Finding Great Specialists for Your DPC Members

One of the great benefits DPC can offer members is helping navigate the complicated healthcare system. As their primary care provider, you're able to 'quarterback' their healthcare — sending them to other quality, caring specialists, but only when they actually need it.

When something is outside of your scope of medicine or skillset, then knowing where to send members for great (and affordable) specialty care is extremely valuable.

You probably already know (of) the best specialists

If you've practiced in your local area for long, you likely already have friends and colleagues that provide great care. Or you at least know of them. Schedule meetings with them!

Meeting over lunch or coffee makes the meeting a bit more casual, and is often welcomed. These meetings should be simple:

1. Share what you're doing and why you're doing it. It's fairly common now for specialists to hear the term "Direct Primary Care," and they'll likely cheer you on.
2. Ask how you can make it easy to refer your future members to them, including a main contact person at their office if you have questions.
3. Ask if they offer cash-pay discounts, and whether you can get a hard copy of cash pricing that you and/or your staff can refer to later. One of the great benefits of a DPC membership is having someone like you to quarterback care and help increase transparency in medicine.
4. Lastly, ask if there are procedures or services they offer that you might not think of or be aware of.

Note: refrain from accepting or offering any kind of compensation for referrals - while there's no issue with offering special discounts for some patients, receiving or offering compensation, or "kickbacks," could have serious consequences.

Cold calling specialists: it's easier than you think

For those specialties where you don't have contacts, pick up the phone and call. Unlike sales calls, you'll likely get through because you're a physician looking to speak with another physician and potentially send them business.

Start by calling the trusted groups that you already know or have heard positive feedback about. Let reception know what you're doing, and ask for a meeting with the physicians (not just the clinic manager - it's better to reach the actual physicians!). Ideally you would set up a meeting or a lunch with those specialists, share that you're opening a DPC clinic, and let them respond. Just make sure you leave with two things: 1) how to easily refer members to them, and 2) a pricing list of what cash-pay members can expect to pay for common services.

While you can't promise to send these specialists a large volume of patients, you can promise to make the referral process easy. It may also be the case that most of your clients are cash-pay, and if the specialists know the pricing ahead of time, patients are more likely to pay on time, or even before service.

Keep a binder!

As you meet with specialists, keep notes of all your conversations, copies of pricing, and any pertinent information about their clinic. You'll likely have more than a couple meetings, and getting information mixed up is easier than you think!

Having one place to keep all of this information will make it much easier to communicate to future partners and staff as you grow.

Your network is important

The larger your network and the more connected you are to specialists and outside services, the more value you'll be able to offer your members. Your skills and availability are extremely important, but the fact that you can help navigate the complicated healthcare system when something is outside of your scope is a wonderful gift and service to your members.

It's OK to build as you go

There's no need to think through all of the scenarios where you'll need specialists. Start with your friends, acquaintances, and providers that you've been hoping to connect with already.

Then, once a patient needs a specialist, use that opportunity to reach out to them. Yes, it will be more urgent, but you can still ask specific questions about cash rates, etc. If the cash rate question doesn't apply for this patient - just ask what they would do with some of your other patients that might be cash pay.

Now go!

Remember, you can't have all of your 'ducks in a row' before you start your clinic. Don't let this be a hang up if you're not networked in your area. Just start, and you'll grow this list as your clinic grows!