Ancillaries in Internal Medicine

Question: What are the best ancillaries for internal medicine groups?

Answer: That depends on what you like to do, what your market's needs are, and what your payers are willing to cover. Here are some of the ideas we've seen lately:

• CT scans
• Botox
• Sleep labs
• Pulmonary function testing/spirometry
• Vitamins and other nutrition products
• Smoking cessation
• Weight loss clinics
• DEXA
• Hearing tests

Some keys to success include:

• Running your numbers carefully. How exactly will you bill for this new service? Can you make enough on it to cover your expenses? What's the break-even point, and when can you expect to reach it?
• Understanding exactly how you will ensure you have adequate, motivated staff to provide the service.
• Thinking about the impact this new service will have on your patient base. For example, offering Botox can change the type of patients you have in your waiting room.
• Having a plan for marketing the service to new and existing patients.
• Evaluating potential competitors. Can you out-perform them?
• Planning your scheduling for the service.