Guest guest Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 Friends I would appreciate some advice and suggestions. After 20 years I have a very steady clientel and consider myself a very good acupuncturist who is still growing and evolving. My practice is entirely cash save for one old time worker's comp patient. I am a single parent, have no office help by choice and design, and don't want to do paper work for insurance. Most people consider my fees very reasonable...and indeed there are are some who truly recognise the value of what they are recieving and insist on paying me more. Others cannot understand why I don't raise my fees. And my answer is that I believe in making this work economically availabe to as many people as possible. And I have a very broad range of people who use my skills...including people whose philosophical, moral and political compass might seem very opposed to my way of life. So lately some of my people have suggested I create a sliding scale fee structure. And I definitely do wish to increase my income. And I'm simply not quite sure if this is legal....nor do I know how to communicate a sliding scale structure into my practice. My basic fee is $48.00 ( $55.- for first visit) Granular herbs are of course extra. I book every 45min there fore allowing 90 min. per patient. I employ cupping, gua sha, and moxa. I tend to get results very quickly...and if I don't see encouraging change within 4-5 treatments I usually discontinue unless the patient wishes otherwise. I practice in northern california, Nevada County. There is a very broad demographic of close to 100,000 which includes the whole family: Yuppy, Hippy, Conservative, Fundamentalist,Redneck,Moderate, the Elderly...you name it. I see 'em all! and I'm the better for IT. So thanks in advance for an feedback, ideas, reflections. Turiya Hill, L.Ac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Hi there. In CA you can have a fee schedule which is negiotated according to things like hardship. Look up the laws around it and ready them, it really is unique for CA. --- Turiya Hill <turiya wrote: > Friends > > I would appreciate some advice and suggestions. > After 20 years I have a very steady clientel and > consider myself a very good acupuncturist who is > still growing and evolving. > > My practice is entirely cash save for one old > time worker's comp patient. I am a single parent, > have no office help by choice and design, and don't > want to do paper work for insurance. > > Most people consider my fees very > reasonable...and indeed there are are some who truly > recognise the value of what they are recieving and > insist on paying me more. Others cannot understand > why I don't raise my fees. And my answer is that I > believe in making this work economically availabe to > as many people as possible. And I have a very broad > range of people who use my skills...including people > whose philosophical, moral and political compass > might seem very opposed to my way of life. > > So lately some of my people have suggested I > create a sliding scale fee structure. And I > definitely do wish to increase my income. And I'm > simply not quite sure if this is legal....nor do I > know how to communicate a sliding scale structure > into my practice. > > My basic fee is $48.00 ( $55.- for first visit) > Granular herbs are of course extra. I book every > 45min there fore allowing 90 min. per patient. I > employ cupping, gua sha, and moxa. I tend to get > results very quickly...and if I don't see > encouraging change within 4-5 treatments I usually > discontinue unless the patient wishes otherwise. > > I practice in northern california, Nevada > County. There is a very broad demographic of close > to 100,000 which includes the whole family: Yuppy, > Hippy, Conservative, > Fundamentalist,Redneck,Moderate, the Elderly...you > name it. I see 'em all! and I'm the better for IT. > > So thanks in advance for an feedback, ideas, > reflections. > > > > Turiya Hill, L.Ac. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > Dr. Reenah McGill Licensed Acupuncturist & Biofeedback Specialist Healing Energy Center Modern Technology and Ancient Wisdom 323.668.0278 ph 323.668.2206 fax visit http://WWW.healingenergycenter.com and signup for your FREE ezine of health news and information to improve your life. ______________________________\ ____ Have a burning question? Go to www.Answers. and get answers from real people who know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Hi Turiya, Thank you for posing this question. It is one I have thought quite a bit about myself, and am currently in the process of integrating a sliding fee scale in to my own practice, so I have a bit to share. I had been hearing alot about community acupuncture clinics in the last couple of years, and have also been motivated by those who have told me they would love to come to see me, but cannot afford my fees. After looking on a website for community acupuncture, I decided last month to devote some of my hours to a low-fee, sliding-scale, community clinic. There are many ways to do this. Due to my small space, I treat people seated in chairs, fully-clothed, in much the same manner as acu-detox treatments. I use distal points on the arms and legs, and ear points only. The sliding scale is $15-$35 plus an additional processing fee on the first visit of $10. There is no financial screening - folks decide what they are able to pay based on their own conscience. Herbs cost extra, of course. Initially I had carved out time on 4 out of 5 weekdays, and have found that only two of those times were popular, so I am now offering the clinic at those times only. If this grows and there is demand for additional times, I can of course expand clinic hours. Rather than a drop-in clinic, I have people make appointments so I won't have too many people show up at once and wait a long time. Like you, I have a cash practice. There is nothing illegal about having a sliding fee scale, unless you are indeed billing insurance. In fact, the woman who is popularizing community acupuncture clinics, Lisa Rodeler, states that if you are offring a sliding fee scale, you cannot also do insurance billing; the two are incompatible. I have let all my patients know about the low-fee clinic, and all of the clinic attendees also know that private appointments are available for a higher fee. I have some patients who choose one private appointment and one community clinic appointment weekly, and some who alternate. What unexpectedly delighted me and everyone who comes to the community clinic, is the cameraderie and friendship and joyfulness that arises when people are treated together. I saw this when I was an intern at a homeless clinic, but I thought it was unrelated to the treatment setup there; now I believe the two are absolutely interconnected. Lisa Rodeler's clinic is called Working Class Acupuncture. If you do a web search, I'm sure you can find it and also her. She has also written some interesting articles for Acupuncture Today about her clinic and her social action motives behind structuring her clinic in this manner. I personally found it fun, exciting, and deeply moving to add this type of clinic to my practice, and am now considering branching out to other local towns to do the same one day per week. Good luck with your explorations, Turiya Hill <turiya wrote: Friends I would appreciate some advice and suggestions. After 20 years I have a very steady clientel and consider myself a very good acupuncturist who is still growing and evolving. My practice is entirely cash save for one old time worker's comp patient. I am a single parent, have no office help by choice and design, and don't want to do paper work for insurance. Most people consider my fees very reasonable...and indeed there are are some who truly recognise the value of what they are recieving and insist on paying me more. Others cannot understand why I don't raise my fees. And my answer is that I believe in making this work economically availabe to as many people as possible. And I have a very broad range of people who use my skills...including people whose philosophical, moral and political compass might seem very opposed to my way of life. So lately some of my people have suggested I create a sliding scale fee structure. And I definitely do wish to increase my income. And I'm simply not quite sure if this is legal....nor do I know how to communicate a sliding scale structure into my practice. My basic fee is $48.00 ( $55.- for first visit) Granular herbs are of course extra. I book every 45min there fore allowing 90 min. per patient. I employ cupping, gua sha, and moxa. I tend to get results very quickly...and if I don't see encouraging change within 4-5 treatments I usually discontinue unless the patient wishes otherwise. I practice in northern california, Nevada County. There is a very broad demographic of close to 100,000 which includes the whole family: Yuppy, Hippy, Conservative, Fundamentalist,Redneck,Moderate, the Elderly...you name it. I see 'em all! and I'm the better for IT. So thanks in advance for an feedback, ideas, reflections. Turiya Hill, L.Ac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Hi again Turiya, One other bonus I forgot to mention is that other acupuncturists in town are now referring some of their clients to the low fee clinic, so they can either afford more frequent treatment, or afford treatment at all. I am the only practitioner in town with a sliding scale, low fee clinic. Andrea Beth Turiya Hill <turiya wrote: Friends I would appreciate some advice and suggestions. After 20 years I have a very steady clientel and consider myself a very good acupuncturist who is still growing and evolving. My practice is entirely cash save for one old time worker's comp patient. I am a single parent, have no office help by choice and design, and don't want to do paper work for insurance. Most people consider my fees very reasonable...and indeed there are are some who truly recognise the value of what they are recieving and insist on paying me more. Others cannot understand why I don't raise my fees. And my answer is that I believe in making this work economically availabe to as many people as possible. And I have a very broad range of people who use my skills...including people whose philosophical, moral and political compass might seem very opposed to my way of life. So lately some of my people have suggested I create a sliding scale fee structure. And I definitely do wish to increase my income. And I'm simply not quite sure if this is legal....nor do I know how to communicate a sliding scale structure into my practice. My basic fee is $48.00 ( $55.- for first visit) Granular herbs are of course extra. I book every 45min there fore allowing 90 min. per patient. I employ cupping, gua sha, and moxa. I tend to get results very quickly...and if I don't see encouraging change within 4-5 treatments I usually discontinue unless the patient wishes otherwise. I practice in northern california, Nevada County. There is a very broad demographic of close to 100,000 which includes the whole family: Yuppy, Hippy, Conservative, Fundamentalist,Redneck,Moderate, the Elderly...you name it. I see 'em all! and I'm the better for IT. So thanks in advance for an feedback, ideas, reflections. Turiya Hill, L.Ac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I always thought this would be a great alternative to those who are priced out. Andrea, can you tell us how this impacts your income. Are you able to sustain an income similar to what you had before you started this. I know in my town their are practitioners who do something else during the day, like draw a nice government check and retirement (don't think I had the constiution for this), so they have different hours and are not so attached to the bottom line. Practitioners who only do acupuncture, massage, whatever healing modality, are much more concerned with it. Can you just give us an idea of how it impacts you financially. Thanks, Anne -------------- Original message ---------------------- < > Hi again Turiya, > > One other bonus I forgot to mention is that other acupuncturists in town are > now referring some of their clients to the low fee clinic, so they can either > afford more frequent treatment, or afford treatment at all. I am the only > practitioner in town with a sliding scale, low fee clinic. > > Andrea Beth > > Turiya Hill <turiya wrote: > Friends > > I would appreciate some advice and suggestions. After 20 years I have a very > steady clientel and consider myself a very good acupuncturist who is still > growing and evolving. > > My practice is entirely cash save for one old time worker's comp patient. I am a > single parent, have no office help by choice and design, and don't want to do > paper work for insurance. > > Most people consider my fees very reasonable...and indeed there are are some who > truly recognise the value of what they are recieving and insist on paying me > more. Others cannot understand why I don't raise my fees. And my answer is that > I believe in making this work economically availabe to as many people as > possible. And I have a very broad range of people who use my skills...including > people whose philosophical, moral and political compass might seem very opposed > to my way of life. > > So lately some of my people have suggested I create a sliding scale fee > structure. And I definitely do wish to increase my income. And I'm simply not > quite sure if this is legal....nor do I know how to communicate a sliding scale > structure into my practice. > > My basic fee is $48.00 ( $55.- for first visit) Granular herbs are of course > extra. I book every 45min there fore allowing 90 min. per patient. I employ > cupping, gua sha, and moxa. I tend to get results very quickly...and if I don't > see encouraging change within 4-5 treatments I usually discontinue unless the > patient wishes otherwise. > > I practice in northern california, Nevada County. There is a very broad > demographic of close to 100,000 which includes the whole family: Yuppy, Hippy, > Conservative, Fundamentalist,Redneck,Moderate, the Elderly...you name it. I see > 'em all! and I'm the better for IT. > > So thanks in advance for an feedback, ideas, reflections. > > Turiya Hill, L.Ac. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Hi Anne, So far, it's too early to say - I just began this in late October, so it's still in its infancy. What I can tell you, is that the low-fee clinic is in addition to my private patient hours, so it is additional income over what I was earning before. Initially, I had set aside 13 hours weekly for this, but only 5 of those hours were popular, so I am only running the community clinic on Monday evenings and Friday mornings, with expansion pending community need and interest. Since I had less private patients than time available, I decided to try something different with those unfilled hours to see if I could generate more patients and income. Also, things slow down here this time of year, so I'll have more to say if you want to check back with me in 4-5 months. But I can also say November was my most profitable month since I relocated here 2 years ago, and this did not follow an upward trend through the year - summer and fall were less busy for most businesses here (northern Arizona) than last year. Andrea Beth anne.crowley wrote: I always thought this would be a great alternative to those who are priced out. Andrea, can you tell us how this impacts your income. Are you able to sustain an income similar to what you had before you started this. Recent Activity 6 New Members Visit Your Group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 13, 2006 Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Sounds like you found a niche there, Andrea, to help the community and to keep yourself in a healthy business. I'm happy to see both things happen. Thanks for the info. Anne -------------- Original message ---------------------- < > Hi Anne, > > So far, it's too early to say - I just began this in late October, so it's > still in its infancy. What I can tell you, is that the low-fee clinic is in > addition to my private patient hours, so it is additional income over what I was > earning before. Initially, I had set aside 13 hours weekly for this, but only 5 > of those hours were popular, so I am only running the community clinic on Monday > evenings and Friday mornings, with expansion pending community need and > interest. Since I had less private patients than time available, I decided to > try something different with those unfilled hours to see if I could generate > more patients and income. Also, things slow down here this time of year, so > I'll have more to say if you want to check back with me in 4-5 months. But I > can also say November was my most profitable month since I relocated here 2 > years ago, and this did not follow an upward trend through the year - summer and > fall were less busy for most businesses here > (northern Arizona) than last year. > > Andrea Beth > > anne.crowley wrote: > I always thought this would be a great alternative to those who are > priced out. Andrea, can you tell us how this impacts your income. Are you able > to sustain an income similar to what you had before you started this. > > > Recent Activity > > 6 > New Members > > Visit Your Group > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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