In article <3q96fq$gvt at news4.primenet.com>, eric at Primenet.Com says...
>The problem is that hearing aid and audiological services are
>bundled inappropriately, causing the whole hearing aid industry to
>be extremely wasteful. The need for secrecy is a loud and clear
>signal that something is not being done right.
First, let me state that the Internet is an excellent forum for discussions
of this nature. And I particularly appreciate your post. It brings up some
excellent thinking of the subject of "bundling" prices vs. "unbundling."
This was quite an issue back in the 1970's in America. At that time ASHA
made some pretty strong arguments in favor of unbundling and I bought into
it "hook, line and sinker!" I taught a number of seminars throughout the
United States on the subject of "Unbundling Hearing Aid Prices." In our own
practice we started charging a "professional fee" for each individual
service that we performed. (It was no different than what other health
professionals do today.) Even though I was not (and am not) a member of
ASHA, I thought this was an excellent idea and I "practiced what I
preached."
To make a very long story short, after three years of spending many hours
trying to explain to my patients why there was a charge for each service I
performed, I went back to the old way of "bundling" all charges! I am happy!
My patients are happy! Now everyone is happy (except maybe Eric)! I will
NEVER return to "unbundling" my charges! You will have to send me to prison
or whatever you do to persons who refuse to "unbundle" their charges! It
really is an idealist dream! But, as they say, "Get real(istic)!"
Oh yes, ASHA learned that they couldn't make anybody "bundle" their charges,
also they could not "set prices or fees," or even "discuss prices on the
Internet." Okay, maybe they didn't learn the last one in the 1970s, but
don't try it, anybody! It's against the law in the United States to "fix" or
agree to set prices and the courts construe that to mean even talking about
specific dollar amounts on the Internet! (Nothing wrong with discussing
"concepts" as we are doing here! This is good stuff!)
Paul Woodard, M.Div. :-)
(HearWHAC at netins.net)
Des Moines Iowa
An afterthought! Let's hope my friend, Dean of Springfield, Missouri, is not
on this forum! Every time he sees me he tells me how well he liked my 1970s
seminar on "Unbundling Hearing Aid Prices." He claims he still does it and
he loves it! Oh, well, I guess I'm not right on everything!!! (But please
don't tell my wife! She thinks I'm perfect! At least I think she does!) ;-)
