment, and execution speed, to produce measurable results step by step. This layered approach allows improvements to take root without placing undue strain on overall operations.

We classify our strategic framework into three progressive stages:

1. Quick-Win Initiatives: Short-term, low-investment, low-risk (optimization of existing operations)

2. Adjust Initiatives: Medium-term, moderate-risk (structural improvement)

3. Scale-Up Initiatives: Long-term, investment-driven (growth and expansion)

Quick-Win Initiatives ― Generating Immediate Results with Existing Resources

This first phase focuses on improving profitability without significant capital investment, utilizing existing facilities, personnel, and customer bases. Early success depends on two critical steps: understanding profitability and analyzing usage patterns.

• Increasing Utilization of High-Margin Services

  
  

  Begin by quantitatively assessing the profitability of each checkup package offered. In many cases, low-margin services dominate overall usage. By aligning utilization data with revenue metrics, you can identify opportunities to shift patient demand toward higher-margin programs—yielding immediate financial improvement.

• Strengthening Value Communication through Staff

  
  

High-priced checkups command their value only when staff can clearly articulate the benefits they deliver. If it is difficult to explain the added value behind pricing, both the pricing strategy and service content may require review. Staff understanding and communication skills are the foundation of sustainable operational improvement.

• Promotional Campaigns

  
  

Short-term discounts or “couple checkup” campaigns can be highly effective, provided they are guided by quantitative projections of transition rates and profit margins rather than intuition. Couple-based programs, in particular, can attract new users while improving resource efficiency.

• Redesigning Reservation Slots

  
  

If reservations are heavily concentrated in mid-priced programs, consider expanding slots for premium checkups to reduce waiting times. The perceived value of “receiving a checkup without delay” can encourage more users to choose higher-end options.

• Raising Average Revenue per Customer (Optional Add-ons)

  
  

  Offering optional tests à la carte can meaningfully increase average revenue per visit. By designing options tailored to regional disease trends or common patient concerns, institutions can raise both patient satisfaction and profitability simultaneously.

Adjust Initiatives ― Optimizing Structure Based on Management Data

The next phase focuses on structural adjustments—revising menus and pricing based on medium-term data insights. Though the pace of change is slower, the long-term revenue impact can be significant.

• Service Menu Revision

  
  

Analyze user data to determine who uses which services, how frequently, and why. By examining repeat rates, attrition, and usage trends, institutions can clearly identify which services to strengthen, revise, or phase out. Evidence-based menu adjustments grounded in customer satisfaction data reinforce brand trust and operational efficiency.

• Price Revision

  
  

Many facilities are now compelled to review pricing due to rising material and labor costs. Ningen Dock services relate directly to “health,” a core life concern—meaning high-price users tend to have lower attrition risk.

Nevertheless, sensitivity among price-conscious segments must be carefully evaluated. Analyze price elasticity by segment and compare your pricing against relevant competitors. In doing so, strengthen follow-up systems where needed to maintain customer loyalty.

Moreover, pricing should not aim for “the highest possible price,” but rather for “the price necessary for sustainable management.”

Each facility should thoroughly assess its financial position, define long-term business targets, and determine how much revenue growth the Ningen Dock program must contribute to achieve those goals. By applying this reverse-hierarchy logic—working backward from sustainability objectives—leaders can make data-driven, strategic pricing decisions. This transforms a price increase from a simple adjustment into a deliberate managerial decision that can be communicated transparently both inside and outside the organization.

Scale-Up Initiatives ― Investing for Long-Term Growth

The final stage involves evaluating capital and technological investments for long-term expansion. Decision-making in this phase must be guided not by intuition, but by data and projection models.

• Investment Decisions for Capacity Expansion

  
  

Based on the demand patterns clarified in earlier stages, institutions can assess whether to expand examination slots or invest in new equipment. By conducting simulation modeling using operational data, bottlenecks can be visualized and improvement effects quantified. We recommend using tools such as AnyLogic, a free simulation platform, to estimate ROI and facilitate informed investment discussions.

• Adoption of New Technologies

  
  

Advancements in diagnostic technology continue to accelerate. Non-invasive screening methods—such as urine-based cancer detection that can be performed at home—are rapidly approaching clinical practicality. Early adoption of such technologies can strengthen competitive positioning and enhance brand value. Maintaining active awareness of these emerging trends is essential for future growth.

Conclusion ― Rebuilding Management with Health at Its Core

The Ningen Dock business sits at the intersection of social value (“protecting health”) and business sustainability(“achieving stable operations”).

By combining short-term initiatives with medium- and long-term strategies, and by making decisions grounded in data and analysis, medical leaders can realize both steady profitability and enduring trust from their communities.

We hope this column provides actionable insight for executives seeking to enhance the sustainability of their institutions—and, through that, to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure that supports their regions.

At Afya Management and Innovation Inc., we are dedicated to accompanying medical institutions on this transformation journey. For inquiries or consultation requests, please feel free to contact us through our inquiry form.