What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
Posted August 23rd, 2007 by cortney barber
Today in Practice Management class I learned that how much you charge your patients is how much YOU are worth. Okay, that sounded a little off to me, so I raised my hand and questioned, "Don't you mean to say that you think how much you charge your patients is how much your services are worth?" But, no, that was not what was trying to be conveyed to us future acupuncturists. And although I don't agree with either of those concepts, I definitely do not agree with the notion that my worth as a human or as an acupuncturist can be measured or is equivalent to a certain price. Otherwise there could be no sum large enough, right? One billion dollars per treatment! Still, not enough! And, although I grew up "religious" and may have different views then some, isn't it just wrong to compare human worth with money? (maybe I am being too dramatic about the teachers views, but who wouldn't be upset?)
In the same class and on the same note, I learned that (and I have allready heard this way too many times!) that most people actually prefer one on one treatments. Okay, first off, where are the statistics on this? People seem to be so sure of this and say it as if it were a fact. I have seen with my very own eyes that this is not the case. A CA clinic that sees upwards of 350 patients per week acts much louder then a private practive who sees upwards of 12-20 patients per week. I think that what the patients actually prefer is to GET acupuncture. And that is not possible at a high price. And, the patients prefer to GET better. And that is not possible at a high price. Though this is not a fact, I would actually go out on a really safe limb and say that even if the patients were the richest of all people, most would still prefer the CA clinic. I personally loathe the one on one intakes when I am a patient. I know myself, I get bored with myself, I don't want to hear myself talking about myself for 30 minutes or more....And, I am busy! Like most other people. I would rather just come in and get to it.
If we could define "worth" in the acupuncture profession, wouldn't an acupuncturist that sees 40-75 people per week be "worth" more that one who sees only 12? Wouldn't an acupuncturist that sets their rates low enough so that their patients can come in frequently enough to truly get better be "worth" more then one who doesn't?
I don't care if the acupuncturist has been practicing 30 years or five years. If I could not afford to return to them, then what's the point?
My hopes are that non-CA practicing acupuncturists and also students are reading these blogs. Hopefully some will start to gain insight on why what we get taught at times is just wrong.
We are in a healthcare profession. Yes, of course, we want to make a living. Charging high prices because you think you are "worth" it is not the way how. It 1-discludes the majority of the population from recieving acupuncture 2-extremely limits your potential patient base 3-potentiates the problem that our healthcare system is allready in and 4-for most, is not a good way to make a living!
Charging high prices because you think you are "worth" it is perhaps helping the practitioner mentally??? But, not financially. And, it is hurting those people out there who could be living much better lives if only they could afford some decent acupuncture!
Re: What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
Hey Cortney,
To play devils advocate for people who prefer one on one, but haven't ever done anything else - I think it often less about one on one and more about making a connection to the patient's needs. Speaking from my own experience as a student contemplating life after school, I have been adament about only treating one person at a time because I thought that was the only way to treat a person fully and deeply. However, now that I'm getting exposed to CA it reminds me that there are many other ways to make that connection. I could treat people one on one, once every two weeks, and what good would that do? Sure I'd make a connection to their body's needs - only to realize that they can't be fulfilled in 2 sessions a month. Be patient with the people who think that one on one is the only way. Perhaps the only alternative they see is treating 3 people at a time in 3 different rooms with their personal energy divided - rather than in a combined room of healing. As for self worth - you are right, no "price" would be enough. Its apples and oranges and a strange comparison to make. Perhaps its more about what do I need to charge to continue my passion of healing people. It sounds like (from the little I know so far) that CA is incredibly profitable, and yet genuine and fair. Hooray for that. Take care, and enjoy school.
Re: What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
I think the idea of charging in the 65-85 dollar range actually comes from believing that we have to have some kind of parity with medical doctors. If an MD is giving you 15 minutes of time, it's not unreasonable to believe you would be charged that much. If you have insurance with a 20% co-pay, then it's not a bad deal. If you don't have insurance, well... But so much of the medical system is predicated on an insurance reimbursement structured practice. That means a way higher overhead than most acupuncturists face, and most doctors have a high cost/high volume practice. I'm not justifying the high cost, I'm just saying a lot of acupuncturists seem to want to pretend that since acupuncture is a medical procedure, and should be as expensive as such, but they ignore the other end of the equation, which is that in most of the country insurance doesn't participate. This is why acupuncturists have to do therapy and heal their money issues, because at some level they have this cognitive dissonance. Where I live, chiropractic is covered extensively and people will sometimes see chiropractors for a YEAR, with no results. But the insurance pays for it, so they go. In fact, patients always ask me "Do YOU take insurance," as if it was up to me. I tell them if YOUR PLAN pays for it, we will work with you to get the reimbursement. In the old days, I would always cringe when telling them the price. Now it is a relief to tell them, "In fact, most of our patients aren't covered, and because of that, we use a sliding scale and NEVER turn anyone away based on price."
Re: What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
Hey Cortney,
I'm sorry that you have a teacher with such a narrow and destructive perspective. She's really doing more harm than good.
I recently started a practice mgmt class at my school and was really nervous because I expected to hear the sort of stuff you are relaying.
Instead, my teacher started the class by talking about fear and how it relates to money and if you give into fear, it will control you and you will not succeed. He talked about personal experiences when he has had an abundant perspective and given freely of himself and how that actually helped his practice and development as a human being.
I was really happy with that approach because I think that fear is what is at the root of ideas like "charge what you think you are worth". How is my value as a person tied to money? What a shallow perspective. I know who I am and what I am worth and it has nothing to do with what I will charge, it will be measured in what I give.
Blythe
Re: What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
I just opened a CA clinic 2 weeks ago and from what I have observed, people actually get MORE energy from the community treatments which cost way LESS. I think it is so amazing that we can actually get more benefit from exerting less effort. Counterintuitive perhaps and that's part of what I love about this model. We had 6 patients receiving treatment at the same time yesterday. When I peeked into the treatment room, I realized that I have never seen so much palpable energy or such deep relaxation. A patients mother actually asked me to go wake her daughter up because she had been sleeping for an hour and a half!
I think it is a great misconception (and a dangerous one) to assume that powerful treatments require the expenditure of large sums of money. In fact, I believe the opposite could be true. At least in terms of Community Acupuncture.
I admire you for having the insight to question this assumption while still in school. It puts you ahead. It took me 4 years of private practice to realize this amazing lesson.
Re: What I Learned at School Today (Part 1 of 538)
"I personally loathe the one on one intakes when I am a patient. I know myself, I get bored with myself, I don't want to hear myself talking about myself for 30 minutes or more....And, I am busy! Like most other people. I would rather just come in and get to it."
I feel the same way. I can't stand all the talking and I get so bored sitting in a room by myself. I find it much easier to relax in a group setting.
It would be great to hear from patients who have switched from private to group treatments. Do any of you have patients who would be willing to express their feelings on the change?