Book Reviews - Essentials of Private Practice

ESSENTIALS OF PRIVATE PRACTICE is a practical comprehensive guide that should be welcomed and mandatory reading for the newly licensed professional. The seasoned private practitioner will also find tips to cut costs, and reduce the stress of clerical duties, pervasive in the demanding managed care and insurance environment.

Dr. Hunt provides a well organized, detailed range of strategies gleaned from her established practice which have helped to streamline costs, procedures and policies, and much more. In considering group practices, caution is urged as are billing services. The reader is well advised to investigate the pros and cons. This book makes a fine companion, answering the vital questions to which most experienced professional had to find the answers, the hard way-- by trial and error.

Dr. Hunt has thoroughly researched the essential ingredients that make a practice easy to navigate. She takes the reader by the hand and describes what has worked best for her practice. Hunt demonstrates the importance of applying daily procedures such as verifying insurance benefits, billing insurance and receiving prompt payment.

Developing a clear organizational system is the key to success as Hunt clearly provides. Establishing an office is made easier when you know the ingredients to look for. The book covers all these basics. Step by step, she shows how to arrange a new practice from appropriate selection of an office including safety and reasonable access to transportation, parking, temperature controls, utilities, restrooms, leases, a communication system that is efficient and cost effective, and tips to reduce expenses.

The new practitioner is cautioned to have an income base and to plan for monthly costs including one’s own medical insurance. There are tips on how to find the best and less costly services. Hunt provides worksheets that may also be helpful to seasoned practitioners.

Streamlining for your first appointment is a must-read chapter. Hunt points out the need to decipher a patient’s presenting agenda from the hidden agenda. For example, if the patient presents work-related stress he may be seeking a letter or court appearances from you. It is important to know if your practice is appropriate for the client. The importance of establishing your fee immediately is critical and can be done on the phone, “ Your fee will be____. A check or cash will be fine.”

Hunt shows the importance of a discussion of self-pay, sliding scale and insurance to be discussed before the initial session. The necessity of checking insurance benefits cannot be overstated and should be done by both the patient and the practitioner. Hunt provides a list of important questions to ask the insurance company. (Although some insurance companies and managed care companies will routinely delay or deny payments) Hunt thoroughly attends to every detail and documents every contact made with every individual at an insurance or managed care company when calling to receive authorization or payment.

Billing Insurance is another must-read chapter. The reader will be guided by the step by step approach. As a long time psychologist in private practice, I found the section describing billing methods including computer, electronic, paper and insurance website informative and helpful.

Dr. Hunt offers wise finance management tips such as keeping your finances on computer software program. Hunt avoids collection woes by requesting payment at the beginning of each session. For practical reasons, she does not recommend the use of collection agencies. It is often not worth the problems that may ensue from litigious, disgruntled patients.

ESSENTIALS OF PRIVATE PRACTICE clearly demonstrates the importance of creating and maintaining a well organized practice structured in ways that work best for you. Hunt provides excellent practical strategies gleamed from her own experience. Highly recommended reading. An absolute necessity for the new practitioner.

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