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BUSINESS ADVISOR
less. The one thing you can't afford is declining case volume.
Survival strategy
If patients believe they can receive the same procedure with the same
outcomes from many facilities or providers, cost is often a deciding
factor. If lowering prices maintains or grows volume without turning
profitable procedures into money losers, physician-owners must consider this as a potential strategy. When your pricing or collection procedures cause patients to cancel procedures, not only does your facility lose the revenue, but physicians won't receive professional fees
either. Long term, it's better to have all of a smaller pie than none of a
larger one. As a result, for surgical facilities to remain competitive, a
renewed focus on cutting cost — but now from the patient's perspective — is critical to survival. OSM
Ms. Dentler (jdentler@ascstrategies.com) is the president of Outpatient
Strategies and ASC Strategies in Austin, Texas.
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2013
