Last blog assignment for this class! DUE 6/7/2012**
Answer this question as a group and the 5th person in each group will post the answer on the blog. Can a DC give out gift cards to patients who refer new patients to the clinic? Why or why not? 2 points.
Group 15
ReplyDeleteNo you can not give a patient a gift care for bring in new patients due to Medicare guildlines. This would be considered patient enticement.
Group 13
ReplyDeleteNo you may not give patients' anything of value for referals. This would violate the anti-kick back rules established by Medicare.
I agree with theresa and lauren regarding the fact that it is illegal to do so according to medicare. Furthermore, I think it seems a lot more ethical to just give the patient who is referring to you a sincere letter of thanks/appreciation. If you are truly treating your patients well, they will gladly refer others to your office without expecting some type of monetary gift anyways.
ReplyDeleteGroup 16
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned above, if you were to provide patients with valued gifts for referrals, you would be in violation of Medicare anti-kick back standards. Also, I feel that you are devaluing the worth of your service with these practices. As Jeff mentioned above, verbal or written appreciation to the patient who refers you should be more than enough.
Group 18
ReplyDeleteAs previously mentioned, giving patients gift cards for treatment as a result of referral of more patients would be a violation of the medicare anti kick back rule. I would also agree with Jeff and Kyle that it devalues the adjustment if people are getting it for free or less than the what others are paying for it. The best way to handle this is if someone tells you they are getting better from your adjustment you tell them, "If you know of anyone else who could benefit from my help, send them in!"
Group 7
ReplyDeleteNo they cannot. They can, however, give their patients tokens of appreciation that are invaluable.
We are not allowed to give patients gift cards as referral bonuses due to previously mentioned kick-back laws. You could however give them something like a mug that does not have a concrete monetary value. I agree with my classmates about giving letters of appreciation or a big smile. Patients enjoy being appreciated. You also then know patients are referring due to being satisfied with your care vs being in search of gifts!
ReplyDeleteGroup 17
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned already, it is not Ok to give gift cards to patients who refer new patients. Instead, it would be better to say thank you.
Group 12
ReplyDeleteWe think it is just plain bad practice to give gift cards for referrals. As mentioned earlier it is illegal to do for some insurances. It is also a HIPAA violation and it devalues the worth of what you offer. Its better to tell your patients that by referring patients to you they are ensuring that we the chiropractor can continue to offer the high quality care that the patients want.
Group 14
ReplyDeleteNo, you may not give patients gift cards for referrals. This is considered enticement and goes against anti-kickback laws established by Medicare.
Group 19
ReplyDeleteNo, it is not a good idea to give patients gift cards due to the anti kick back rule, as mentioned by Aaron. There are other, legal, ways to show appreciation for referrals. I do believe that showing some kind of appreciation is important to increase patient referrals.
No, it violates the anti-kick back standards that are set by medicare.
ReplyDelete