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Insurances vs. Cash in Obamacare

March 29, 2010

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My last post on the new health care reform (entitled “Congress Has Done It, Now What?“), caused quite a few comments. Mostly the feedback was good. One lady called me a right wing nut and we gladly accommodated her request to be removed from the email list. I guess in today’s politically correct world, stating the obvious (that our taxes will go up and it will be more work on our practices) makes you a right wing nut.

A few concerned doctors emailed me trying to persuade me to see the “bright side of things”.  They argued things were not so bad, after all the ACA or ICA (depending on which one you ask) was responsible for getting anti-discriminatory language in the bill. While I commend both organizations for fighting hard for chiropractic, I’m not so sure the gain of anti-discrimination language will justify the huge stack of problems the bill will cause.

Of course if your patients are mostly Muslim, Amish, American Indian or a Christian Scientist you will likely continue on as if nothing has changed.

As for everyone else, this type of government action brings up the age old chiropractic question, “cash or insurance?”

First off, I must state I do not agree with the mentality that has been perpetuated for years by many chiropractic coaches: “we must do cash because all insurance is evil” . There are good reasons not to take insurance, some of which are philosophical, but this type of rhetoric mentioned above is usually just a cop-out for those are are scared and don’t know how to bill insurance. Trust me, I know because this was me for the first 2 years in practice!

So with that said, let’s look at a the biggest reasons some doctors abandon insurance for an all-cash practice.

What the Proponents of an All-Cash Practice Say:

1. Insurance is too restrictive of the services you provide.

Many chiros do away with insurance hassles because of the burden it puts on their practice. They do not like to be told what they can and can not do with their patients. If most of their insurance patients are carrying these types of restrictive plans, they will choose to convert to an all-cash practice. Do you think Obamacare will make insurance more restrictive or less for chiropractic? (Leave your comments below.)

One medical doctor sent a letter to her patients stating she will not comply to the new laws Obama has enacted.

Of course the doctor who takes insurance will rebut this argument when applied broadly to the whole United States. His reply would be that “just because there are some bad insurance pockets, or even whole states, does not justify saying all insurance is bad and only pays for 12 visits anyway, so we might as well go all-cash.”

2. Insurance is too much work.

Other doctors choose not to bill insurance because they say it is too much work. They have to submit reams and reams of paperwork just to make $30 on a visit. Exams and x-rays require even more notes and paperwork. They’ll have to hire another staff person just to figure out all the billing codes and how to do chiropractic insurance appeals.

What does the non-cash chiropractor say to this? He would likely reply that “while some insurance plans and contracts require an insane amount of work, this does not mean that all insurance plans do. I simply do not participate in the ones that are bad.” He would also argue that whether cash or insurance, we all must have documentation. He would likely also add that many cash practices give the patient a superbill, which is essentially doing everything an insurance practice would do, except fight denials.

3. They do not pay special services.

A few doctors choose not to bill insurance because their practice is very specialized and insurance in their area does not pay chiropractors for these services. These include spinal decompression, weight loss, nutrition, cold laser, deep tissue laser, etc.

On the other side, many chiropractors will still implement these uncovered services, but also continue to offer chiropractic adjustments and therapy. So they will bill insurance for those services that are covered and do cash for those services not covered like decompression treatments, etc.

So which side of the fence do I stand on?

Neither. At the current time (and this may change in the future), I do not paint with a broad brush when it comes to this subject. Some states and areas are great with insurance, with plans giving 80-100 visits per year. I’ve even seen a few that allow unlimited visits to chiropractors per year. Other areas are so bad you’d have to be crazy to bill insurance there.

In my Decompression Marketing Elite program, there is one client grossing a million per year as an all cash practice. Another client has a mostly insurance practice and is doing nearly the same amount. Other clients have more of a 50/50 mixture, doing cash for decompression plans and insurance for other services.

You see, whether you choose cash or insurance, you should choose wisely. And once you make that choice, it all comes down to one thing — marketing. Insurance companies won’t bring you many new patients, if they bring any at all. Simply switching your practice to all cash won’t make people flock to you either.

I think too many people sit around thinking the grass is greener on the other side, when in reality they are not reaching their potential because of poor marketing choices.

What do you think about all this? Leave your comments below.

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The New ChiroMarketing Academy

April 28, 2009

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It’s time for you to experience growth in your practice, even during the recession.

http://www.chiromarketingacademy.com

If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know that I’ve been releasing a sample of the content from the new ChiroMarketing Academy. The Academy is a membership site unlike anything else in chiropractic. Each month, you’ll have access to private lessons and training videos that teach you how to…

- Bring in more quality new patients using print and internet marketing, referrals, internal promotions, and more.
- Convert patients to care using non-forceful techniques. (It took me years of trial and error to discover these!)
- Keep patients for life with very specific high retention strategies and tactics.

I even captured a short video that gives you a sneak peek inside the membership site. You can see for yourself exactly what’s included in ChiroMarketing Academy.

Check it out now:
http://www.chiromarketingacademy.com

If you’re wondering why the membership is such a low price right now, it’s only the first 50 (only 45 remaining) members who join that will get a special charter membership worth 50% off. With over 1000 chiropractors reading this today, I can’t say how long the remaining 45 memberships will last. It could be a week or it could be less than 24 hours. Once all the charter memberships have been taken, the price will double and likely double again in 6 months (since new content is added every month.)

Either way, I advise you to at least take a look at what’s been added to ChiroMarketing Academy and see how the new strategies can help you grow your practice. There’s a 30 day guarantee on your membership, so you risk nothing by giving it a try.

Yours for a more successful practice,
Michael Beck, D.C.

P.S. As a special bonus for those who join ChiroMarketing Academy, I’ve thrown in The Renegade Marketing Letters…proven marketing letters for referrals, reactivations, and event promotions. With these easy-to-implement marketing tools, you can start seeing new patients this week and easily get back your investment in ChiroMarketing Academy immediately.

http://www.chiromarketingacademy.com

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Fast and Inexpensive Postcard Marketing

April 15, 2009

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Have you ever wanted to send postcards to get more new patients? How about a letter to your inactive patient list or new homeowners in your area?

In this 6 minute video, I’ll show you how to quickly print and mail through the USPS in a matter of minutes. [...]

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Watch Me Open The Recession-Proof Box For Chiropractic Marketing

January 8, 2009

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Are you ready to open the recession-proof box of chiropractic marketing tools?

I was so excited when I got the package myself and tore into the box.

Obviously I knew the information was top notch in The Ultimate Chiropractic Ads, which contains proven chiropractic marketing tools and content. However, I was very excited to see how the fulfillment company had put it all together on the manuals and cd’s.

I even asked my wife to record a “homemade” video of me unpacking the box. (The camera’s a bit wobbly at times as a result of my camerawoman being 7 months pregnant and me asking her to stand still for 10 minutes.)

There’s only two “30 minute consult” bonuses left (which will probably go fast once this blog post goes out to my list) and only 25 of the ChiroMarketing Academy launch bonuses left.

If you haven’t visited the site, be sure to check it out now…

Click Here To Learn More About The Ultimate Chiropractic Ads

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The Ultimate Chiropractic Ads And Contest Winner

January 5, 2009

2 Comments

It’s time for you to experience a completely done-for-you chiropractic advertising system.

http://ultimatechiropracticads.com/ultimate-chiropractic-marketing-ads

If you’ve been following the blog lately, you know I’ve talked a lot about having a marketing system in your practice. One that’s easy to implement and is effective at bringing in quality new patients.

Check it out now:
http://ultimatechiropracticads.com/ultimate-chiropractic-marketing-ads

And for a limited time, I’m making it an even better deal with 2 launch bonuses.

1. The first 7 doctors that buy get a 30 minute practice marketing consultation with me personally.
2. The first 30 to get the system will receive 16 Lessons of ChiroMarketing Academy — the premier chiropractic internet marketing program.

The Ultimate Chiropractic Ads are plug and play advertising proven to work in competitive areas, even during the current recession. You’ll discover…

-40+ ‘done-for-you’ high-profit ads that bring in a consistent flow of high quality patients
-First-class ads for niche conditions like fibromyalgia, migraines, spinal decompression, carpal tunnel, cold laser, arthritis, and much more
-A reliable marketing plan with multiple unique ads, giving you the ability to run a different one every month for years
-Professional home-care ghostwritten booklets you can customize and use in your report of findings
-Effective ads written by a chiropractor that’s ‘lived in the trenches’ and is now hailed by marketing experts as writing “extraordinary” and “superior copy”… “without hype or exaggeration”

Find out more now:
http://ultimatechiropracticads.com/ultimate-chiropractic-marketing-ads

The Contest Winner…

We had some great entries into the contest. In fact, choosing the winner was tougher than I thought it would be, because there was a very close race for the winner. But I did choose a winner, and it was based on need for the product (although just about every practice needs it) in their practice, but also what I thought they could do with it and how it would change their life.

I chose Jennifer Rozenhart…

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win your contest because we really NEED your product! My sister and I opened our practice one year ago and have been learning all the ins and outs of advertising- at a very high cost!! We would have loved to have your system a year ago! We have been spending time doing screenings with some success, but what we really would love is more time with our families! I have 2 boys who always miss their mommy – between time at the office for adjusting and then the weekend time for screenings. We are fast implementers and take on things full force, we just need the right system to make the maximum impact in our community! We want to serve the families in our community with excellent chiropractic care so they need to know we are here and ready to SERVE!! The system will allow our team to experience greater prosperity and live a higher quality of life. Overall, the system will allow us to reach more people more effectively and allow us to have MORE FUN!! Thanks for this contest and we would make you proud WHEN you pick us!! Thanks!

Congratulations Jennifer! I’ll be contacting you by email shortly.

[ad#atifadd-6]

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Do You Use These In Practice Yet?

December 8, 2008

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While everyone has heard that they should implement systems in their practice, actually doing it is another story. I know it was for me. But I also realized the immense power systems had, mostly because it would put things on autopilot for me.

Here’s just a few systems you can have to make your practice more profitable, more successful, and much less stressful.

  • New Patient Marketing
  • Employee Hiring And Training
  • New Patient Conversion
  • Reactivations
  • Referrals
  • Internal Marketing
  • Office Flow
  • Patient Financials

Also realize many of these bigger systems should be broken into small systems. For example, new patient marketing should include different channels like chiropractic internet marketing, newspaper marketing, direct mail, etc.

Who has the time to create all these systems anyway?

Finding and putting in the time to write out (or even make videos) of these systems is quite time consuming. This is why you should buy systems that are already done-for-you, so all you have to do is implement them in your practice with very little hassle. Here are a few systems (all of which I have used or created myself) put into place with very little effort…

*   Insurance Compliance System
*   Chiropractic Internet Marketing System
*   Patient Home Care Rehab System
*   Insurance Appeal Process
*   Office Software System
*   Email Newsletter And Autoresponder System

Not all the systems you would need are available (yet!) for chiropractors to purchase and quickly implement in their practices.

So you will have to bear down and create a few systems on your own.The easiest way I have found to do this is to write an outline of the main points you want to cover. Then explain each section in as few words as possible, creating an instruction manual you can have employees (yourself) refer back to on a regular basis.

In 2009 I’m going to be bringing you some very good systems you can apply to your practice. Especially done-for-you systems that help with the biggest problem in chiropractic: your marketing!

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Here’s How To Get My $100k Referral Letter

November 5, 2008

4 Comments

One of my goals with this blog, and my business, is to provide the information you need and want to help you grow your practice. In 2009, I’ll be launching a program where we dive deep into effective practice building strategies.

To do this, I need your help. What types of practice problems do you need help with? What do you want more information on? What are the best ways you learn?

How can I make sure my blog is giving you the best information to help you?

I’ve put together a simple six question survey that will only take you a couple of minutes to complete. As a regular reader, you care about the information that’s published here. This is your opportunity to let me know how I can best serve your needs.

As a thank you for filling out the survey, I’m giving away my chiropractic referral stick letter system. (I’ve also thrown in a decompression version for those whom it would benefit.)

This letter is mailed to all the patients who start care in your office. In 2006, I tracked the referrals I got from this simple system and it added up to over $100,000 or revenue for my practice.

Click here to take the survey…

THANK YOU!

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Contest For Chiropractic Internet Marketing Course

August 5, 2008

2 Comments

It’s time for a contest!

Post below in the comments why I should choose you to receive a free membership to my upcoming course on chiropractic internet marketing.

I will then choose a winner next Tuesday from the comments on this post. I am the only judge, you’re convincing me to pick you as the winner from your comment here alone.

Here’s a video to describe a little more about the prize…

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4 Strategies To Convert Web Traffic To New Patients

June 26, 2008

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In a previous post, I gave 7 strategies for getting more traffic to your chiropractic website. Traffic is a good thing, but converting this traffic to new patients is much more important. It’s better to have 10 paying new patients per month, than to have 1000 (non-paying) visitors to your website any month that .

Here are 4 proven methods to convert your website visitors to new patients.

#1. Use a landing page.

Unless your traffic just stumbles upon your website or blog “organically” through Google or some other search engine, they should not be landing on your home page. This is especially true for paid traffic. If you are paying for people to visit your site, you do not want them to get lost in the land of 100 different menus and click options. Do you realize how many places there is to go on most home pages?

Every visitor that comes to your site is looking for a specific solution. They are there looking for the answer to their problem. If you are paying for them to arrive there, either through Pay-Per-Click or other paid means, you want to send them directly to a page made for them.

If you run an ad for the keyword “chiropractic”, you want the landing page to be all about chiropractic and how it can help them.

If your ad is for “low back pain”, you don’t want a bunch of information about sinus problems and headaches. If they are not familiar with chiropractic (most people!), then they might think you can only help sinus problems and headaches, and not their back pain.

#2. Use an Autoresponder.

An autoresponder is a software program that sends follow up messages to a recipient that has asked for information. They are usually pre-loaded in a series and can each be scheduled with a set amount of days in between.

These messages help to build a relationship and trust over time with your potential patients who otherwise would have just visited your website once, never to be seen or heard from again.

This can be very helpful for converting prospects to new patients. You can educate prospects on why they should see you for their problem. You can educate new patients on why they should follow your care plan. You can send out nutritional or general health advice. All of which can be 95% automated and very inexpensive. All that you need is an opt-in form for visitors to sign up on your landing page or blog.

#3. Use Videos.

I mentioned videos in my strategies to get chiropractic web traffic. But videos can also be used in converting traffic to new patients.

Videos on your landing pages are highly recommended. You can make a short 2-3 minute video of you the doctor speaking about how you help with their problem. Or you can use screen recording software of you doing a power point presentation. You can also have patient testimonials and your staff speak on the video.

Videos may sound difficult, but they are very easy to use. Basically, you produce the video, upload it to your website, and then just “embed” it on your webpage. If you use YouTube, these last two steps are very easy.

#4. Use Great Copywriting.

Copywriting uses words, or copy, to promote a business, product or service. The main purpose of marketing copy is to persuade the reader to act. You want your website visitors to act today. You want them to call you now and schedule an appointment. This is the point of your website.

You need to get peoples attention right away, or they will click the back button. This is done with a headline. You also need to have an offer and call to action, or the prospect will not be motivated to act. Think of your landing page like a newspaper ad. It needs to grab the readers attention and persuade them to action.

A great resource to learn basic internet copywriting is Maria Veloso’s book “Web Copy That Sells 4 Strategies To Convert Web Traffic To New Patients“. If you don’t want to learn copy yourself, you can hire it out. But expect to pay $1000-$3000 for a newbie copywriter, and $3000-$6000+ for a good copywriter to write your landing page, email autoresponders, and full long copy pages.

Apply these strategies to your chiropractic marketing plan, and you will see more new patients from your website.

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