Scare Tactics In Healthcare and Chiropractic?
While it is not my interest or intent to throw specific chiropractors "under the bus," I find it necessary to talk in generalities about a certain trend in our profession that I, as a chiropractor, am becoming more and more uncomfortable with.
I am referring to a trend that involves a patient being required to sign contracts with chiropractors for a year or more and pay for that treatment up front before any treatment is administered.
Every one of the chiropractors that I have had discussions with concerning this behavior find this to be an unethical practice.
Accepting payment for services not rendered in the healthcare field is questionable at best.
Conversations with my patients that have been taken advantage of in this manner inform me that this is accomplished through a very hard sell and through various scare tactics.
The original patient is forced to bring their spouse to a mass "patient education" session.
I can only assume this is because the uninvolved spouse would think their partner had gone crazy if they were not in the middle of the same hard sell.
Paying $1500-$2500 up front for a year of treatment? It's a contract and they can't get the money back.
I would think my spouse was off of her rocker too! A chiropractor that I am aware of utilizing these tactics has even gone so far as to encourage a prospective patient to sell her car because, "Surely your health is more important than the car.
" The same chiropractor, when told that another prospective patient could not afford his contract, encouraged her to make him and his family dinner once a week to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Then another local chiropractor that uses the same tactics told a friend of mine that he could fix his 7 year old daughter's headaches but it would take a year and that it would be $3000.
They paid it.
I will let my readers make their own minds up here.
As for me, I can only guess that these "chiropractors" must be tired all of the time since I see no way that they sleep at night.
Simply put, as in any business, it comes down to respect, treating your patients the way you would want to be treated, and not taking advantage of people and their understandable fears.
If your chiro is not affecting your condition in the first 5 visits or so, he should be trying to find you someone that can.
If you are being scared or pressured into a treatment plan that you are uncomfortable with, or know deep down is wrong, then you should shop elsewhere.
I am referring to a trend that involves a patient being required to sign contracts with chiropractors for a year or more and pay for that treatment up front before any treatment is administered.
Every one of the chiropractors that I have had discussions with concerning this behavior find this to be an unethical practice.
Accepting payment for services not rendered in the healthcare field is questionable at best.
Conversations with my patients that have been taken advantage of in this manner inform me that this is accomplished through a very hard sell and through various scare tactics.
The original patient is forced to bring their spouse to a mass "patient education" session.
I can only assume this is because the uninvolved spouse would think their partner had gone crazy if they were not in the middle of the same hard sell.
Paying $1500-$2500 up front for a year of treatment? It's a contract and they can't get the money back.
I would think my spouse was off of her rocker too! A chiropractor that I am aware of utilizing these tactics has even gone so far as to encourage a prospective patient to sell her car because, "Surely your health is more important than the car.
" The same chiropractor, when told that another prospective patient could not afford his contract, encouraged her to make him and his family dinner once a week to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Then another local chiropractor that uses the same tactics told a friend of mine that he could fix his 7 year old daughter's headaches but it would take a year and that it would be $3000.
They paid it.
I will let my readers make their own minds up here.
As for me, I can only guess that these "chiropractors" must be tired all of the time since I see no way that they sleep at night.
Simply put, as in any business, it comes down to respect, treating your patients the way you would want to be treated, and not taking advantage of people and their understandable fears.
If your chiro is not affecting your condition in the first 5 visits or so, he should be trying to find you someone that can.
If you are being scared or pressured into a treatment plan that you are uncomfortable with, or know deep down is wrong, then you should shop elsewhere.
Source...