In the rapidly changing world of healthcare in the United States, one thing remains the same; medical practices need patients. With the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, many physicians are finding that patients with new insurance plans have had to switch to in-network programs. This can lead to fewer patients, and revenue. Once, medical practices relied on word-of-mouth, insurance plan affiliations, and phone book advertisements, but today to get new patients, they need to incorporate the best practices from entrepreneurs.Establish A Web Presence
Your potential patients are scouring the web looking for physicians. They are searching the web for
physicians in their area, in the specialization they need. It is important that your website be optimized to be sure that your practice pops up in local searches. However, a website is not enough; you need to establish an online presence through social media, a blog on your website, and targeted local marketing. Be sure to take into consideration that many people are seeking healthcare professionals from their smartphones and tablets, and that mobile sites are essential.
Develop A Referral Program
In the healthcare industry, just like in every other industry, the cheapest way to get a new customer is through a referral. Over the years you have developed strong relationships with your patients and they have developed trust and faith in you. Many will be delighted to help you grow your practice through a referral program. But, don’t just look for referrals from your current patients – reach out to your professional and extended network for referrals. Keep your friends, family, and acquaintances aware of new medical breakthroughs that relate to your specialty while asking for referrals. Never expect something for nothing; reward referrals immediately with a thank you email or postcard.Today, many EHR systems allow you to create a portal, which your patients can securely view, their health information, schedule appointments, check test results, and even receive health reminders and tips. In today’s seemingly endless 24-hour day, it can be difficult for your patients to reach you or your staff during normal business hours. Through a patient portal system, they can view the information they need to make smart healthcare choices. By outsourcing the development and management of the portal, you can provide the highest levels of patient care, that goes above and beyond their annual appointments.
Allow Your Team To Focus On Patient Care
The Affordable Care Act has turned many medical practices up-side-down with the new laws, regulations, reporting requirements, and so much more. As a result many of your team members are overcome with the details of adhering to the new standards and patient care may be slipping. Billing and collections always takes significant energy and time and can also cause patient care to go down. Outsourcing medical billing, medical collections and EHR management functions, your team can return to what they love – taking care of your patients and providing education on healthy living and wellness.
Envision or re-envision what you want your practice to be. How do you want your patients to feel every time they call or come in for an appointment? Then set about making the changes you need. Expand your horizons through online marketing coupled with traditional marketing, upgrade your website and overall web presence to make sure that you are easy to find. Encourage your team members to focus their energies not on medical billing or medical collections, but on true patient care. Ask for referrals from your current and past patients, friends, family, and those in your professional network. Think and act like an entrepreneur; be creative and focus on what you do best – and outsource the rest.
About Recovery Billing Solutions
Recovery Billing Solutions offers comprehensive medical billing, collections, coding and ancillary services to help small and mid-sized medical practices increase internal efficiencies and while raising revenues.
Outsourcing billing and collections functions allows your internal medical team to focus on patient care and allows for quicker payment on claims. Visit www.recoverybillingsolutions.com for more information.
