A chiropractor explains why individual practitioners can't negotiate fair rates with insurance companies alone. He's underpaid because he lacks negotiation expertise. Providers need either to build internal capabilities or hire professional negotiators to handle payer contracts.
I think in many instances that Lone Ranger aspect of an office going in and trying to negotiate with a big network is absolutely futile activity. It's not going to— it's not going to work. The other element, too, is that we tried to do too much on our own in many instances. You know, I'm a chiropractor. I'm not a negotiator with an insurance company. I do know one thing. I don't get paid fairly. So I want to turn that over to my strategy being enhancing someone's capabilities to go in and negotiate those contracts.
