By Dr. Alan L. Bass, DPM, FACPM, CPC
Central Jersey Foot and Ankle Care, PC
PowerStep Orthotics for the Podiatrist & the Patient
Whether it was the heyday of surgery, early in my career, when insurance companies reimbursed physicians well for osseous surgery or even today when an insurance carrier will initially reimburse well for a CPT or HCPCS code, but because of managed care medicine, those days have dwindled too just a few.
One thing you must consider is being able to provide your patients with the most comprehensive treatment plan you can. The problem is, how many times have you instructed patients to do something at home, only to forget when they leave the office? With insurance reimbursement being a “challenge”, providers need to think about any ancillary sources of income not affected by the insurance carriers. Any ancillary sources of income from a procedure or product should complement everything that you are doing for your patient in the office.
Think about the biomechanical problems that you are treating. In the most recent issue of one of our podiatry journals, there was an article addressing the issues of biomechanics in the podiatry schools. Are they teaching students what will be the foundation of almost everything they do? I can’t say for certain. I will say that many things, whether orthopedics or surgery, comes down to biomechanics. Why not have the necessary tools to dispense to your patient when treating those biomechanical problems? In my last article I spoke about the PowerStep sandal and slipper as a complementary component of treating plantar fasciitis when the patient is not using their custom orthotics.
That is just one item I have chosen to embrace in my practice. Over the last many years, I have become a fan of PowerStep over-the-counter orthotics. I think the quality of the device is better than any other device. I have also come to realize that the PowerStep company truly embraces the relationship that they have with podiatrists. For many years I have worked closely with a local running store to make sure that my patients invest in the proper sneakers for themselves. When a patient would benefit from the use of an over-the-counter orthotic, I have also had them purchase a PowerStep device at that store. What I have come to realize is that PowerStep has gone one step further for their most valuable customer: the podiatrist
While a patient can purchase PowerStep devices from a retail store, or even Amazon, PowerStep has created an orthotic that is only able to be dispensed by podiatrists. The ProTech orthotic is made from a medical grade cushioning that provides superior shock absorption and resilience that no other PowerStep orthotic has. This is in addition to the patented PowerStep arch that provides better patient outcomes than other prefabricated orthotics. That is what sets this orthotic apart from any other orthotic on the market. They have also set up an online program for podiatrists where you can recommend this better-quality device that is only sold by PowerStep online. You can provide your patients with a code that is specific to you that will allow them to purchase these better-quality devices at a discount and it can also provide a revenue stream to you.
No matter how good of a doctor you think you are, your reputation will precede you. It should not be a shock, but when you treat one patient, you are really treating everyone that the patient meets. They will talk about their experience with you, your staff and even the appearance of your office. This also includes believing in the services you provide and the products you ask them to invest in. I continue to believe that anything you ask your patients to do is an investment in their foot health and is not “costing” them anything. You believe in what you are doing to provide overall wellness to your patients by providing them with the options they need, and you receive a revenue stream in return. I recently have set-up the PowerStep G.R.O.W. Dispensing Program that provides me with an ancillary revenue stream while also allowing me to make those proper recommendations to my patients.
Whether it is the PowerStep ProTech insert, the plantar fascial night splint or any one of their products that your patients can purchase directly from PowerStep, you can be certain that you are recommending the highest quality devices for your patients, and in return protecting your reputation as the physician who is doing what is best for your patient.