Use a Pre-Acceptance Interview for Better New-Patient Communication and Conversion

S ome doctors struggle to keep a steady flow of new patients. One of the reasons we hear the most often for new-patient numbers that arc lower than average is difficulty explaining initial finances when a patient calls and asks the question. "How much docs it cost to sec the doctor?" As many as 60 percent of the inbound calls to offices asking about fees can be lost if mishandled by the front desk. One of the most dangerous examples of mishandling occurs when new patients arc offered free or ridiculously discounted initial exams or first visits. Giving away initial care, or any care, is considered an inducement. To help you avoid the risky pitfall of inducement, it is necessary to follow specific procedures and scripts. Hav­ing a set phone script for new-patient "shoppers" along with a "pre-acccptance interview" process is excellent for practices tliat wish to offer patients the chance to find out if they arc a good candidate for chiropractic care without any financial risk. Just about anyone who has answered a phone in a chiropractic office has fielded the question about how much the doctor charges. Each of us has also proceeded to do the "Texas Two-Stcp" dance around that question. The truth is that we really do not know what the fee would be for a particular patient's required care, but we do have a general idea of how much an initial visit usually costs. Depending on the answer we give, it could be the difference between a scheduled visit and a dial tone in our car. Patty the Possible Patient: "Urn, hello... can you tell me what it costs to see the doctor? " Sally Sunshine at the Front Desk: "Well, that depends on what your insurance company allows. " (Scripts are meant to assist with screening those who are Uninsured or Partially Insured) Patty the Possible Patient: "Oh, I don't have insurance." Sally Sunshine at the Front Desk: "Well, that is not a problem. Our office is a mem­ber ofChiroIIealthl'SA, which entitles its members to a maximum initial visit fee of $150. We can tell you about that and assist you with becom­ing a qualified member when you come into the office. Would morning or afternoon be better? " And so it goes, and you will usually have no problem schedul­ing the appointment. Having a set fee for the initial visit that is legally discounted makes your new -patient scheduling so much easier than ever before. But when you have someone who has more questions, couple the procedure described above with an offer of a "Prc-Acceptancc Interview" for maximum effectiveness. An office can offer a prc-acceptancc interview with a patient at no charge if this is a routine part of your initial visit procedure, if it is not advertised in public and if no evaluation or treatment is given. Often, a prc-acccptancc interview is the best procedure for allowing patients to come in and find out if they are in the right place or arc a good candidate for care, while avoiding any claim of financial inducement. In order to stay compliant, your office should have a written policy that declares the way you follow your policy as standard procedure for prc-acceptancc interviews. The pre-acceptance interview is an opportunity for the doctor to gather information about the patients condition and for the patient to learn more about the doctor, the doctor's office and chiropractic care in general. During the prc-acccptance interview, it is vital that the patient has a clear and distinct opportunity to "opt in" and direct the doctor to move forward with any sen ices before you move to CPT coded/charged sen ices. After explaining the maximum initial-visit cap. if the patient is still not sure if they want to be treated by the doctor, there is a simple add-on to the previous script with Path the Possible Patient. Sally Sunshine at the Front Desk: "Well, Patty, I understand that you still have questions, but let me assure you, ire offer an initial visit with the doctor called a Pre-Acceptance Interview, where you can Jill out some healthcare information and dis­cuss with the doctor the care in this office and whether you 're a good candidate for care. There is absolutely no charge for this interview, and rest assured, Dr. Jones won 7 move forward with any billable services until you give your okay. Let's get you scheduled, how does that sound? " Once the patient comes in the office for the initial visit and fills out a history and intake form, the patient can be introduced to the doctor and the initial review can begin. Once the doctor gets a sense of what will be necessary for the patient, the doc­tor can say: Dashing DC: "From what you \e sharedwith me, Ithinkyou 're an excellent candidate for chiropractic care. In order to move forward from here, I 'II need to conduct a thorough history and evaluation, including an examination (and possible X-rays), to locate the underlying cause of your problem. Once that evaluation is complete, I can review the results and give you a report of my findings and what continued care would look like. As Sally discussed with you, these initial services are capped at $150 for our ChiroIIealthl'SA members. Are you ready to move forward? " Do not attach too much meaning if a patient ultimately says "No." It is a responsible patient who takes into consideration their ability to pay and to follow through with care. Being gra­cious and understanding in this scenario may pay in spades later. The patient has now met the doctor and knows more about their care. It is unlikely they will go any place else once they decide to opt-in for care. If they do go elsewhere, and it is because the doctor offers discounts illegally or docs not charge copayments. let it go: let them go. Hold your head high and know that you may have to get 10 "no's" to get a single "yes." Using this process of capped fees and initial interviews is an excellent way to get someone to walk through your door. Re­member, be aware of the potential for an inducement offense if the opt-in moment is not clear and defined to the patient, take the time to flawlessly follow your procedures forpre-acccptancc interviews, and you will sec an increase in new patients and community awareness of your office. Kalhy Mills Chang is a Certified Medical Compli­ance Specialist (MCS-P) and, since 1983, has been providing chiropractors with reimbursement and compliance training, advice and tools to improve the financial performance of their practices. Kalhy is known as one of our profession s foremost experts on Medicare andean be reached at (855) TEAMKMC or infodebkmcuniversity. com