Have you noticed that not many people use cash anymore? Since the dawn of Covid, handling paper money back and forth just doesn't have the same luster it used to. I've noticed the same with shaking hands, and now with business cards. What used to be the staple of the initial business meeting is quickly going by the wayside. Paper, in any form, is not tech friendly anyway. If someone gets your card, doesn't create a contact in their device, and then throws the card away, they

I've been doing a lot of one on one coaching this summer. Some reps are succeeding wildly while others struggle to grow their business. Aside from the very obvious reasons why this would happen, I've come across this one enough times that it bears writing about. "I'm working on building the relationship". You might be reading and thinking, "What's wrong with that Michael?" My answer: Nothing....as long as you know the relationship is not the goal, the referrals are. As an exa

Providers, including marketers, are tempted to give patients and potential patients free items and services. While providers usually have good intentions, they must comply with applicable requirements. As Part 1 of this series indicates, there are two applicable federal statutes: the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (CMPL). Part 1 also makes it clear that there are a number of exceptions. If providers meet the requirements of applicable excep

The owner of a supplier of home medical equipment (HME) complained that her company did not receive referrals from TidalHealth Nanticoke Hospital [United States ex rel. O’Bier v. TidalHealth Nanticoke, Inc., No. 1:19-cv-687-SB (D. Del. May 11, 2021)]. The Court dismissed the owner’s lawsuit because she could not prove her claims. This case illustrates why providers who complain about practices of referral sources must have facts to support their claims. The owner of the HME

We've all seen it.....that month when referrals dry up and what you expected to happen never materialized. When this invariably does happen, you have to quickly determine whether you had a bad month (which needs to be fixed), or if you merely had bad luck (which probably cannot be fixed). I use 3 key questions to help me decide which one has happened. Did I do anything differently during the month? Did I do more or less of something, or did I take on a completely new activity

Providers, including marketers, are tempted to give patients and potential patients free items and services. While providers usually have good intentions, they must comply with applicable requirements. As Part 1 of this series indicates, there are two applicable federal statutes: the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (CMPL). Part 1 also makes it clear that there are a number of exceptions. If providers meet the requirements of applicable excep