Concierge Medical Practices: What They Are, How They Work

Fed up with declining reimbursement from third-party payers, getting the runaround when you follow up on unpaid claims, and the overhead associated with billing and collections? Who isn’t? The hassle factor involved with being a participating provider for insurance companies and Medicare is driving doctors across the country to convert their business model to concierge or direct-pay practices.  

The underlying principle of concierge and direct-pay practices is that patients have greater access to their doctor and receive comprehensive outpatient care (usually excluding all but the most basic diagnostic testing) for a flat fee that’s paid either monthly or annually. Physicians who practice under these models typically offer same-day and longer appointments and make themselves readily available to their patients by phone, e-mail, text message and/or Skype. Practices benefit from more consistent cash flow and lower overhead because they’re not dealing with insurance billing and collections. A few doctors who practice concierge or direct care medicine give up their offices entirely and make house and workplace visits to care for patients. Most, however, maintain an office and venture out for house calls only when that’s necessary.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Safeguard Your Practice: Preventing Employee Theft

No one wants to think it can happen in their own practice, but it does. Employees steal. Not all employees, of course, not even most employees. But from time to time, someone feels it necessary to take advantage of their employer by giving themselves “a little extra.” Employees who steal may justify their actions by telling themselves how little they earn compared to the doctors in the office, or that the practice has so many supplies that the “little extra” they take home won’t be missed. Embezzlement is the most discussed (and most egregious) category of theft, but less serious, smaller types of stealing are also worth being aware of and safeguarding against. For example: Read the rest of this entry »

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Managing Summer Schedules

Ah, summer. Longer days, warmer weather, kids out of school, vacations and–for medical practices–schedules that can turn chaotic if steps are not taken in advance to keep things running smoothly. Ensure that your office schedule stays on track this summer using the following steps. Read the rest of this entry »

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Are Automated Reminder Systems Worth the Investment?

In an effort to reduce no-shows and ensure that provider schedules run smoothly, practices of all types–medical, dental, chiropractic and veterinary–routinely call patients a day or two ahead of their visits to remind them that they have an appointment. While this is effective, it’s also time-consuming. Recognizing that staff time is a valuable asset, some practices are turning to automated appointment reminder systems. Is this method of communicating right for your office? Maybe. In deciding whether to invest in an automated system, consider the following questions. Read the rest of this entry »

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Risk Management 101

If a doctor is in practice long enough, he or she will most likely be named in a medical malpractice suit. Practitioners in certain high-risk specialties may be accused of wrongdoing several times over the course of their careers. The vast majority of malpractice suits are dismissed or settled out of court, and when payouts are made to claimants the amounts are usually covered by insurance. But the aggravation and stress associated with a legal case is no small matter, and being sued is obviously something that’s best avoided if at all possible. Read the rest of this entry »

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Is it Time to Recruit?

You’ve noticed an uptick in patient complaints about how long it takes to get on the appointment schedule. Staff members are frustrated because they’re on the receiving end of those complaints. Doctors are exhausted due to longer hours and fewer days off, and some are teetering on the edge of burnout. If this sounds like your practice, it might be time to recruit an additional provider.

The decision to add a highly paid member to your team is not one to be taken lightly. Before you go down the recruiting road, assess how you are currently scheduling appointments to make sure that the problem doesn’t lie there. Next, consider hiring a practice management consultant who is skilled in streamlining patient flow and working with providers to help them be more efficient with their time. Finally, find out if any of your current providers who work less than full-time are interested in increasing the number of hours or days that they are in the office. Read the rest of this entry »

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