“Patients have to almost physically deliver the scan referral orders to us, but they have to ask, and the hospital wants to play the game that our machines are not as good as theirs,” says Dils, who stresses the anti-competitive attitude is not surprising, but frustrating nonetheless.
“I get it — when there’s a patient located in the hospital, sure you’ve got to use that scan; but if you look at a $4,000 CT and a 20% copay, that’s $800 out of pocket,” says Dils. “Well, you have another option, you could come get it here for $600 cash.”
A waiting area at ImageWorks
Aside from Medicare and Medicaid, ImageWorks is accepting all the major insurers and has flat rates listed on its website for paying out of pocket. Feedback from patients who have undergone scans has been nothing but positive, Dils reports, and as word gets around town, he expects business to continuing increasing.
“It’s another service we’ve opened up with the primary purpose of being different than the guys down the street,” he says. “We all have the same markets and everything else, when it comes down to buying decisions, I don’t want to have to win a popularity contest, I want the best products and service.”
As the economic landscape for independent, diagnostic imaging centers continues to toughen, John Dils’ experience is a valuable lesson for others seeking to expand healthcare into rural and less densely populated markets. Trust in your product, offer clients an unparalleled patient experience at an affordable price, and rely on experts to provide you with the right equipment. Follow these simple principles and you just might be successful.
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