Aspen directing your patients to other offices
Barnhart Prosthetics
Description
Collection
Title:
Aspen directing your patients to other offices
Creator:
Barnhart Prosthetics
Date:
2/21/2018
Text:
Hi Everybody,
Just to let you know, we had a patient that we had previously seen in our office for another device. They researched online and found the Aspen Scoliosis Brace on their own. We provide this brace, and have had good results. The patient called Aspen directly and asked them where they could get it. They were directed to a large national provider who is the most likely to be your competitor. They asked, isn't there anyone closer than their office who is 1 hour away. They said no. They said, I have gone to Barnhart Prosthetic and Orthotic, and they are right here in my town, would they have it. They were told no, the large national provider who is an hour away is who they should go to. I am pretty darn sure we provide more aspen products than this other office, which we also have an office in the same town of. We called, asked about the town we are in with the competitor, anonymously, to see where we should get that brace. Same result, national provider, when asked about alternatives, my office person was told H...Large national provider carried their full line of products and was the best place to start.
I contacted our rep, who I believe when he said this was a problem, would try to get it worked out. That was 2 weeks ago, my office person just tried again, for Sacramento, which we are not at. Same result, large national company. Let our rep know, here is his response:
Thanks Darrel. I brought this to my managers attention and apparently this has been our policy for some time. However there is a review going on and reconsideration on this one particular. All The reps are all in favor of changing this policy for obvious reasons. The main reason we dont forward patients to the local rep is due to HIPPA concerns. I know its overkill, but that was the primary reason given for the policy. Also our CS reps dont have the local knowledge of other referral sources handy other than Hanger. I will let you know if there is a change. Please accept my apologies since this does impact you directly.
I think now would be a good time, since it is up for reconsideration, for anyone who is not part of one large national provider to, 1. call Aspen yourself, see if they will refer to you, which is unlikely at this point, then 2. Contact your rep and voice your encouragement of changing their procedures on referrals
Maybe they could refer to their already best local customer, or at least a list of all offices who already provide their products in their area. Or, I'm not a tech guy, but I would guess they could put one of those, enter your zip and a radius, and a listing of providers, or map pops up with all the providers, and when called, do that and give them the list. Interestingly on their contact page, SPS is their only listed distributor also, which is where we rarely would get it from, never if possible.
I'm sure that the large national provider is their largest purchaser of their products, but it will likely only follow that they are 1/3, and independents make up the other 2/3, if that is how their market share relates, rough figures.
If you are an independent provider who provides Aspen producsts like we are, please encourage Aspen to change this ridiculous policy, as they are disrespecting you with it.
Thank you,
Nathan Keepers, CPOBarnhart Prosthetic and Orthotic Services, Inc.
Just to let you know, we had a patient that we had previously seen in our office for another device. They researched online and found the Aspen Scoliosis Brace on their own. We provide this brace, and have had good results. The patient called Aspen directly and asked them where they could get it. They were directed to a large national provider who is the most likely to be your competitor. They asked, isn't there anyone closer than their office who is 1 hour away. They said no. They said, I have gone to Barnhart Prosthetic and Orthotic, and they are right here in my town, would they have it. They were told no, the large national provider who is an hour away is who they should go to. I am pretty darn sure we provide more aspen products than this other office, which we also have an office in the same town of. We called, asked about the town we are in with the competitor, anonymously, to see where we should get that brace. Same result, national provider, when asked about alternatives, my office person was told H...Large national provider carried their full line of products and was the best place to start.
I contacted our rep, who I believe when he said this was a problem, would try to get it worked out. That was 2 weeks ago, my office person just tried again, for Sacramento, which we are not at. Same result, large national company. Let our rep know, here is his response:
Thanks Darrel. I brought this to my managers attention and apparently this has been our policy for some time. However there is a review going on and reconsideration on this one particular. All The reps are all in favor of changing this policy for obvious reasons. The main reason we dont forward patients to the local rep is due to HIPPA concerns. I know its overkill, but that was the primary reason given for the policy. Also our CS reps dont have the local knowledge of other referral sources handy other than Hanger. I will let you know if there is a change. Please accept my apologies since this does impact you directly.
I think now would be a good time, since it is up for reconsideration, for anyone who is not part of one large national provider to, 1. call Aspen yourself, see if they will refer to you, which is unlikely at this point, then 2. Contact your rep and voice your encouragement of changing their procedures on referrals
Maybe they could refer to their already best local customer, or at least a list of all offices who already provide their products in their area. Or, I'm not a tech guy, but I would guess they could put one of those, enter your zip and a radius, and a listing of providers, or map pops up with all the providers, and when called, do that and give them the list. Interestingly on their contact page, SPS is their only listed distributor also, which is where we rarely would get it from, never if possible.
I'm sure that the large national provider is their largest purchaser of their products, but it will likely only follow that they are 1/3, and independents make up the other 2/3, if that is how their market share relates, rough figures.
If you are an independent provider who provides Aspen producsts like we are, please encourage Aspen to change this ridiculous policy, as they are disrespecting you with it.
Thank you,
Nathan Keepers, CPOBarnhart Prosthetic and Orthotic Services, Inc.
Citation
Barnhart Prosthetics, “Aspen directing your patients to other offices,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 1, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/208680.
