It seems that many presbyopes are hesitant to spend much for the ability to read, according to The Vision Council VisionWatch 2012 OTC Reader Sales report. The average retail price paid by consumers ages 35 to 44 for over-the-counter readers was $17.84. For those consumers ages 45 to 54, the average price paid for OTC readers was $16.64, and for those 55 and older, the average price paid was $16.06.
In an eyecare practice, either the doctor or staff or both may look at a patient and determine the patient cannot afford the best care and so a less expensive compromise is presented. The interesting fact is that this scenario happens without any input from the patient. Purely by some subjective method a decision was made excluding a patient from the best care. It may be as subtle as taking the patient to the budget board first.
How unfair! How prejudiced! How wrong … on so many levels!
It is not our job to decide what a patient can afford or not afford. It is our job to provide the best care to every patient. Let the patient decide if they can or cannot afford the service or materials, but don’t make that decision for them.
How can we address this? Have an office meeting where you discuss the problem and create solutions. Your solutions should include at least these three:
1) Payment plans, such as CareCredit, that go beyond the traditional cash, check, Mastercard and Visa options.
2) Scripts–so that staff and doctors know how to respond to the situations they will face.
3) Role playing–so that everyone is comfortable handling these situations in a way that helps all patients get the best care possible.
Your action plan today is to plan this office meeting and then make it occur within the next three weeks.
