StudentDC Interactive

I have been having a conversation with some of the readers of my Practice Startup Success newsletter about opting out of Medicare.  During the course of the discussion I received a reply from a DC who is associated with the ACA (American Chiropractic Association).  He sent me a link to their ACA TODAY site that you need to read: The article is titled “Medicare: To Participate or Not To Participate?” 

The ACA says, “Doctors of chiropractic are not among those professions that are allowed to “opt out” of Medicare.”

So you have 3 options:

1.  You can be a participating provider and wait for Medicare to pay you, which gives you higher fees (for those services that you provide which are covered- which isn’t much)

2.  You can be a non-participating provider: collecting from the patients.  Then they have to collect from Medicare. Patients obviously prever that you participate, so they don’t have to deal with Medicare.

3.  You can choose not to provide care to Medicare patients.

Those are your only options, at this point.  If you want to talk to someone about this, talk to someone at the ACA and ask what you can do to get involved.  I’m sure they would be glad of the help.

In the meantime, remember you only have until the end of December to change your participation status.

“We Mean Business” is a new TV show, sponsored by Dell Computers, on the A&E network.  The latest show features the “makeover” of a chiropractic office called Spinal Fit in Redondo Beach, California.   The makeover team came in with guns blazing to save the office from its primary problem: lack of patients.

Their solutions:

1. A new networked computer system (provided by Dell, of course) and QuickBooks.  And new appointment software (not sure what this was(.

2.  New front door and reception room decor, with a big computer screen (provided by Dell, of course)  to show off the services the office provides.

3.  New  seminar room with a computer and digital video projector (provided by you-know-who) so the doctor could show videos for patient lectures.

Of course, the team left, and now what?  Is this stuff supposed to fix all the doctor’s problems?

1.  Sure, they showed the staff how to use QuickBooks and the appointment scheduling software.  But did they teach them how to cluster book or to re-schedule patients or do recalls, to get lapsed patients back in?  I’m betting not.

2.  The  lovely new waiting room probably will make patients feel more comfortable while waiting.  But why did they have that many patients waiting?  The number one complaint by patients in all health care practices is … waiting time.  It would have been better if the rescue team spent more time teaching the doctor how to move patients through the office more efficiently.

3.  The new seminar room will give the doctor a space for lay lectures, new patient lectures.  But does he know how to give a presentation with  lots of good emotional and factual punches, and a “call to action”?  Did he really learn how to get people to sign up?  And stay?  Probably not.

My problem with extreme makeover shows and especially shows like this for businesses is that they over-simplify the problem.  The decor, the computer system, and the lack of a space to hold lectures in the office is NOT this doctor’s problem.  I would like to go back to this office in a year and see how he’s doing.  If he’s doing well, that’s great.  But if he hasn’t solved the more essential problem of getting and keeping patients, don’t be surprised.  What do you think?