Outsource Marketing Solutions blog

Texas amputees rally on the steps of the capitol

"...Current Texas state law does not require insurance companies to provide coverage for prostheses, according to Ignacio Madera Jr. of the Texas Coalition for Insurance Services Parity...

Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, are sponsoring bills (SB 54 and HB 223) that would require insurance companies to cover as much as the government covers through its Medicare program. Medicare can cover up to 80 percent of prosthesis costs..."

Read the whole story here

Create Awareness

One of my favorite marketing techniques is piggybacking on "Awareness" days/weeks or months in order to generate publicity and create awareness of your business.   

If it's an Awareness day/week or month, it's already news and you can be sure that the organization will be doing everything they can to maximize that awareness.  You need to piggyback on that!

For example, March is:

National Brain Injury Awareness Month
Brain Injury Association of America
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 611
McLean, VA 22102
(703) 761-0750
(703) 761-0755 Fax
info@biausa.org
www.biausa.org
Materials available

Do you have brain injured patients?  They may require AFO's or KAFO's or they may be prosthetic patients who were injured in a car or motorcycle accident.
In support of them and the Brain Injury Association of America - you could make a donation and write a press release for distribution to the media or to post on your website.

Or you could request materials from the Brain Injury Association and distribute them in your office.

You could contact your local BIA chapter and see if they have a wish list of things they need donated - and find a way to grant one of their wishes.   

March 27 is:

American Diabetes Alert Day
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
(800) DIABETES
askada@diabetes.org
www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents/americandiabetesalert.jsp
Materials available

March is also National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness month.

If you want to see an awareness calendar for the rest of the year.  Click here.

For a different calendar, click here.

All alone on Valentine's Day? Call in..

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 23 -- Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (NYSE: HGR) announced today that it plans to report its results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2006, after the close of the markets on Tuesday, February 13, 2007.

The Company plans to issue a press release announcing the results for the year ended December 31, 2006, on Tuesday, February 13, 2007, after the close of the market.

The conference call is scheduled to begin at:
9:00 a.m., ET, on Wednesday, February 14, 2007. Those wishing to participate should call 1-800-374-1855; Conference ID #7319639.

In addition, a replay will be available until Wednesday, February 21, 2007, by dialing 1-800-642-1687 and referencing Conference ID #7319639.

Press Release issued by FootLevelers.com

Why don't you call them and request a free booklet?
Can't hurt. It's free.

"Learn How to Get Paid for Orthotics "

January 3, 2007 – Foot Levelers understands the challenges faced by most chiropractors today and has created a unique, effective, and simple approach to proper insurance claims submissions. We want to help you get paid what you deserve! Kathy Mills Chang, Dr. Marty Kotlar, Dr. Brian Jensen, and Dr. Mark Mandell, combine their knowledge of the insurance world to provide you with specific suggestions on verification and proper coding.

This quick reference insurance booklet contains the most up-to-date diagnostic codes to maximize your reimbursements. You will learn how to properly bill for orthotics and all the services that go along with them. Find out easy and effective ways to get paid by insurance companies from experts in the field. Best of all, this booklet is yours for free!  

To learn more about this exciting opportunity to better your practice or Foot Levelers’ products/seminars, call us today at 1-800-553-4860 (U.S.), 1-800-344-4860 (Canada), 1800 800 963 (Australia).

Foot Levelers, Inc. is the world’s leading provider of custom-made Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers and other therapeutic products that have served the healthcare profession for over 50 years. Foot Levelers products have helped over a million people enjoy fuller and happier lives at work, home, or at play. For more information, visit us on the web at www.footlevelers.com.

 

Home Depot, Stop & Shop and Build-A-Bear

My daughter hated to go grocery shopping at Stop & Shop with me until they put in a self checkout line. 
Same thing with Home Depot. 

Now, she'll go anywhere as long as she gets to scan the stuff and swipe the credit/debit card!

She's hooked on customer participation. 
Don't even get her  started about how she feels about Build-A-Bear.  We can't pass the one in the mall without......"Puhleeeeeeeze, Mom! Just one little bear!"

There are all kinds of levels of customer participation.

You can checkout your own groceries or building supplies. 
You can order your groceries online. 
You can pay for the privilege of building your own stuffed animal and dressing and accessoring it like a teeny, furry little Paris Hilton!!
Common theme - YOU, the customer, are doing lots of/some/practically all of the work AND paying for it (AND probably rating your whole customer experience better than if someone else did all that work!)

How do you apply this to O&P?

Patient care facilities.  Have your patients participate in their care and in the production of the final device.

Got anything that has straps? For example, an AFO or KAFO or spinal orthosis?

Think Build-A-BOB(TM) - catchy, yes? I just trademarked it!

How about offering the patient a variety of colored straps or straps with transfer designs at the measurement and/or casting appointment? Get that buy-in right up front!

Even better.  How about offering them straps and a variety of colored ring tabs or chafes? 

Why do they have to be white plastic with flesh colored straps unless that's what they choose??
Input can make all the difference!

What about prosthetic patients? 

Why not have them weigh themselves and record it on their weight sheet when they come in?
It's hard to argue with your prosthetist about why your socket doesn't fit if you see, in your own handwriting, exactly how much weight you've lost or gained since your last visit!

These are just two examples of customer participation/buy-in that could go a long way in boosting your customer satisfaction outcomes!

Want more? Call me 860-967-4184.

A Grim Milestone: 500 Amputees

From Time Magazine
Michael Weisskopf
"Last Tuesday marked another grim milestone: the arrival of the 500th amputee. Army officials said the victim, a 24-year-old corporal, lost both legs in a roadside bomb explosion on January 12. He was treated at the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, before landing at Andrews and being taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

The corporal became the newest resident of Ward 57, the hospital's renowned amputee center that has swelled with casualties since 2003. Limb-loss has occurred twice as often in Iraq as in any conflict of the past century, except for Vietnam, for which there are no good statistics. The 500 major amputations — toes and fingers aren't counted — represent 2.2%% of the 22,700 U.S. troops wounded in action. But the number rises to 5%% in the category of soldiers whose wounds prevent them returning to duty...."

It's the bee's knees for wounds that won't heal

I love this sweet story from the Scottish Daily Record!

"PENSIONER Pat Kane reckons that honey is the bees' knees - because it saved his leg from being amputated.

Pat, 76, is back on his feet after he was struck down by the potentially lethal MRSA superbug.

The retired shop owner said last night: 'It's a true miracle. I must be the luckiest man in the world.'

Pat, who lives in Glasgow's southside, became infected with the bug two weeks after knee replacement surgery at the city's Victoria Infirmary in December 2004.

He was put on a year-long course of strong antibiotics, but they failed to clear the infection.

Last February, a surgeon warned Pat that he could lose his right leg in less than six weeks.

But his brother had a chance conversation with chiropractor Alex Burke, who recommended that he try manuka honey....Expert Peter Molan, of the University of Waikato, said: "The use of honey as a wound-dressing material, an ancient remedy that's been rediscovered, is becoming of increasing interest.

'Observations have revealed that infection is cleared, inflammation, swelling and pain are reduced, and healing occurs rapidly.' "

Ka-ching

From BusinessInsurance.com
 Health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc., which is trying to emerge from a stock options scandal, Thursday reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $1.2 billion, slightly above estimates, helped by its Medicare prescription drug plans for seniors....keep reading

Sierra Leone: Salone to Host African Nation's Cup in February

Sierra Leone would host the first ever Single Leg Amputee African nation's cup competition from 9-14 February at the National Stadium in Freetown.

Public Relations Officer of the Single Leg Amputee Sports Club (SLSC), Albert Mustapha told journalists at a press briefing Friday on Radwon Street that the competition involves five countries- Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Angola and Ghana.

He said, "We are going to receive some funds from Federation International Football Association (FIFA) but they are expecting the government to also help us." Mustapha called on commercial houses and the public to support them.

SLSC Project Coordinator, Mambud Samai revealed that they will also organize a workshop on information technology, amputee women conference and special olympics competition.

He said there will also be a wheel chair race, tug of war and amputee bicycle race.

It All Started With the Sumerians

Who invented the wheel in the first place? According to archeologists, the wheel was probably invented around 8000 B.C. in Asia. The oldest known wheel, however, was a wheel made of joined wooden planks that was discovered in Mesopotamia....

Click here for the rest of the Marketing 101 column " Why Reinvent the Wheel?" in the  January 2007 issue of the O&P Almanac!