Healthcare Q&A

Hi Anand, Basically if you believe that you need private health insurance then if you delay then you will be charged loading by private health insurance funds. Its based on your age. If you do not have hospital cover with an Australian registered health fund on the 1st of July following your 31st birthday and then decide to take out hospital cover later in life, you will pay a 2% loading on top of your premium for every year you are aged over 30. PLUS If your income is < than $84000 (single) and < than $168000 (couple) you do not pay medicare levy surcharge.

As you know, the healthcare industry is constantly changing and evolving, so it's important to stay nimble and map out your objectives. I'm in healthcare marketing for oral surgeons and dentists and here are a few marketing and PR strategies I implement that have been successful in increasing brand awareness and ultimately increasing new patients. 

1. Create videos featuring your physicians. 
YouTube is the second most popular social media platform behind Facebook and is the second largest search engine behind Google. Video content not only can help market your practice and help you stand out from competitors, but it can also boost your SEO. Now more than ever it's important to stay human, and videos help establish a comfortable doctor-patient relationship that can help attract new patients and retain ones you already have. 

2. Give back to the community. 
Retargeting past and current patients to promote services and procedures is an all too often overlooked healthcare marketing tactic. For example, offer a promotion, reward program, or even a free service. One of my dental clients offers free teeth cleanings for children during February which is National Children's Dental Health Month. This is a great way to earn press, get new patients in your practice, and boost patient loyalty.

3. Social media 
Instagram is a visual platform that offers an excellent opportunity to connect with your audience in a new way. If you’re a physician in aesthetics or cosmetics, Instagram can be a fantastic tool to generate new patients. Utilizing Instagram to share before and after’s and successful aesthetic results can be great exposure for your practice and show off your advanced capabilities as a doctor. Facebook provides a two-way communication channel and is an extremely targeted tool. You're able to interact with your audience and give a "voice" to your practice. It's also a fantastic advertising platform. 

Hope this helps! 

I am the owner and sole practitioner of an exercise physiology business in Western Sydney. I started Holistic Exercise Physiology in 2016, offering various services from medical centres and visiting homes, gyms and nursing homes. 

Earlier this year, I decided to start our own exercise physiology clinic. Secured the location, signed the paperwork, paid the advance... then COVID19. Needless to say, that wasn't part of the plan. 

Being the owner of a small business, COVID19 has had a significant impact on me and my business. The cancellations have increased, new referrals have decreased and there just aren't as many people walking past the clinic as we expected. I've also suspended all group programs, including the diabetes group class. 

Fortunately, I've seen an increase in telehealth consultations (online consultation using video call). It's a service I've offered for years, but none of my clients seemed to be interested. And now, clients are very happy to hear about it. Yesterday I consulted an older client via telehealth. She was a bit anxious about the technology as it was her first online health consultation. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer one month ago and said she knows she needs exercise, but didn't know where to begin. To see her performing the exercises which I had demonstrated with a big smile and to see her grow in confidence was a very rewarding experience.  

It's hard to say exactly what the next 3-6 months look like. It's clear that innovation in business is no longer a choice but a necessity. Based on last week, I would say we will be doing a lot more telehealth consultations and finding new ways to serve our current and new clients in the virtual environment.


Hassan Qureshi,
Holistic Exercise Physiology