Of all the subjects representatives can share with doctors, enhanced billing opportunities get the most attention. Hospice representatives and marketing planners have a new opportunity in some old codes: advance care planning. This past November, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a review of more than eighteen thousand Medicare billing records for patients with serious illness. Only 5% of patients were billed for advance care planning. This represents a double marketing opportunity for hospice agencies.  

First, you can get a doctors’ attention and be of value by pointing out the codes and reminding doctors they have appointment codes that pay more for advance care planning. It is likely that many doctors are performing this service and under-billing. Also remind them that they can broach the subject, and then call you for more detailed conversations and help provided as a community service.

Second, when you improve delivery of advance care planning, you improve hospice utilization. Patients who receive advance care planning prove more than twice as likely to elect hospice, and they are better educated to initiate hospice in a timelier fashion.

Brazzell Marketing Agency can create a custom flyer for your agency to help doctors appreciate and do more advance care planning while also helping their offices get full reimbursement. Moreover, all hospice agencies should have a regular newsletter going out to area doctors to be of value, help them utilize hospice well, and maintain loyalty and top-of-mind awareness.