Can we apply this to optometry?

[JeffChou]

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I came across this article on the Wall Street Journal's Career Journal and thought it touched on some interesting points.

To sum it up, the article talks about two brothers-in-law and their current job situations. One is a dentist, and the other is a family practice physician. The dentist makes much more, works less hours, and isn't drowning in paperwork and medical claims.

What I'm interested in are reasons for this paradoxical outcome. I'm not looking for a discussion about which job makes more--or that investment banking is the way to go.

What do you all think about the practice model the dental clinic follows? The Brysons (husband and wife's dental clinic) say they now focus on more cosmetic procedures and bill the patient directly, forgoing the hassle of insurance billing, decreasing reimbursements and other headaches. They say that the inability to get insurance coverage is a failure that now looks "heaven-sent." Most patients pay out-of-pocket for many of the procedures and the way they have marketed their services seems to make sense. People are more willing to pay the price for procedures they want rather than procedures they need. They seem to have escaped the "managed-care steamroller."

I'm curious, with the struggle ODs are having now with medical billing, is optometry digging itself a hole it can't climb out of? I have heard some concerns about insurance cutting down on pay to ODs.

What do you guys think about optometry's affair with insurance or its demand for services?

 

[luckyfool]

I came across this article on the Wall Street Journal's Career Journal and thought it touched on some interesting points.

To sum it up, the article talks about two brothers-in-law and their current job situations. One is a dentist, and the other is a family practice physician. The dentist makes much more, works less hours, and isn't drowning in paperwork and medical claims.

What I'm interested in are reasons for this paradoxical outcome. I'm not looking for a discussion about which job makes more--or that investment banking is the way to go.

What do you all think about the practice model the dental clinic follows? The Brysons (husband and wife's dental clinic) say they now focus on more cosmetic procedures and bill the patient directly, forgoing the hassle of insurance billing, decreasing reimbursements and other headaches. They say that the inability to get insurance coverage is a failure that now looks "heaven-sent." Most patients pay out-of-pocket for many of the procedures and the way they have marketed their services seems to make sense. People are more willing to pay the price for procedures they want rather than procedures they need. They seem to have escaped the "managed-care steamroller."

I'm curious, with the struggle ODs are having now with medical billing, is optometry digging itself a hole it can't climb out of? I have heard some concerns about insurance cutting down on pay to ODs.

What do you guys think about optometry's affair with insurance or its demand for services?

I would want additional ways to get paid, and get more patients due to my theoretically broad insurance coverage.

 

[broadway]

I would want additional ways to get paid, and get more patients due to my theoretically broad insurance coverage.

I have not gotten a raise from an insurance company in about 7 years.

 

[KHE]

I have not gotten a raise from an insurance company in about 7 years.

Obviously, your operating costs have not stayed the same. What have you done to offset this?

Have you considering resiging from any of these insurance panels that don't keep up with expenses?