What is your health worth?
This is a question that I often find myself mulling. Not for me, but for potential clients. Many times, people only focus on the value of their hard earned dollar rather than finding the health care provider that can provide the highest quality care. Have we become so complacent that “just good enough” is acceptable when it comes to health care services but finding the best hair stylist or going to the spa or other “luxuries” are deemed more valuable and higher in worth than your own HEALTH?
Several years ago, I remember reading the results of a health care survey. It showed that only 30% of people valued quality health care. 30 PERCENT. I was shocked. More than 60 % valued cost over everything else. This is YOUR HEALTH. “Just good enough” doesn’t cut it for me, but apparently I’m in the minority. I value my health, I value my hard earned dollar too. I want the best within reason in all aspects of my life and willing to travel to find the best.
The mere idea that because we have health insurance, it should cover the costs of our health care. It’s not that simple. Times have changed. Unfortunately, the scope of health insurance and health care providers has changed dramatically even in my short career. We have gone from a system of reasonable health care premiums with reasonable coverage and deductibles, to outrageous premiums, less coverage and ridiculously high deductibles. I see the field from both sides. I’m a patient just like everyone else, but I’m also a health care provider. I am health care provider that spent a lot of time (and money) in school. I went to school to help people, not jump through hoops playing the insurance game to barely make a living.
Sub par care and the “just good enough” thinking has allowed
this type of system to flourish. As
patients, I understand that we are not fighting against our providers, it is
the insurance industry we are fighting.
They focus on the business of making money, PROFIT. Patients and providers do not win. I’m willing to bet patients would like
quality care, but accept “just good enough” because providers are stuck trying
to keep the office open and overschedule to make ends meet. Providers don’t want to do it this way. They really don’t. Winning the ”most patients seen in a day”
award is not something providers strive for.
Insurance companies, namely diminishing reimbursement rates, force
providers to practice this way. High volume practices, minimal personal
attention, and diminished quality of care.
It’s unfortunate. I sure didn’t
go to school just so I could cram in as many patients into my schedule and spin
my wheels sacrificing quality of care and the personal relationship I develop
with my clients. We didn’t go to school
to push paper and deal with insurance paperwork. We are clinicians, we deserve to be paid for
our knowledge and skills to help patients get better.
Private practitioners, like those of us at CMPT, are in
private practice for a reason. It’s all
about QUALITY of care, not QUANTITY. It
allows for the freedom to actually work with clients one on one, develop a
working relationship, and utilize treatment methods that will best treat our
clients, not by what is covered most by insurance. More importantly, we focus on getting
results. With the changing face of
health insurance, more providers are participating less and less with
insurances. The reimbursement rates have
gone down which does NOT allow providers to earn a decent living. It’s a slap in the face to providers by
insurance companies as their profits continue to rise.
Big picture costs. We
cut out the insurance contract headaches (ie participate with insurance plans)
for all the reasons listed above. Because
we focus on results, we can get our clients better sooner. From a psychological perspective: 1) one on
one care allows the provider and client more time together without feeling
rushed and develop a professional rapport (remember, the provider does care
about your well-being, this one on one time is about you), 2) hands on care-
there is something about the human touch that allows one to feel like they are
being cared for. It’s a positive
thing. Positive feeling/thinking yields
better outcomes. What is this worth to
you? Quite frankly, I like that personal
touch and interaction. I know that the
entire session is focused on me and not the 3 other patients in the facility
getting “treatment” at the same time. Who
doesn’t want all that personal attention?
Yes, it may cost you more up front, but for a shorter amount of
time. That cost sharing the provider’s
time with others at a “big box” facility maybe your co-pay, but you may end up
going for a longer period of time and spending the same amount, for results
that may vary. Honestly, my time is
valuable and I don’t have much of it to waste.
The old saying “Time is money.” How efficiently are you using your time? There are people that will bypass convenience
to save a few bucks to go elsewhere that takes them 3 times as long to get to
and from, increased time spent in clinic doing things you could do at home, and
add in the gas plus wear/tear on your vehicle to travel. Its like trying to save 10 cents a gallon on
gas by going across town to get it. In
the end, you may have saved a few bucks but it took you 45 min to save 10
cents a gallon. In reality, you actually
spent more in money AND time.
Clients tell me they see me or one of my colleagues, because
we get to the root of the problem, we help them understand (educate) what is
going on, we are convenient, time efficient and we get results. Many of our clients have been to other clinics
only to eventually see us and subsequently vent their frustration of their
experiences at “other” places. A past
patient was seeing another PT for 3 weeks of just doing some exercises, she was
no better and still in pain. Her friend
referred her to me and within two sessions, she was pain free for the first
time in a month. She couldn’t believe
it. Two sessions of hands on care and
she was as happy as can be.
Just in the last couple of weeks, three former clients
returned to me with a new issue. They
remembered what I had said from their last visits (6 to 12 months ago), “If
anything comes up in terms of something hurting, DO NOT WAIT. If the pain does not go away after a week or
two, then give me a call. The sooner the
problem is addressed, the sooner it will go away.” Sure enough, they contacted me within 3 weeks
of these new pains and within 2-3 visits, they were pain free to return to
their lives barely skipping a beat.
So, really, what is your health and well-being really
worth? “Just good enough” and treat the
symptoms, OR find the problem and address it?
You pay for what you get.
You only have one body, treat it well, because the
alternative may not be pleasant.
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