Dr. R. A. Foxworth, FICC, MCS-P
Is your practice missing an opportunity to grow? Many times when we are talking to clinics, we find that they have many more patients who are good candidates for ChiroHealthUSA and are never offered the opportunity to join. I get it. We all get busy and it may seem like just one more thing to do. But, what many practices find is that patients who become members are more likely to show up for maintenance, preventive, and wellness care; basically, the treatment their insurance and/or Medicare won’t cover. That means that the more ChiroHealthUSA member patients you have in your practice, the better you’re able to serve your community with the kind of consistent chiropractic care people need and deserve.
So, while you may have joined ChiroHealthUSA to protect your practice from audits, fines and penalties, there is a missed opportunity if you are not using it to GROW your practice. Many practices are under the false assumption that CHUSA is only for “cash” patients. That has never been the case. It is for EVERY patient who has non-covered services. And lets’ face it, at some point, that is almost everyone these days.
In addition to the scripting we’ve already provided you, here are some simple, easy points to add to your explanation of ChiroHealthUSA membership:
It’s like Sam’s Club or Costco
Most of your patients have heard of these national retailers that offer discounts to members who join for a modest annual fee and many of them may already be shoppers. Explain to patients that a ChiroHealthUSA membership is like a Sam’s Club membership. Instead of getting discounted prices on bulk groceries, they’re getting discounted fees on much-deserved chiropractic care. A simple statement such as, “It’s like a Sam’s Club for health care” helps people get it.
It’s like getting an insider discount.
With a ChiroHealthUSA membership, patients are eligible for the CHUSA fees that you set, which is typically less than your actual fee. Simply letting patients know that as a CHUSA member they often get better rates than even the insurance companies receive makes it a no-brainer for them.
It’s as simple as showing your card.
No crazy claim forms. No mailing stuff in. ChiroHealthUSA membership requires no medical exam or overwhelming paperwork. Many insured patients end up paying close to the amount of their co-pay or even less without waiting for reimbursement from an insurance company. Lets’ face it. If you have a $50 copay with insurance and then you have a $50 fee under CHUSA, guess what you stop caring about as a patient? Many could care less if they have insurance at that point because THEIR cost is about the same. That’s why so many patients transition from insurance to private pay using CHUSA.
Show, don’t tell.
This simple graphic provides an at-a-glance understanding for doctors and patients alike. This visual shows your front desk staff and your patients that ChiroHealthUSA membership offers the same discounted fees their insurance companies do. And membership comes without restrictions on what’s covered, how long treatment can last, or how much improvement must be shown to continue to “earn” that discount.
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As a result of the The Affordable Care Act, the number of uninsured patients has been decreasing, but the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are still 30+ million people without health insurance due to the high cost of premiums and deductibles. And even those who are insured are often struggling to pay for increasingly high costs. When insurance won’t cover care, they’re likely to go without. Offering CHUSA to these patients can and will help you help them and grow your practice.
Visit your ChiroHealthUSA Resource page for a refresher on patient scripting and suggestions for boosting patient conversion to membership. Remember, if you want happy patients who stay, pay, and refer, let them know the care they need and help them find ways to make it affordable.
Why is the Discount Challenge prize amount $11,181? Because that is the average “per-occurrence” fine for Medicare inducements. That’s not $11,181 per patient, that’s not per provider, that’s PER VISIT. Stinks, doesn’t it? To us, the prize amount is worth the investment if we can help our profession better understand proper discounting.