Breaking with Tradition, California Physician Group Lists Prices for Procedures
California’s largest private physician practice posted prices for 58 medical procedures on its web site, a move that the LA Times says “puts a significant crack in the ages-old reluctance by doctors and other medical providers to let consumers comparison shop for services such as chest X-rays, baby vaccinations and Pap smears.”
According to the this study by the Kaiser Foundation, consumer-directed health care plans haven’t gained traction nor lived up to their cost-saving promise because consumers have scant resources when it comes to smart health care shopping. The most basic element of smart shopping–comparing prices–is incredibly difficult and time consuming. So, this story from California is a heartening development, both for consumers and for proponents of consumer-driven health plans like HSAs. Let’s hope that more health care providers follow suit.
Funeral Insurance: an Alternative to Life Insurance?
According this story in the Times, burial insurance is gaining in popularity among people who don’t want or can’t afford life insurance. “[Lower-income people] see holding burial insurance as a point of pride, as well as security. They want a dignified funeral for themselves and their kin, and they have seen the crushing debts left by funerals that may cost well over $5,000.” Steven J. Dubner, of “Freakonomics” fame, thinks it’s a bad investment. Got an opinion? Put it in below.
Dentists: Give Us Your (Not) Poor…
By now you’ve probably heard about the story of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver, who died from a brain infection that started out as a tooth infection. Driver’s mother had tried in vain to find a dentist for her son. Turns out most dentists don’t want to take patients covered under Medicare. This trenchant article from Slate.com explains why. (Hint: Our head-in-the-clouds congress that doesn’t want to admit that our public health insurance system rations medical care for the poor.)
Don’t feel ashamed if the answer is yes. If you’re an insurance professional receiving real-time insurance leads from a vendor like InsureMe, you may constantly check your email to see if new leads have come in. You’re probably using programs like our new Agent Connection beta to receive real-time lead alerts on your PC. You’re reading this blog and our resource center articles, and contacting prospects with a quote ASAP, just as we recommend in our articles.
But how much is too much? MarketingProf’s B.L. Ochman draws the line:
You’re sluggish, uninspired and filled with a sense of loss.
You’re back at work after a holiday.
They call it the back to work blues, and if you’re not experiencing them right now, you’re in the lucky minority.
In theory, a long weekend is supposed to energize you. Ruddy from the spring sun, you’re supposed return a cheery go-getter, not a sullen no-hoper.
In reality, going back to work can be a drag, even if you love your job. It’s particularly hard if you had a great weekend fishing with the kids, catching a baseball game or ‘laxing in the sun. Back at work, the holiday weekend can seem like a cruel aberration–a time of fun and gaiety that’s in stark contrast to your office life.
But you can’t sit at your desk and lament bygone holidays.
So how do you get reinvigorated? How do you beat the holiday hangover?
Here are the key findings from their study of 1,000 American consumers:
One in three dissatisfied customers will share their experience with friends, family and coworkers.
Unhappy customers will tell four people on average.
Fifty percent of those who hear about such negative experiences won’t shop at that establishment in the future.
When all else is equal, if you have two stores selling the same thing, the one with better customer service will have 30-40 percent more sales.
Worse still, unhappy customers will embellish their stories. “In the retelling of the story we become more animated and we color the story a bit more,” Paula Courtney, head of the Verde Group, told NPR recently. “What starts off as you had a rude person at a store could, by the time you tell the story for the fifth time, become ‘the employee was abusive.’ That’s why negative word of mouth is so powerful.”
Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of Dilbert (the comic strip). But I do stop by cartoonist’s Scott Adams blog once in awhile. Today I learned that Adams owns two restaurants in California. And he’s having trouble remaining competitive now that chain giants like PF Chang and Cheesecake Factory moved in next door.
I found Adams’ challenges not unlike those of an independent agent or small agency. Especially when it comes to advertising and marketing:
What you’re about to read is an open criticism of another web resource for insurance agents. So, on the surface, this make look like a pretty biased blog post. I assure you that it is not. Our goal here at the Agent Blog is to invoke dialogue and share best practices.
Let me start by saying that Leads4Insurance has improved their site since I last checked it out. The [audible...and creepy] ‘important message’ from Brian Kay no longer starts up upon arrival. But two of the site’s staples remain unfortunately the same.
I’m excited to announce that James Omdahl (”Tall”) and I (”Small”)** will be presenting at HIGH-TECC this summer in Vail, Colorado.
HIGH-TECC is an annual conference put on by Steve Anderson (of TAAR Report fame), geared towards using new technologies to your insurance sales advantage.
It will be my first time attending the conference, but our marketing director (Lori Reed) has raved about it in the past, praising the innovative and friendly atmosphere.
The early bird registration ends today–so sign up now to get $200 off registration.
Stay tuned!
**This photo is an early indication that this presentation will be neither boring nor a waste of time. But come July, we’ll leave the chewing gum out of it.
Called the “rent-a-patient” scammers, three doctors from Unity Outpatient Surgery Center in Orange County, CA., are accused of bribing patients to undergo unnecessary procedures.
The three docs stand accused of performing 1,000 unnecessary procedures on 940 patients and billing insurance cos. roughly $30 million.
“We’re talking about doctors who were real-life body snatchers,” said Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas. [L.A. Times]
Not only is he calm and [weirdly] conversational, but he responds to Helen’s strong personality with a strong personality. This can work wonders when you’re trying to close a sale. Conversely, remember to respond to a soft personality with less force. (”Will this work for you?” “What questions can I answer for you?”)
Breaking with Tradition, California Physician Group Lists Prices for Procedures
Funeral Insurance: an Alternative to Life Insurance?
Dentists: Give Us Your (Not) Poor… 
You’re sluggish, uninspired and filled with a sense of loss.
Good News for Agents, Bad News for Robots: Consumers Still Prefer the Human Element
Feeling the Heat, Insurers Put Pressure on Western Homeowners
I’m excited to announce that James Omdahl (”Tall”) and I (”Small”)** will be presenting at 
