The Art of Negotiating with Health Care Companies

An Essential Guide for Physicians with Dr. Herbert Bravo, MD; Dr. George Rogu MD, CPE, MBA and Jeff Pogany all contributors to P.E.D.S

In Dr. Rogu's advice on negotiating with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), he emphasized the importance of persistence and creativity. Despite initial resistance from senior colleagues and MCO representatives,

Dr. Rogu believed that there must be a way to negotiate better terms. He followed a method from a lecture he attended, which involved consistently reaching out to MCO representatives and insisting on negotiation despite repeated rejections.

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When traditional methods didn't work, he initiated an "attack of the clones" project, where he collected emotional stories from patients about how his office had helped them during off times. He sent these stories to the MCO representatives to illustrate the value his practice provided.

Eventually, this strategy led to a meeting with a senior vice president who acknowledged that Dr. Rogu's practice was underpaid and agreed to increase their payment.

This experience demonstrated to Dr. Rogu that persistence, creativity, and showcasing the value of your work are essential to successful negotiations with MCOs. He concluded by saying that accepting a 'no' is not an option, especially when you know you're doing a good job.

The complete podcast edition will air on 2/8/2024 on YouTube or where you download your podcasts.