Running around and getting nowhere fast
I've been reading a really interesting book. The book goes into some detail on how decisions are made. What the process is? Which factors are included? Why are some factors excluded? When is a...
Time management tip for consultant surgeons – buy a tomato
The single biggest restriction on the performance of any private medical practice is: TIME. Sound surprising? It shouldn't be. There are only 24 hours in a day. Even Stephen Hawking (one of...
63% reduction in a fee!!
Following last week's article regarding how you should always keep good relations with a private medical insurance company, it is worth pointing out that this does NOT mean you have to agree with...
Three Assumptions when there is a knock on the office door.
My Top Three Assumptions when there is a knock on the office door are: Murderer The authorities have come to arrest me The book on positive thinking I ordered has arrived. What on earth has...
Don’t treat insurance companies as the enemy. Try talking to them instead.
It is depressing the number of times I hear potential clients rubbishing insurance companies. In my experience the reasons normally cited are incorrect. Far from it. I've lost track how often I've...
This is what happens if you let excess and shortfalls get out of control
A few weeks ago, I was checking what was happening with shortfalls and excess since the start of the year. Using a single private consultant surgeon as an example: Week ending Friday, March 22nd,...
Be efficient. Use this more than anything else
In one single sentence the cornerstones of how a private consultant surgeon can achieve the financial reward for all his efforts. Ritual Every single time you perform an outpatient clinic the...
Taking payment by card over the telephone
Banks are desperate to phase out cheques. This is due to the cost of processing a cheque from the bank's point of view. Yet the decision was taken not to, as planned, phase out cheques completely by...
Starting a Private medical Practice
Recently I was reading an article in a business management magazine. The article highlighted some of the challenges faced by small business owners when they start. But it could also have been...
Know what you can and can’t charge for
There are numerous occasions when a consultant can charge for a follow-up consultation when performing minor surgery. But it is important to understand which private medical insurance companies will...
Putting a plaster over the problem
A group of surgeons I know is having problems getting paid by insurance companies. Not just an individual insurance company but all insurance companies. The practice manager claimed there...
£4,250 worth of work. And she won’t see a penny of it most likely
It is common in my world to be presented with a number of unpaid invoices. The remit is to go get paid for them. That I can do. But it depends? If they were raised in the first place that is. If...