Repertoire: How would you grade the Affordable Care Act (A, B, C, D, F)? Regardless of how you would grade the Act, what aspects of it are having the biggest impact on your customers…and hence, on the way you approach them as a salesperson?
Sam Marshall: I honestly haven’t noticed a big change overall.
Dan Hilton: The greatest impact on me and my customers is that the ACA is driving more patients away from the hospitals and into the clinics. As a physician supply rep, that is great news. Additionally, the focus on disease management will bring more technology and testing into the physician clinics. This is a great time to educate our customers on new ideas and technologies. Thinking outside of our traditional boxes will not only bring opportunity to me, but also my docs.
Amy Annis: Capacity. We are experiencing an “If you build it, they will come” phenomenon. The providers are jostling for market share. Patient satisfaction. Customers are replacing aged equipment. They are looking for “nice” and ADA-compliant equipment as opposed to bare minimum. There are several systems in a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses race. Every building is more beautiful than the last.
Jack Moran: Grade: B. The biggest impact has been the Act has caused market consolidation. In order for a health system to survive under the ACA, there needs to be efficiencies throughout, which has driven mass consolidation of the market.
Rich Bilz: So far, most of my customers are not seeing the numbers that were promised, except in the really indigent areas. Many have opted to take the fines in lieu of the high premiums. I can’t say that I really have changed my approach, other than focus more on the hospital IDNs that we supply and service. By the way, I would give it an F, and the Republicans are not finished with the fight to make this go away. The original intent to fund this by all, especially those that are not using the system, and use the funds for all, backfired on them. The registration numbers shows that.
Chris Lord: Reimbursements. I need to find many ways to help my customer save money.