By Ryan C. Wineinger, OD 
Patients often don’t understand how to use their flex-spending plans. Train your staff to show them how to spend their flex dollars on your services and optical goods—year ‘round.
In our community we see flex spending dollars really becoming part of the patient’s thought process. This isn’t just in December like it used to be four to five years ago when people would wait until the end of the year. Now that flex spending and health savings accounts have become more mainstream, we hear and see patients all the time discussing how those accounts come into play when they are making a purchasing decision. In our office, at the end of the year we still see a boost in revenue generated by flex spending and those typically come with second-pair sales, or a contact lens patient updating their eyeglasses when typically they wouldn’t have done that if there wasn’t money left over in their flex spending accounts.
Ask About Flex-Spending Account at Check-In
There is a great opportunity to educate patients about FSA accounts. Many are unfamiliar with what those dollars can be used towards. As part of the check-in process in our office we pre-authorize insurance benefits. As part of that process we ask the patient if they also have an FSA or health savings account. We then can take that information to educate the patient on what they can use those dollars on. Gaining that information on the front end of the patient’s visit can really improve the patient’s experience. A lot of patients look at FSA accounts as “free money,” so we try to educate them on the front end of their visit on what they can use that account towards. When this is done you can almost see the patient change from “what will I have to spend” to “what do I get to buy!”
Doctor Discusses Flex-Spending
The doctor can play a huge role in the use of an FSA account–whether that’s writing down the over-the-counter drop for the patient, or writing multiple eyeglasses prescriptions for the patient. We need to remember as doctors to tell patients that multiple written eyeglasses prescriptions are specific prescriptions being written for the patient to benefit them for all of their different lifestyle activities. If the FSA information is gathered at the check-in process, and the doctor has that information in the exam room, it can go a long way toward not only relieving the patient’s concern about costs, but can be a way to ensure patients have the tools they need to purchase products offering great, comfortable vision.
Train Opticians to Discuss Flex-Spending
Our opticians are trained to discuss with patients that products such as plano sunglasses, a backup pair of eyeglasses, or a second pair of eyeglasses are all materials that can be used toward FSA accounts. It’s still somewhat surprising that patients are shocked when we tell them that they can get two pairs of eyeglasses using their FSA account. A good portion of our patients think those accounts can only go toward one purchase, like their vision insurance. But when you take the time to explain the details of how FSA or HSA work, you can see an improvement in your bottom line.
Create FSA Marketing Campaigns
We are currently using Demandforce (at roughly $200-$300 a month) to create e-mail marketing campaigns periodically throughout the year to remind patients of how their FSA accounts can be used. We also put reminders in our electronic newsletter with this same information. The costs aren’t outrageous because we can use these same online communications for reminders and scheduling, as well. As long as you’re reminding them of their next appointment, why not also let them know they can use their FSA dollars during that upcoming visit?
FSA Patient Education Keys
Ask patients if they have an FSA at either the time of scheduling or at the time of check in. If you can remember to ask at the time of scheduling, that also gives you the opportunity to remind the patient to check their balance before coming into the office. Then you can take that information the patient has about their FSA to educate them on the fact they can use that money to help them purchase the materials that are best suited for them.
Use an online communication tool, such as e-mail marketing blasts, to communicate to patients the benefits of using their FSA accounts.
Encourage patients to use their FSA to purchase items that will increase their quality of living. For example, in getting to know a mono-vision contact lens patient you may find out they are a big tennis player. During the exam, use that information combined with information about their FSA dollars to explain the benefits to the patient of not only ordering a year’s supply of contact lenses but also purchasing an extra box or two for distance vision so they don’t have to use their mono-vision contact lenses on the tennis court.
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Ryan C. Wineinger, OD, is co-owner of Wineinger Vision Associates in Shawnee, Kan. He can reached at: rwineinger@gmail.com.
