Health Care’s 2012 MVP: Self-Pay

As reported in the Wall Street Journal and NY Times, the Kaiser Family Foundation Health Research Survey reported that healthcare insurance premiums paid by employers rose by 8% in 2011.  The “WOW” factor is increasingly more powerful when paralleled by the fact that premiums should have slowed as more employers elected to offer high deductible plans.  The rapid growth of both employer premiums and high deductible plans foreshadows the upcoming trend for healthcare providers, that patient responsibility will become a major player, even MVP, in healthcare discourse.

I have the unfortunate dilemma of balancing health care dollars.  On one hand, my facilities and the healthcare clients we serve face continuous reimbursement cuts.  On the other hand, our company and employees are paying more each year for our own healthcare.  And yes, our premiums rose by 8% last year as well. Over the past five years, we have seen close to 25% decreases in payments.  Imagine the impact a quarter of your paycheck disappearing would have on you.  Now imagine your expenses increasing the same amount too.  It’s a truly unfortunate dilemma, so what is the key to combating this situation?

With the unique vantage point I hold for both sides of the provider-patient relationship, I understand the challenges the nation faces in dealing with limited healthcare dollars.  You have heard it before, “the US system is broken”.   Indeed it would seem so, as one side of the political spectrum screams for our government to pay for healthcare it obviously cannot afford while the other side of the spectrum demands that patients pay for their own care.  So what happens when these patients must resort to this?

In a more perfect world, void of the challenges that our current system faces, companies and the government would be able to afford catastrophic healthcare policies.  By catastrophic, I mean big-ticket healthcare events such as hospitalization, debilitating diseases treatment like cancer care, or end-life events.   Large healthcare insurance companies could use the actuarial tools their cousins in the life insurance industry use.  In other words, if it is true as the pundits say that “most of the healthcare costs occur the last year of one’s life” then the health insurance companies could surely hedge for a catastrophic event in a patients life, however doing so would still require the patient to take on some responsibility.

Patients would be required to pay for normal doctors visits, medication, diagnostic testing, however these patients, or their companies, could be awarded reduced premiums by maintaining healthier lifestyles and receiving wellness check-ups, in much the same way that good drivers are awarded lower costs in the auto industry.   Patients paying for this level of healthcare would create a market where they are more cognizant of their health dollar.   In the near future, tools are being developed to help patients understand the true costs of their healthcare, thus enabling them to negotiate what they pay out of pocket.

Hogwash, one might say to the notion of patients actually paying for their own healthcare.   In reality self-payers are growing increasingly more popular as healthcare players.  With 17% of employees in high deductible plans, these plans have grown 25% in the last year.  The average family of four already pays close to $3500 out of their pocket for their care and you can ask any physician group, they will tell you that the self-pay component is growing.   Allow me to suggest that providers, insurance companies, and patients accept this new reality, because in the same way that paper phone books, Blockbuster, and disposable cameras have become obsolete, so will the notion that patients will be protected by their insurance, so as not to have to pay for a large portion of their health bill.  Yes, patient responsibility for payment can seem daunting, like picking up the tab for an expensive dinner you know you cannot afford, but forward thinking is the key.  Self-pay is the new player, and price shopping is the winning game plan.

Snapshot of One Of Our Facilities: Open MRI of Pueblo

   Open MRI of Pueblo is one of our locally owned and operated independent diagnostic imaging centers located in Pueblo, Colorado.  As an independently run facility, Open MRI of Pueblo is able to remain committed to serving the residents of Pueblo and the surrounding areas with the most advanced clinical procedures, while preserving the highest standard of care.

              

  This dedication to a blend of affordable diagnostic imaging and the highest quality in care has been recently made evident by the purchase of Hitachi’s High-Field MR System, the OASIS.  This will be the first Outpatient High-Field Open MR System in the entire state of Colorado. Named by KLAS, the leading healthcare research firm, as the highest ranked MR System currently on the market, The Hitachi OASIS MR is simply the best option for patients when it comes to innovative yet comfortable technology.  The magnet has received awards for the second year in a row at this week’s RSNA 2011 reception.

                      

   By focusing on three core competencies; service, technology and care, Open MRI of Pueblo has established a reputation for their exceptional attention to the patient experience.  The arrival of Hitachi’s OASIS encompasses all three of those aspects of success the staff at Open MRI of Pueblo strive for.  Further commitment to the community is evident by the facility’s over 40,000 patients treated since its opening in 2004.  Dr. William M. Needell, Open MRI of Pueblo’s onsite radiologist, has been with the center since it opened, and has spent 20 out of his 26 years of experience in the radiology field, focusing on Hitachi MR Systems.  The blend of Dr. Needell’s exceptional skills and knowledge and the Open MRI of Pueblo’s dedicated staff, makes for an unparalleled health care experience, especially in light of the new magnet, which

Unique Marketing Efforts to Improve Patient Volume

From the perspective of a healthcare marketing professional, improvement of patient volume within a practice is often the number one priority.  So when it comes to executing that duty, no stone is left un-turned.   In the past, physician referrals were easier to come by, but with physicians taking on more capabilities through the conglomeration of practices, independent practices have often times been left high and dry.

However, with health care changes leading to an increase in pricing transparency, patient experience is now at the forefront of reasons patients select certain providers.  Marketing professionals are able to utilize their practice’s patient experience as a selling point, however modern technology has required them to go beyond engaging in helpful dialogue with referring physician offices and direct marketing, and has shifted into adventures in social media.

Turn Up The Volume, a blog dedicated to providing insights to increasing patient volume, discusses some of our favorite unique marketing efforts.  The blog even suggests using “celebrity” endorsements to drive patient volume, which seems funny, but the writers quote an article from the Huffington Post to back up the facts.

So, marketing professionals, this is your call out.  The key is creativity and a passion for delivering your message: that your practice is simply the best option for patients. I mean, with a well thought out and planned execution, why can’t “Because Snoop Dogg Says So” be a successful marketing campaign?

                

"The Backstory – How I got started in Healthcare Social Media"

We found the following article interesting and inspiring for anyone that hasn’t yet taken the bait when it comes to social media in the health care world.

by ED BENNETT on NOVEMBER 1, 2011
in UNCATEGORIZED
Note – the following essay was included in Mayo Clinic Social Media Residency Handbook 

My passion for social media was sparked by two events separated by ten years.

In the late 1990’s, back when the commercial web began, I helped dozens of organizations develop their first web presence.

Many business leaders understood the radical changes a web site could bring, but they were in the minority. Most belittled the idea, sticking with business as usual. (“Our customers use the Yellow Pages.”) Sadly, the most skeptical industry was healthcare. Some major hospitals didn’t have a web site until 2006.

                             
The second event was more personal – watching my daughter grow up as texting, MySpace and then Facebook became the glue holding her friends together. As I explored these services two things became clear and by 2008 I was convinced that:

1. Social media was redefining the web – providing tools people wanted and were using at extraordinary rates. It wasn’t going away and seemed to be in the early stages of something big.
2. Hospitals would, once again, stay behind.

That’s what motivated me in 2009 to build the Hospital Social Network List. A tool for hospital marketing communications (aka, marcomm) folks, it answered the critical management question, “You want our hospital to be on Facebook? Is anyone else doing it?”

Three years later, a significant percentage hospitals are active on social media and we’re just starting to understand the value for our patients, community, and organizations.

These trends are now converging within the healthcare industry:

1. Workforce demographics – staff who grew up with social media are getting into more senior management positions.
2. Patient expectations – patients use these social media to connect with hospitals and healthcare professionals for themselves and families.
3. Patient communities – empowered patients use social media to take charge of their own health and encourage others to do the same.

What can you do to prepare for these changes?

1. Learn these tools and become comfortable with the communities they build.
2. Prepare your organization for change. Educate and encourage the participation of your peers and management.
3. Healthcare has hundreds of topics/areas, what’s your special interest? Find your niche and become knowledgeable and passionate.
4. Build a network of trusted colleagues beyond your organization. Share ideas, answer questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. (You are always welcome to call me – the telephone is still my favorite social media tool)

But most of all – have fun! There’s a reason 800 million people use Facebook

Read more: http://ebennett.org/#ixzz1du8i4eZC

Supreme Court to Rule on Individual Health Care Mandate

After months of discourse on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health-care overhaul legislation, The U.S. Supreme court has announced its agreement to rule on the individual health care mandate that was pushed through Congress in 2010.  The concern of the members of Congress who are supporting the lawsuit is that the law over-steps its threshold of power and authority in regards to making it a requirement for Americans to acquire insurance by 2014.  Often times patients prefer to pay their own health expenses, especially when they take into consideration the trend in pricing transparency and price shopping for health care.

                         

  The court hearings will begin in March and will most likely commence in late June.  The basis of the dispute lies in the government’s power to regulate interstate commerce.  Since reimbursements, collections and insurance is all state-to-state based, it has been argued from the beginning that the health care legislation referred to as “ObamaCare,” is unconstitutional.  

   The American Center for Law and Justice is the legal group that has been lobbying against “ObamaCare” since the beginning and just a few weeks ago, they released an amicus brief to the Supreme Court requesting that the Justices take the case, representing the 105 members of Congress and the innumerable Americans that are in support of the lawsuit.  This announcement serves as a ray of hope for all of those individuals in opposition to the mandate, but The New York Times Caucus Blog says that it could serve as a risk to some of the potential presidential candidates.