Outsource Marketing Solutions blog

ABC for the Dough Re Mi!

CMS deems ABC Accreditation (or one of 10 others) Necessary to Get Paid by Medicare

(This is not a problem, this is an opportunity - for everyone in O&P!)

Patient care facilities: Do you fit Medicare patients?

1. If you are not already an ABC accredited facility - get accredited or you won't be able to bill Medicare. 
2. If you are accredited (or once you become accredited) you can use your accreditation in your marketing efforts - to the general public, to other payors, to other healthcare professionals.

Vendors/Distributors: Do your customers fit Medicare patients?
Do you have tools or information that will help them get their accreditation ducks in a row?

1. Business Associates agreement
2. Order histories for your customers
(Customer A bought a microprocessor knee unit? CMS may ask them to prove it!)

Let your customers know that you have the tools/info they need to assist them with their accreditation !
Create, communicate and deliver value.

O&P State Associations/AAOP Chapters: Do your members fit Medicare patients?

1. Do you have links on your website so your members can quickly access the sites that will tell them what they need to know (this goes for vendors, too!)
2. Have you invited someone from ABC (Scott Williamson, CAE, for example) to speak on ABC Accreditation at your association meeting?

Why are these people smiling?

Because they bought a Lizzypalooza shirt and OPAF got a 20.00 donation!

After the 11/7/2006 Outsource Marketing Solutions  O&P marketing newsletter went out - I received, among others, the following feedback!

"Love the Lizzy Palooza t-shirts. Are they for sale on the Web site?" Kristine Houck, editor, O&P Business News

"How do you get Lizzypalooza shirts?"
Robin Burton, Executive Director, OPAF

Marketing is an organizational function and set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.
(American Marketing Association definition)

So, I started thinking, in order to create, communicate, and deliver value and manage  customer relationships in a beneficial way............Lizzypalooza tshirts are now available!!

Very limited edition!
Long sleeve black.
Just email me your size and shipping address, please.

20.00 a shirt.  Don't pay me.  Click here and make a 20.00 (or more) donation to OPAF.

Eagle-eyed for marketing opportunities

From Newswise:

"A leg length difference of as little as two centimeters (about 4/5s of an inch) is definitely associated with knee and hip osteoarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC.

To examine the relationship between leg length inequality and knee and/or hip osteoarthritis, researchers conducted the first large community-based study with 3,161 participants enrolled in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, North Carolina. Within this group, 6.4% had legs of different lengths, with equal frequency in men and women and in blacks and whites.

Compared to people with equal leg lengths, those with two or more centimeters of difference in the length of their legs were more likely to have osteoarthritis in their right hip or, most often, their left or right knee, and were more likely to have more severe disease...

Researchers are now exploring whether leg length variances can actually predict who will get osteoarthritis before it happens or whose osteoarthritis will get worse. 

'Recognizing that leg length inequality has a significant association with hip and particularly knee osteoarthritis opens the door to more studies on whether leg length variances might cause the development and progression of the disease," indicates Joanne M. Jordan, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine and Orthopaedics at University of North Carolina, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the senior investigator in the study.

'The findings from this study may help us predict who may develop osteoarthritis and who may have symptoms that worsen or have a potential risk of increased disability. Studies to test whether correction of leg length inequality with orthotics or shoe lifts can prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, or its progression, would be a logical next step.' "

Sounds like an efficacy study to me.

Also sounds like maybe insurance companies should cover foot orthoses for people with leg length discrepancies.

Also sounds like a great marketing opportunity if you fit, fabricate or sell foot orthoses.

Work that website!

Drove down Scarborough Street in Hartford on Thanksgiving on the way to my grandfather's. 
Saw this in front of the Greek Orthodox church.  LOVE IT!!
Had to go back on Saturday with my camera! (Click on it if you can't read the sign)

This is a GREAT example of driving traffic to your site.
allsaintshartford.org

Why not put your website address on a sign in your front yard?
Or or a big sign on the front of your building?
Or on a bumper sticker?

Americans spend 3.5 billion hours a year stuck in traffic.
You  never know who might be stuck in traffic behind you or driving by your office.

Drum banging, Take 2

Give the reporter a list of commonly used O&P words AND ask the reporter or editor if they'll let you fact check before your article is published. 

If something is spelled incorrectly, write a letter to the editor, thank them for the (well-written, nice, good, great, lovely) article and correct their spelling error.

Orthotics, even when it is spelled correctly, often shows up as misspelled in spell check.

Read the whole article, here:

" 'The problem with pre-fabricated masks is they tend to mess up your vision,' Landry said. 'So, whenever they're trying to shoot or look around to see whose moving around and moving behind the ball, their vision on the court is a lot different than it would be without it.'

But Price said she wouldn't mind wearing one this season if it were possible to get a custom-made fit. The goal was to find something strong enough to protect her face, comfortable enough to wear and limited her vision as little as possible.

After a little research, Ole Miss found a place that could make a mask to fit the bill: CFI Prosthetics and Orthodics (sic) in Memphis."

Drum banging

Drum banging refers to my penchant for repetition.  Believe it or not, I AM fully aware of it. Anyway, this particular subject bears repeating.  I guarantee you it won't be the last time.

If you are in O&P (orthotics & prosthetics) and you are being interviewed by a reporter, give them a list of frequently used terms or direct them to the www.oandpcare.org glossary, AND ask them to provide you with a copy so you can fact check before it goes to print (or online.)

THIS IS WHY (see below)

"After graduation from the College of Charleston with a BA in English, Johnson took over operation of the home care area and became an officer of the business. Johnson is certified in several areas including orthodics (sic) and prosthetics."

Here's the whole article, which is very nice and is great publicity for the recipient of the award - too bad the reporter spelled orthotics wrong.

Aetna credit card...priceless

From PRNewswire.com
HARTFORD, Conn., and CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetna (NYSE: AET - News) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) have teamed up to develop the Aetna Healthy Living(TM) credit card for Aetna's medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health members.  The innovative credit card, available later this year to qualifying Aetna members, is a rewards-based credit card that facilitates payment of out-of-pocket medical expenses as well as everyday purchases while promoting healthy living at the same time.  The Aetna Healthy Living credit card offers a variety of unique features including a rewards program based on Bank of America's WorldPoints platform.

"As consumers are taking more responsibility for health care decision- making and spending, they are looking for convenient ways to manage their health care dollars.  With this card, Aetna is bringing its strong track record in consumer-directed health plans together with an innovative approach to help consumers manage the cost of their health care and facilitate payments to health care professionals," said Mark Bertolini, executive vice president, Aetna Regional Businesses.

Aetna members who apply for and are issued the Aetna Healthy Living credit card will have access to a base rewards program that offers one point for every qualifying retail dollar charged to the card and access to a wide variety of redemption options.  Additionally, Aetna Healthy Living credit card members will be rewarded with the following unique features that provide incentives for healthy living.

    * Earn 3 points for every $1 spent on certain health-related purchases
      including hospital treatments, doctor and dentist charges, sporting
      goods stores, fitness and weight loss centers, vitamin stores and more.
    * Receive an exclusive 10 percent point redemption discount on dozens of
      health-related items - gym equipment, spa set, bicycles, blood pressure
      monitors and more from the WorldPoints catalog.
    * Redeem points in the form of statement credits that can help pay for
      medical copayments made with the Aetna Healthy Living credit card.
    * Redeem points for cash rewards that can be used to help pay for health
      care and other expenses, or deposited to a checking account or a Health
      Savings Account.

In addition to these features, Aetna and Bank of America plan to introduce additional health-focused reward opportunities.  The credit card is currently available to Aetna's Small Group customers and will be expanded to other customer groups in 2007.

According to Bruce Hammonds, president, Bank of America Card Services, "We are very focused on the health care sector and are proud to partner with Aetna on such an innovative program.  This further demonstrates the commitment that Bank of America brings to the health care arena."

For additional information about the Aetna Healthy Living credit card program, call Bank of America at 1-866-626-6262.

Who's YOUR buddy?

Billions of dollars are spent annually in the disabilities marketplace.
This number is increasing as the current population ages and new generations grow. Current estimations indicate that number of Americans living with a disability is over 55 million. 

Each day presents new challenges for this unique population and there is an increasing demand for new products, services and technologies, which creates a distinct opportunity for those in O&P. 

Find a buddy that serves your target market and cross promote. 

Marketing buddies for O&P providers

• Home healthcare providers
• Companion services
• Automobile adaptive equipment installers
• Adult daycare centers
• Geriatric care management specialists
• Certified diabetes educators

AOL's New Disability Blog

AOL Introduces Blog Targeting People with Disabilities
Designed to provide focused content for people with disabilities and to heighten disability awareness with mainstream audiences, the AOL Ability blog
will have relevant news, stories and information in the key areas of employment, entertainment, family, health and technology.

If you have a website, you might want to link to the blog and let your patients, customers, etc. know that you've added it as a link...right?

"Unleashing the possibilities"

Canines for Combat Veterans is a program of NEADS - Service dogs for deaf and disabled Americans.  They've received a tremendous amount of publicity lately for this program.  They are located in Princeton, Massachusetts (near Worcester.)
What a great place to make a year-end donation in honor of someone OR to be the receipient of your office's fundraising effort.
(Major PR opportunity AND a really great story.)

Read all about NEADS.