Hi Class,
Here is your blog assignment:
Here is your blog assignment:
Answer this question as a group and the 5th person in each group will post the answer on the blog. Can a DC give out gift cards to patients who refer new patients to the clinic? Why or why not? 2 points.
UPDATE- 2/1/2012
For those of you who think that this is OK, I want you to think about the Anti-kickback statute from the New Physician provider guide (manual by the OIG). You can review the guidelines here: http://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/physician-education/01laws.asp
UPDATE- 2/1/2012
For those of you who think that this is OK, I want you to think about the Anti-kickback statute from the New Physician provider guide (manual by the OIG). You can review the guidelines here: http://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/physician-education/01laws.asp
The group thinks its fine in some situations and not so good in others. As long as you are not discriminating between patients and giving the same things out to every patient such as pay on same day discounts and every new patient gets half off their new patient exam its ok. However we feel like you shouldn't be giving things like cash, jewerly such as watches, and other presents away to patients and you shouldn't give special treatment to certain patients for personal reasons. You should never give out money or presents to a patient either
ReplyDeleteYes, it is possible as we have seen a DC who does it in Iowa however it can be different in other states. We think that the gift card as a reward for the patient referring must be positively considered as one of the marketing tool especially for the start-up DC. Because of the fact that it is the best way for clinic to be exposed to potential patients by the current patients with positive recommendation, this is very effective pin-point marketing tool. The gift card can be used at local restaurant or even used as a coupon for next clinic visit. If the current patients satisfy with the care from the clinic, they spread the words anyway.
ReplyDeleteOur group feels that gift cards for services and products offered by the clinic are a good idea as compensation for clinic referrals. Having a percentage discount or a dollar value per patient referred is a good incentive system and the patient could then choose whether to apply it to examinations, adjustments, supplements or other products, or even for other services offered such as massage therapy or acupuncture, if offered by the clinic. People are motivated by money, or saving money, so if you can give them incentive to save while simultaneously marketing your business for you then we are all for it. It seems like and ethical and intelligent way to market instead of the costly, and oftentimes low return, traditional marketing and advertising strategies.
ReplyDeleteOur group thinks that it is fine for a DC to give gift cards out to people who refer patients to the office. It is fine as long as the gift cards provided are the same for each person. I know of a DC that gives gift cards/coupons for a certain amount of money off of an adjustment on there next visit. We think that this is a good marketing/incentive idea to get new patient referrals and also bring established patients back in to the office.
ReplyDeletetheir*
ReplyDeleteCan a DC do this? Sure. Should they? No. Our group decided that this is not a good idea. This may be an attractive promotion for other businesses and it may actually bring in new patients for individual chiropractors. However, we didn't think this was helpful in promoting chiropractic as a viable mainstream healthcare option. Our feeling was that giving gift certificates in exchange for patient referrals cheapens the value of the care each patient receives. We want people to see us as a commodity that's in high demand. Patients come and then they refer others because we are effective at what we do, not because we have the lowest prices in town.
ReplyDeleteHi Dan & group,
DeleteI am in agreement with you.
We do not think that giftcards should be given out to patients who refer others. We would rather have a patient refer someone to the office because they believe fully in chiropractic and feel others can benefit as well rather than bringing someone into the office in exchange for money. The value of chiropractic would be brought down we believe. Yes you have to make a living, but if you aren't into chiropractic to serve your community as your number one priority and are always looking to make that extra dollar, you will never be satisfied.
ReplyDeleteOur group does't see anything unethical or illegal if a DC gives out gift cards to their existing patients for referring a new patient into the clinic. We think that receiving gift cards for new referals is a great incintive to patients who want to continue with care, be there should be a limitation on how many gift cards a patient can receive, because i know of a DC who does something similar to this and the patient with the gift card would only come in for care when they received their gift card. Now if every patient you had in the clinic did this, how would the clinic survive? This is why we believe there should be a limitation on the amount of gift cards recieved and just like me, recieving a gift card is great but a personal Thank You card or saying "Thank you!" means more.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Thielen & group =)
DeleteAccording to the anti-kickback statute it is illegal to provide payment or reward for patient referrals involving any service payable by the federal health care programs, including medicade and medicare. This means that if you are seeing any medicade or medicare patients it is illegal to give out gift cards for their referrals. This would not affect patients not involved with medicade or medicare but it is not good business to offer rewards to some patients but not to others. It would be a better practice for a doctor to formally acknowledge and thank the patient for their referral and keep the gifts out of it.
ReplyDeleteOur group said no because we in no way want to, in a sense, "buy" our patients. If wind of that idea catches on with the community then a decline in professionalism may surface. In today's world, a chiropractor needs to be more professional and more legit than any other healthcare provider. Be business smart, but at the same time be professional. Patients should refer to others because they like the care they are receiving, not because there is an incentive program.
ReplyDeleteOur group decided that it is not in the best interest of the doctor to give out gift cards as incentive for referring new patients. It not only "cheapens" the image of chiropractic as a professional and respected form of healthcare but it also becomes a hindrance as these incentives give the patients the idea that we are willing to "pay" for "new business".
ReplyDeleteThings such as this is what makes our profession look more like a sales company than a health care facility. When someone goes to a GP or PT or specialist you don't get gift cards. Why would we want to be the health care field that always looks like some kind of sales pitch. I think that refereals will come to those that truely help their patients, and don't take advantage of them. A little gift card isn't going to be the deal maker or braker when it comes to getting new patients or referals. Plus as stated above it's illegal in some situations!
ReplyDeleteWe feel that it is important when starting and growing a practice to encourage new patient referrals, especially within existing patients. Rewarding patients with incentives is a way of positively reinforcing these new patient referrals. As chiropractors, it is important that we review the laws and regulations regarding exactly how we reward the patients. Simple in-office gifts, such as company logo water bottles, would be a better option than offering any discount for services. Allowing such discounts or kick-backs for new patient referrals goes against the Anti-Kickback Statute and also may be viewed as downgrading the services we provide as chiropractors. We feel that giving a discount for chiropractic care lessens the value of the care received. Patients may not have high expectations for the quality of their care if they view what they are receiving as discounted or “cheap”.
ReplyDeleteOur group agrees that offering gift cards in return for referrals reduces the credibility of our profession. Giving gifts seems innocent on the outside, but at a deeper level this action is similar to a pyramid scheme. It is also prohibited by the Anti-Kickback statute to offer remuneration for referrals for services paid by Federal health care programs, such as Medicare. Besides being illegal, it would be logistically difficult to justify only giving gift cards to non-Medicare patients since people talk. Word of mouth that only certain patients are getting gift cards would spread like wildfire and may backfire anyway. Patients should refer to us because of satisfaction with the healthcare they recieve, not because they will receive monetary gains.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with offering gift-cards. First of all, the reward gift cards make quality of chiropractic-care down unconsciously from patients’ thought. These gifts might make patients to be salespersons. Referrals from patients without money involving are good; however, Chiropractic clinic will focus on a business but health-care when money is involved. Later on, patients might negotiate prices of care.
ReplyDeleteOur group does not believe that the use of gift cards is a good idea for our profession. It would make the services we offer seem cheap and less legitimate. Where would it end? Would there eventually be chiro gift cards in the check out rack at walmart? Referrals are great, but this is not the way to go about attracting them.
ReplyDeleteWith out a doubt it is not a good idea to offer gift cards or anything with any sort of redeemable monetary value to lure new patients into your clinic. From the simple point that it cheapens our position as doctors and the profession to the obvious of that this is pure poor judgement. Get patients to your clinic with proper marketing, advertising and quality of care.
ReplyDeleteGiving discounts for patient referral is unethical as well as illegal. Kickbacks are not allowed. The cheapness this lends to our care that Doug mentioned is also apparent in my opinion in the 'discount' vouchers that many DC's hand out to people at malls, business fairs, health talks and on the back of their cards. We provide a valuable service and should expect that we be paid. You would never see MD's offering discounts for the things that some of our colleges try to hook new patients with. These gift cards are another color of the same.
ReplyDelete