Bupa Registered Podiatrists

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

Some time back, last year I think, Bupa changed their policy regarding paying for Podiatry Consultations. They previously would cover the consultation as long as the patient had been referred by a Consultant. From memory, these changes implied that Bupa were to decide a specific amount they deemed suitable as a consultation fee and I can't remember exactly what it was, but I believe it was quite a low figure. I read a thread on here subsequently, (which I cannot now find) where the general consensus seemed to be that for the amount of referrals we would lose, it wasn't worth opting in to be restricted under their terms.

Can anyone clarify the situation for me please, as it's come to my notice that there are a lot of Podiatrists on Bupa's registered list. Can anyone who is on their list explain how it works and if it is still viable.

Thanks

 

Hi Karen,

The only light I can throw on the whole sorry business is that although I de-registered and made it quite clear why I no longer wanted to see BUPA patients, it seems I am still on their list of providers.

In their original approach to the change BUPA were quite adamant that the fee which was agreed would be the only fee which was paid - ie the patient is not allowed to top the fee up.

I have referred several disgruntled prospective patients back to BUPA since then.

 

Hello Karen. The situation is rather complex and varies from practitioner to practitioner. I suggest that you contact BUPA yourself, since it is always better to have such information 'from the horses mouth' as it were.

All the best

Bill

 

Hi Karen,

Having been registered with BUPA for a few years, I was informed a few months ago that I would have to reapply as a provider and that they would not pay more than £25 for follow up appointments. They told me this fee apples to all Podiatrists across the UK and was non negotiable. What irked me was that the physics and osteopaths in my clinic had been offered a much higher rate! I chose not to take up their offer


Hope that helps

Regards

Tim

 

Yep, me too. Oddly enough, I still receive referrals via BUPA for pt tx, even though I am no longer a `provider`. Go figure.

 

Well I'd been a provider for some years, but opted out thinking that was the general consensus of opinion from most.
I'm now in a difficult position as I am getting referrals from Orthopods who have referred to me for years, but because I'm not Bupa registered, patients are being referred to others who are very local to me, who opted into the scheme and I'm losing business because of it.
I have contacted Bupa and been told I have to apply first, they will not give any indication of figures until and unless I'm accepted!

Karen

 

Hello Karen

Yes it's a very frustrating situation. I have been a BUPA provider for years and went along with their BUPA registration. I resonate with all colleagues about how they fixed their fees only allowing £45 for a consultation and £25 for follow ups. They stipuate £350 for nail surgery and there's something I've read (but can't find it right now) about only paying for podiatrists to do BME's etc if they have a red spot/dot gait analysis system.

There is a link on here that has a long thread about BUPA fee payments to podiatrists and what BUPA themselves stipulate as cover for their customers on their website which is one heck of a lot more than what they're prepared to pay us.

I have several gripes about how unfair they are being around much of this. I have been receiving BUPA refs for years with Consultant referrals and now it can be done via GP referral. I, like many, advise patients that it is my practice policy for them to pay at the time of the appointment and i will provide a receipt which they can claim from BUPA direct. BUPA has a huge problem with this telling me that I should use their online invoicing system etc. I don't have the time to faff about doing that nor do I want to spend precious time searching for payments they have or have not made.

After reading some posts on online podiatry sites I emailed BUPA saying I will be continuing to ask for payment at the time of treatment, I tell prospective BUPA patients this when they make their appointments and that it is small recompense given that I am allowing a £15 drop in takings for a BUPA follow up visit.

As a previous post says, probably better to speak to BUPA direct but from my experience I've been told differing things from them.

I work close to you Karen but I'm not seeing massive changes in how I'm receiving referrals in general from BUPA clients and my referrals for BME's are from the usual sources or a process with routine patients who've either returned to sport or started having problems. Nail op referrals the same.

I hope you manage to sort something out. Look forwards to catching up next time I see you with the dogs.

Jen x

 

This link should get you to the last BUPA thread

http://www.podiatry-arena.com/podiatry-forum/showthread.php?t=77195&highlight=bupa

I have not re-registered with BUPA due to the following reasons;
a) £25 follow-up fee is an insult particularly as physios and osteopaths are paid more.
b) I would have to have a current CRB check paid for by myself. As I have been a private practitioner for over 20 years I have had no need for one. I don't need to check myself. Don't BUPA trust the HCPC registration standards?
c) You have to sign a contract which stipulates a minimum of 50 minutes per appointment. The SOCAP questioned this and BUPA replied that this can include time for notes and correspondence. I am uncomfortable promising appointment lengths that are not realistic.
d) You have to provide audits of your BUPA patients if required. This to include numbers seen and referred. This takes time which is precious.
e) You have to promise to see BUPA patients within 3 days (if I recall correctly) of their request for treatment. This is usually possible but why should I give BUPA patients preferrential treatment for less?
f) You have to wait for payments and as Jen said you have to keep checking that payments are made.
g) BUPA can refuse to pay you, if for instance the client does not have the level of cover or has exceeded it, leaving you to chase payments from the client.

So all this extra hassle for less! I don't think so. I have told this to BUPA and others should to. We should boycott them until they start to pay us what we are worth.

 

Thanks everyone for your input.

Jen, you have confirmed my reasons for not agreeing to go along with Bupa's new requirements. My referral sources and pattern hasn't changed either, but it's the patient's decisions that are changing now as a result of my not being registered with Bupa which is having an effect on us.

Given everything that has been said and confirmed to me, Mike, in particular your outline of the stipulations Bupa are making, I cannot see that it is viable to be seeing patients under this scheme, whether or not you deal directly with them for payment, or the patient. The fact is, Bupa are paying far less than what any, or most of us charge for initial consultations/assessments etc. therefore you are making a loss on those patients.

It seems though that although everyone seems to accept and agree that these terms are both restrictive and inevitably will result in a reduction of income, there are an awful lot of Podiatrists that have opted into the scheme. Whilst we are divided, i.e. some Podiatrists are in the scheme and some aren't, we will never get anywhere with Bupa. The Podiatrists who have opted into the scheme are effectively condoning Bupa's actions.

I cannot see the logic behind the Podiatrists decisions who have opted into this scheme, can any of you who have opted in explain to me what you actually gain from it?

 

Free appointment slots that could be filled= better to have a reduced rate income than none at all.

Quite busy already thank you = not worth the bother of registering

That has to be the basis of the decision doesn't it? In other words, experienced pods who have busy practices (who you would imagine would be the people BUPA would want to refer people to), are the least likely to register.

 

Hello Karen

I do resonate with your points wholeheartedly. I decided I would be staying in with the BUPA scheme is for several reasons. One is related to three consultants who have directly referred to me for years. I work for a Consultant Podiatric Surgeon at Cobham hospital on an ad hoc basis (Local Anaesthetic lists for foot surgery; I do the LA's/cannulate) we take BUPA patients as well as NHS and he himself is BUPA registered. I had my CRB check undertaken through the hospital so didn't have to process all that myself.

Another reason for me is they (BUPA) agreed on £350 for PNA's and I get referred quite a few from BUPA consultants. I've always had regular nail surgery referrals and the consultants I work with previously did the 'consult and refer back to me' process that we used to have to go through. That's the one area that has worked so much better for me now in that patient's do not need to go around the houses, so to speak, like before as their GP refers direct.

As I do several nail op's through BUPA compared to the other treatments it made it worthwhile.

The last reason and probably most important reason is I have a laser for onychomycosis and verrucae/wart treatments etc and some BUPA policies are happy to cover this which is the main drive behind staying registered. Hope this provides some clarification.

Karen if you go on the members page of FeetforLife there's a forum about the BUPA charges and the podiatry contracts and the society's opinions etc.... I think they are suggesting we are careful with the contracts, that the 50 min min treatment time is ludicrous (so I think we'll all be using own our discretion; imposing times is removing our autonomy and nobody can work like that). My take is that if things change for me then I de-register, simple as that.

At the moment I'm still sticking my heels in about them saying I should use the online payments system. This is something I feel quite passionate about so there's another possible de-registering potential issue.

 

Thank you Jen for explaining that, I can see that with the arrangements and situation you have with the Consultants, that it does make sense for you to opt into the scheme.

Thanks for the recommendation for the Feetforlife forum too, I'll have a look at that.
Given all the pros and cons, I'm undecided as to which way to go still :wacko:

 

Just a point re CRB checks.

You CANNOT get a CRB check done on yourself.

I tried last year when I went on a university course and I was informed by the CRB people," the person / organisation requiring the check to be carried out must make the request, you cannot make the application yourself ".

I like many other IPP's have never worked for an employer so the need has never arisen.

I checked that with the HPC and as far as they are concerned the declaration we make when registering is sufficient for them.

So if BUPA make a requirement for a CRB check then they have to apply and pay for it.

And yes like Tim and others,I de-registered with them because of the constant change of policy without notice and frankly being unable to talk to anyone with any knowledge of podiatry or workings in private practice, BUT, yes I still get patients being sent to me and like David I refer them straight back to BUPA.

Hope that helps

Cheers
D

 

You're quite right D you cannot do the CRB yourself; apologies if that mislead anyone. The hospital I work at did it all for me.

Karen, I refer to you and other registered podiatrists in the area when I'm either not available for the time/date the patient wants or over committed with school demands or on holiday etc, and I know you've sent people my way too, thank you. As you quite rightly say some Bupa patients are still happy to go ahead with podiatry they are not covered for. There's plenty of work about and I'm more and more aware of our defragmenting NHS & an even more worrying number of neglected feet or at risk feet that are not being cared for. Bupa seem to have made a huge advertising campaign of late which is offering reduced cost health insurance. Yes, busy practices and even not so busy practices could may be look at this another way. As I said above the nail op refs out way the follow ups. With NHS podiatry being minimal there's nothing to stop any podiatrist getting in touch with local GP's & health centres explaining the scope of their particular practice. Granted you do have to find a 'way in'....which is what I did and I do think being bupa recognised helped in that.

Traditionally pods are not great self promoters but its worth making the effort. A talk at a few health centres or by talking to practice nurses can help too. I'm not suggesting anyone devalue themselves by accepting lower follow up payments but as an earlier post said a treatment is better than a space in the diary.

There is plenty of work around to be able to somehow make this work. I don't really want to de register and I don't want to have clinics full of reduced fees but I honestly don't think that will happen. Most follow ups of mine are more than happy to pay the £15 difference for another treatment rather than just the 'one original issue'

I'm trying to work with it so we will see the whole picture of how things develop in the fullness of time.

Wishing everyone the best