Cash Physical Therapy | for Therapeutic Wealth

    Here’s only ONE cash PT payment I got

today.  If you wanted me to SHOW YOU the MONEY there it is just above!

That’s just one check I deposited today for 20 PT visits.  See my website for details.  The other “cash” I was paid today was for eight visits but that was swiped into my credit card machine.  At 9:15 a.m. another POA for a soon to be discharged pt. found what I charged and very likely will continue her client with cash-paid PT.  All cash payments I receive for PT are in advance or at the time of service.  It takes too much time and energy to chase the money.  Someday you may see a picture of my coming cash-pay client and me on this blog or on my web-site but I’ll get back on track here.

“Show me the money!”  That’s what I told a MLM representative several years ago who was selling me on the idea of prepaid phone cards.  “Show me the money!  If it’s not worth it I don’t want to do it.”  Well the representative who came to me with one of my recently- discharged PT patients DID “show me the money” (copies of the commission checks written out to his immediate upline) and I thereby wasted a couple of hours of life’s most precious gift - time.   Sure I got a phone card out of the deal but If I had focused on my primary business - Cash - Paid PT - I would have gotten ahead a lot sooner.

Stay tuned here but remember the “accellerator package” which is investing in yourself!

Lance P. Van Arsdell, PT

Cash Practice Secrets

Yesterday at 9:25 I got a call from a previous patient’s power of attorney in Indiana.  She said her aunt’s house had sold and she wanted to spend her money on things her aunt would actually enjoy rather than just things to clutter up her apartment.  I heartily agreed as that’s how I treat my parents now and how I intend to treat them when they can’t do things for themselves.  That wasn’t a good time for me to talk so I asked her to go to my website to see what she’d like to buy for her aunt.  I don’t take her HMO so cash is the only route for her with me.  I asked, “When would be a good time for me to call you back?”.  She thought that today(Sunday) about the same time would be good.   I hung up, put a reminder into my cell phone to beep when it got to be 9:30 today.   When the reminder beeped on my cell phone for me to call her I picked up the phone and called.  “That was good timing”! came her voice from the other end.   “I think I’d like her to have the 20 visits for $2500 package.  She’ll enjoy that more than a big screen TV and it will help her to enjoy life more.”

I’m still learning to give value but give great care, keep in touch and the rewards will come back to you if you are prepared to receive them.

Not all cash pay PT clients work out as we’d like.  The ones with the million dollar view I told you about last time found that Mr. X, their dear husband and dad, was still at too high a level of care to return to home living.  His vital signs weren’t stable enough.  The daughter who’d flown down from Canada as well called thanking me but also to say they were flying her dad back to Calgary.   I encouraged this move knowing it was best for him.  A minute after that call the prospective patient’s wife called me back to see what she owed me though I hadn’t planned to charge for the first visit.  Knowing that she could give me the best value by referring her friends I asked for her referrals but then followed up with a very attractive blank card thanking them for the opportunity of being of service.  I included a couple of business cards for them to share.    Being able to help even when it doesn’t work out is a blessing that comes back.  Kindness comes back.

In an assisted living facility here in Mesa the administrator today told me that a different Canadian who’d paid me to see a gentleman with late effects of CVA wanted me to see him again for cash as I’d done last year.   I’ll try and keep you posted but keep your eyes open for opportunities around you too!

Cash paying physical therapy clients all want the best care delivered as skillfully as possible.  By giving them the best therapy you are enabling them to get back to their lives sooner and probably saving them a lot of money.  When the call for cash pay PT comes you must be ready.  Last Thursday at 8:28 a.m. according to my cell phone I got a call from a potential cash paying client’s son who was down visiting from Calgary.  He’d seen my link on the AZ PTA website and called my cell phone.  I wasn’t able to talk longer than a minute but called him back at the end of my session.

“What’s your “Premium Plan”(He’d seen my website) …..  “Can you come to our house tomorrow and tell us your plan of what you can do for my dad?” .   Though the rest of my day was booked I had the 8:00 slot open.   Friday morning I donned my tie and strode up to the house’s wooden 10-foot door.  When it easily swung open I smiled as I beheld the most verdant colorful view of Red Mountain I’d ever seen.   From the glass dining table I answered their questions and inquired as to the potential patient’s interests and hobbies.  I checked out their home environmentfor safety and gave the recommendations I’d give my own family members which was for 5-day per week therapy initially.    A couple of coyotes sauntered by just outside their property line and 4-foot plus iron bars above that fencing.  The son also reported that javelinas are quite big there too.

“Do you take Visa and American Express”?

“Yes”. ” I do however ask for the payment in advance.  It’s one way I keep the cost so low.”

“I don’t want my parents to pay for this.  Money isn’t a problem.”

How would you like to develop YOUR cash pay PT clinic.  I’ve recorded how 20 PT’s have done it in my home study course.   Are you ready to decrease your stress level by starting or growing your cash practice.   Start on your plan today!

As usual I’m wishing you Therapeutic Wealth,

Lance P. Van Arsdell, PT

Cash Practice Secrets

When was the last time you read a book or went to a movie?  Chances are it was because a friend recommended it to you.  This so-called network “marketing” is very effective.    Getting your patients to spread the good news of your great PT service is the primary way for you to become established as a cash pay PT world.  In the cash pay realm you MUST be really great at at least a few techniques of PT.  Some work better than others.  If they have the flavor of “alternative” or “holistic” care it may be a little easier for potential clients to feel like paying you for them but more on that in a future post.

The three things that are necessary for getting your practice to “go viral” are 1) committing to giving your patients a “WOW” experience  2) Recording that “WOW” as it comes from your patients and 3) Spreading the word in every allowable method possible.  In Pat Croce’s clinic he sent every referrer a thank-you card for the patients they referred.  He got the reports to the doctor the next day and he called the new clients the night of their first visit to make sure they understood the exercises.   The above is a system that can and WILL work for you.

We are camping in our trailer out this week due to water damage in our house.  (AAck!)  Every minus has a plus and it has been REALLY nice to be out with the cacti and coyotes and birds and family.  In fact it’s been what I call “therapeutic”.  I am thankful to “The Hartford” for good homeowners insurance.  I did take time out to attend Tom Dalonzo Baker’s “Total Motion Release” seminar last Sunday.  It was a nice surprise to see one of our contributors (Cash Practice PT’s) in attendance.  The good news is that she is now ready to transition from being 6-7/8 cash to 100% cash fee at the time of service.  It’s such a blessing to be helping PT’s achieve their dreams and goals.

Lance

Cash Practice Secrets (Home Study Course)

Forming and maintaining good relationships are the keys to any business.

My most recent cash paying customers came to me by the referrals of both a successful care home owner and a PT clinic.  I am a genuinely friendly but not overly outgoing therapist and and keep in touch with both.  I have sent both of them holiday cards.  I treated the care home owner for free once when his back was really bothering him.   That was a half an hour well spent because that care home owner works hard to help me when he can.  He knows that Medicare and other insurances will only pay for so much and is considerate to call me for those clients for whom there is no other option but cash.

Next time I’ll go over word of mouth “advertising” and how to leverage it.   If you want to hear how to leverage word of mouth advertising in my interview with multi-millionaire PT Pat Croce click here to check out and then click to subscribe to our free email / internet training.

Therapeutic Wealth to you!

Lance P. Van Arsdell, PT

Cash Practice Secrets

During this global economic crisis how can one even THINK of doing cash-pay physical therapy?  I NEVER wanted to hear of over 500,000 U.S. workers losing their jobs in a a single month?  As these workers lose their jobs their ability to pay for their own health insurance premiums decreases.  Many physical therapy clinics are experiencing a decrease in new patients and many clients are canceling their P.T. visits due to rising copays.  A local physical therapy clinic owner I visited last week (who incidentally sent me a cash-paying patient I’ve been treating since May) reported that his number of new patients for the year had gone up but his revenues had gone down.  He’d had to cut therapists’ salaries in order to avoid lay-offs.  He also reported that their cost of collection was about 6% (in-house) and their percentage collected was about 85%.  Many countries have many companies that are laying off employees.

Every “problem” can be seen as a challenge.  Every challenge is no more than a situation that may in fact need to be attended to.  If you are a physical therapist with a little extra time on your hands due to the recession it can be a great opportunity for you.  I heartily recommend our own “Cash Practice Secrets” home study course.  The intro is both excellent and free.  When you sign up for our “online training” you’ll really be glad.  Invest in our course and you’ll likely earn more than you did last year and feel better about it.  I’m trying out a free clinical home study course and will let you know how it makes MY “no longer 21 year old joints” feel.  If you’re still BUSY at work or busy studying to be a PT learn all you can to prepare you for possibly tougher times ahead.  You can only reap what you sow so…. Sow Seeds of Success!

All of us physical therapists must think of ourselves as marketers.  We should always be thinking of ways ways to boost sales. Read all »