6 steps to fear-free fee increases
By Eric Osansky, DC

When was the last time you raised your fees? Many chiropractors hesitate to because they fear they will lose some of their current patients.

In fact, many maintain the same fee schedule for years, not even accounting for inflation.

Gas prices have increased. So have prices on food, clothing, and entertainment. It would be reasonable to guess the cost of most things is higher today than a year ago.

So it is also reasonable for you to raise your fees. And you can do so without affecting patient compliance. Here are six steps to follow:

1. Give advanced notice. Tell your patients well in advance about a raise in fees. Give a minimum of three months notice.

First, send a letter informing them about the fee raise and when it will begin. Next, post a notice in the reception room in a visible location. Then, one month before the increase, ask your staff to remind patients of the raise in fees when they check out.

2. Raise your fees periodically in small increments. Rather than having a large price hike every four or five years, consider raising your fees $2 or $3 every year or every other year.

To most people, paying a few dollars more is not too much, even if the increase is annual. On the other hand, if you were to raise fees by $5 or more at a single time, more people will complain and discontinue care. This is true even if you raise your fees less frequently.

3. Look at the long-term return on investment. It is possible you might lose a few patients when you raise your fees. But even if you do, the overall increase in income you make in the long term will usually offset any patients who drop out. 

4. Offer patients the chance to prepay at the current fee. If you are considering raising the fee for a spinal adjustment from $45 to $48, offer current patients the opportunity to prepay for a set number of visits before the raise takes effect. 

You could even offer a discount on top of this. For example: Give a 10 percent discount for prepaying 12 visits or a 15 percent discount for prepaying 18 visits. (Note: Check your state’s regulations concerning prepayment and discounts.)

5. Hold a patient-appreciation event before announcing the raise. This is optional, but doing this shows your patients how much you truly care for them and lessens the blow of any pending price hikes.

In addition to keeping your patients happy, these events often result in a surge of quality new patients.

6. Continue to provide outstanding care and service. Although some people choose a chiropractor solely by fees, most don’t. People want quality healthcare.

If you continuously exceed the expectations of your patients and they receive great results from the care you deliver, then there is an excellent chance they will remain your patient — regardless of how much you charge. 

Eric Osansky, DC, has a practice in Concord, N.C., where he uses his adjusting instrument as a marketing tool to attract new patients and build his practice. He is also the CEO of Instrument Adjusting Marketing Solutions. He can be reached by e-mail at instrumentdc@aol.com or through the Web site, www.InstrumentAdjustingSuccess.com.