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September 2006

Innocent bystander or active participant?

by Dr. Eric Plasker

After 100 years of anticipation and little acceptance, who would have ever guessed that the consumer "wave" toward chiropractic would finally be cresting? In January of this year, the headlines of The Chicago Tribune announced, "Chiropractors Move to the Mainstream." The article went on to tout the attractiveness of chiropractic to both the insured and insurer because of skyrocketing health care costs. It noted that patients are sick much less frequently when they receive regular chiropractic care, greatly reducing their medical visits and consequential costs.

Across the country, chiropractic is now the most sought‑after form of holistic health care, with millions of people consulting chiropractors every day. In fact, DCs comprise the third largest group of health care professionals (after physicians and dentists) who have primary contact with people. Now is the time to ask yourself whether you want to be an innocent bystander or an active participate in this historic moment in chiropractic.

After a decade‑long experiment with managed care, the strategies of HMOs and PPOs have not been able to improve the quality of medical care or contain costs. In fact, the March 3 front‑page headline of USA Today went so far as to declare the "Health System Broken." The story highlighted a report by the Institute of Medicine, which found that "the nation's health care system is not able to provide consistent, high‑quality medical care to all Americans and must be 're‑invented.'" The 320‑page report suggested that even the finest physicians in medicine are struggling to keep up with advances and that Congress should create a $1 billion innovation fund to fix the system."

Consumers have finally become so disillusioned and dissatisfied with the medical profession's inability to provide quality family health care that they have begun to look elsewhere. Out of this dissatisfaction a grassroots, consumer‑driven demand for holistic, preventive medicine has arisen, and chiropractors are leading this change. (Our chiropractors who are teaching the LCFE vision and family wellness concepts are experiencing unprecedented growth, stepping in and filling the "void" that's been left by the failure of allopathic principles and managed care.)

Ask yourself again. Are you an innocent bystander in this process or an active participant? What makes DCs who are winning in today's health care environment so special? Are they really that much different from you? The answer lies in one simple concept. They are implementing systems, strategies, procedures and philosophies that are in line with what the public wants. Instead of swimming against the current, these chiropractors have become the answer for consumers wanting a fresh approach to health care. A century after its inception, people are ready to listen to and embrace the principles of chiropractic and are eager to understand how it can fit into their lives.

If you're still invested in the same old strategies of the '80s and '90s, then you're probably struggling for every new patient you get and every nickel and dime you can squeeze from their insurance. How much more stressful could your practice or life be?

What's different about today's winners in chiropractic is that they are putting chiropractic strategies into practice that teach the public in a way they can truly understand! Evaluate your current marketing strategies and decide whether they position you as an active participant or just another bystander in this health care revolution.

Is the flow of your office designed to accommodate just one patient at a time or two to four? Are you still stuck in a posture of insurance dependence or have you broken free from "the bondage" of the insurance collections mindset?

Don't sit by the sidelines. Get active and involved and ride the consumer "wave" toward chiropractic. There's never been a better time to be a chiropractor than today.

(Dr. Eric Plasker is a licensed chiropractor and founder of The Family Practice chiropractic coaching and training organization, which provides all the systems, tools and support to build a highly successful and profitable family practice. An internationally known speaker and educator, he is best known for rallying the chiropractic profession around the LCfE (Lifetime Care For Everyone) and Family Practice visions. For a seminar schedule, coaching, training, or product information, call The Family Practice toll‑free at 866‑LEAD‑DCS (532‑3327), ext. 118. Or visit The Family Practice website at www.thefamilypractice.net)