We have talked a lot about what it takes to create new patients, and just to reiterate one thing: It takes an awful lot more effort and time and money and personnel than you think. In case that you think that you can’t afford any more money outlay for marketing because it simply is too expensive, then try how expensive it will be being poor and overworked and stressed out for the rest of your life.
This topic however is all about servicing the patients which you did get, to the fullest so that they get all the services they need and you get the all money you deserve.
It is astonishing how many tests, treatments, evaluations and products are never administered to the patients.
Due to this negligence, which usually is because of wanting to save time while seeing more patients (due to the insurance company cutting reimbursement), quite a few patients have incurred illnesses which could have been avoided with proper tests and appropriate treatments.
This is bad enough that the patients walk away not knowing everything there is to know, but there also seems to be a constant increase in lawsuits against doctors because of those missing tests and treatments.
The third shortcoming is the immediate extra income the doctor misses out by not doing those tests, treatments and products which the patient should get.
Most doctors tell me that they do not have the time and manpower to “PUSH” all those “miscellaneous services and products”.
Well, of course if they think of these tests and services being ‘miscellaneous’, then there is no reason to engage in it.
But they are not.
Some of those services or tests can bring up to $1000 per patient. Not all patients will need those services but there are dozens of others which will bring $50 – $500 per patient. In many cases those tests or services are sometimes not even administered by the office and yet they will get paid on it — just for telling the patient to do it if he should need it.
It is amazing how little doctors are aware of the available coding procedures and what they need to do to get them paid by insurance companies. If a doctor explains the reason for tests and treatments correctly, by asking the right questions to the patients, and then the right questions behind the patient’s answer, almost any MD, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, could 5 X his income with the existing patients only.
This doctor would also drastically improve his referral business, since by statistics patients who feel taken care of and listened to do refer. Few patients brag about their surgeon, but they do talk about the doctor who was thorough in exams and did all the tests. “I got my insurance worth – finally”.
This effort spent to educate and enlighten the patients on different, usually preventative, measures is not an expense as most doctors see it but is an investment of tremendous returns.
Look, if you do not spend the time to treat someone, he will not get well. If you do not spend the time to explain in great detail with lots of emotion, then the patients will not engage in the treatment. And he will lose out and perhaps get more sick down the road.
And it comes back to the same – you the doctor will not make money.
Doctors ARE trading time for money and if you are not willing to spend time to explain the test/treatment, you will never perform it and will never get paid on it.
It is a lose – lose situation.
If you wish to increase the case value of your patients, read our full ” Health and Wealth through Miracle of Diagnostics” program.
Helmut Flasch is a marketing consultant who uses Un-advertising rather than the traditional advertising methods. Find out more information about his marketing strategy at Un-Advertising Info.