Marketing for Physicians and Healthcare Providers

How can physicians ethically market to cash-paying patients?

In the medical world, a commission (or kick-back) for a medical service is considered illegal fee splitting. However, just as a specialist can place an ad in the phone book to market to consumers, it's both ethical and legal for a medical specialist to market their services to patients through similar directory listings or other flat-fee service sites, assuming that the patient pays the doctor directly. Patients on MediBid will directly contract with you and pay you directly. After you join MediBid with an annual membership, there won't be any other fees. You can place as many Bids as you want and accept as many patients as you want. There are no limitations. Take back your practice and take back medicine with MediBid.

Overview

When you register as a Bidder on MediBid, you'll have access to cash paying patients actively seeking care. Compare that to a phone book ad. Not everyone who picks up a phone book is looking for a medical specialist, but everyone one who joins MediBid is. Patients pay a fee per request placed to ensure that only serious Seekers are requesting Bids from you. MediBid will help you take care of business so you can focus on taking care of patients.

The annual membership on MediBid is just $249 for an individual specialist in 2010

Compare that to what you might pay for one month for an ad in a phone book. For most procedures, your membership fee will be recovered after receiving just one cash paying patient. Most of your membership fee goes right into our marketing budget to market your practice.
Click here to sign up

What do you mean "Bid?"

Your Bid on MediBid is a custom price quote given directly to the patient. Just as a contractor might give a bid for a job, medical specialists are given the opportunity to give a 'job bid' for a patient. This Bid is much more than a price quote because it lists what you will and won't include in that price based on the unique needs of the patient. MediBid let's you take back medicine by setting your own rates, terms, and conditions.

Every patient is unique

Many medical providers are concerned about giving a bid to a patient without enough information upfront. On MediBid, we have lots of ways for patients to give you the information you need. Patients can upload images like MRIs or a PDF of a report from their doctor. Most patients looking for a special procedure have already been to their primary care physician to discuss their options and have some data for you, but if you feel it still isn't enough, then give them a bid for the procedure they want, but in the comments of your bid, include information about what you would need first, such as a consultation with you and additional testing or imaging. Let them know if those things are extra or included in your bid. If you didn't feel that there was enough information, you likely won't be the only one asking them for these things. Then the patient will know how much the procedure/surgery itself will be and can go to you for the consultation first, knowing how much they will pay IF you agree that this is the procedure they need. If not, then you can discuss other options with them. They are direct contracting with you, not us. Their health is their decision and they value your opinion. That's why they went to see you. Also, all patient agreements on MediBid are made with the understanding that the price in the bid you gave them does not include complications.
Click here to sign up

I can't really offer that...

If you are an individual practitioner and there are procedures that you see on MediBid that you can't offer, then don't check the box next to that procedure. It's that simple! Or maybe you offer the procedure, but it takes a lot of work for you to arrange with a local hospital. Just don't place a bid. Again, it's that simple. We can't tell you how many specialists look through the procedure list and say "I can't really offer that." It isn't a problem for us, our patients, or for you. Really. Just check the boxes for procedures you want to see new patients for. Even if it is only one procedure, we can still help you connect with patients when they are looking for that one procedure you want to offer.

I want to enhance my practice

Registering on MediBid.com, you have many ways you can enhance your practice. You can expand your patient pool by finding patients willing to travel for care from within the US or from international destinations. You can reduce overhead by getting multiple bids for outsourced services such as x-rays and lab work by becoming a Seeker yourself, and let other doctors and technicians give you a bid. You can grow your practice by finding more patients in need of your services because after a patient has been to your office once, they are likely going to become a patient for life.
Click here to sign up

want to improve cash flow

Cash flow: the Achilles' heel of medical practices. You provide care and incur expenses, only to receive payment 30 to 180 days later and probably at a rate cut well under your actual costs and time. With MediBid, the money comes in when the patient comes in: MediBid patients are cash paying patients. So there's no waiting for payment. Properly used, MediBid will help your practice grow and become more profitable.

I want to see more patients

With MediBid, the number of patients you see is largely up to you. Be detailed in your pricing and what is and is not included in your Bid, and you'll likely see more patients. MediBid markets to US, Canadian and interntaional patients for you, ethically. Be detailed in your pricing and what is and is not included in your Bid, and you'll likely see more patients.

Third Party Middle Men don't pay enough and I'm rushing from patient-to-patient

Whether you are looking to opt out of Medicare and third party payer systems or not, MediBid's 'elegant simplicity' makes it easy for you to place a bid, even with your busy schedule. Having practicing physicians on the MediBid board helps us keep a system design with doctors in mind. Once you create your profile, you will get e-mail with patient matches that are right for you based on the procedures you select and the search range the patient provides. Imagine replacing four patients from the MediCare payscale at say, $5, with one willing to pay cash at a cost-to-value rate of $20. Wouldn't you be able to spend 4 times as long with that one patient and give them your full attention? No billing or coding needed, just an upfront payment from the patient who values your time letting you give them the quality they both crave and deserve. Even if you aren't ready to fully opt out of Medicare, you can supplement your practice with just a few cash paying patients at a time until you find the balance that's right for you.