An Interview with Dr. John McCall:
How PCS Helps Practices Minimize Risk and Maximize Revenue
To say John McCall, OD, understands the eye care industry would be an understatement. As a founding member and the current Senior Vice President of Vendor Relations for Vision Source, one of the largest optometric alliances in the country, Dr. McCall has had the opportunity to speak with thousands of doctors about how to grow their practices, add revenue, and meet their goals.
He has also served as President of both the Texas Optometric Association and American Optometric Association and still manages a private practice in his home state of Texas.
When Dr. McCall became aware of the need for a reliable compliance solution, he chose PCS. We had a chance to sit down with him and talk about his experience with our comprehensive compliance coverage.
Here’s what he told us, and why he feels that even if a practice doesn’t have compliance on the top of its list of concerns, the risk of missing out on revenue due to billing errors is equally important.
Before you started working with PCS, was someone else handling your compliance?
Dr. McCall: No, we were just trying to do it ourselves. I guess we thought we were pretty good at it until PCS came along. There’s a lot that they catch.
What do you feel is the most eye-opening thing you’ve learned since you started working with PCS?
Dr. McCall: The thing I always tell people is, ‘you think you’re doing a pretty good job until somebody comes along and tells you that you missed out on $70,000 last year because of incorrect billing.’ That’s substantial.
I think that ODs don’t really know what they’re missing until they trust somebody that knows what to look for.
What made you decide to look for a compliance partner in the first place?
Dr. McCall: I would say that probably only a handful of the practices in the United States are in total compliance, and everything is so complex. If you look at HIPAA, OSHA, CMS rules, it’s almost ludicrous what they demand you stay up to date with. I look at it sort of like the IRS. If you’re not doing the right things, you better have a good story.
I’m also talking about medical records — if you get audited, everything better be in line.
Can you talk about getting started with PCS? What was onboarding like?
Dr. McCall: They came in and did a complete assessment of my practice. I was absolutely amazed by how it works — seamless.
All you have to do is let them in. They know what to do and they know what to look for. When they get through, they’ll give you a written report plus they’ll sit with you or your office manager and outline all the areas that need to be changed.
Some of these have pretty high penalties attached to them, so it’s really important to understand what they found and how to correct it.
How important is it to you that PCS specializes in the eye care industry?
Dr. McCall: I think that’s extremely important. The fact that they focus just on our profession means they’re experts. They know the regulations, they know correct reimbursement, they know what our industry is up against better than anyone.
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You said that most doctors are out of compliance in some way. Why should a practice consider a partnership with PCS?
Dr. McCall: Everybody thinks they’re doing a good job. They don’t think they need somebody looking over it, but it’s a sobering effect when somebody does look over your practice and tells you what you’re doing wrong.
We’ve all heard 1000 times ignorance of the law is no excuse from the law. With PCS, it’s very easy, and you can look at the investment as a risk-benefit ratio. You’re gonna make more money, and you’re also going to lower your risk.
Thanks for your time today! What’s your final word for doctors who aren’t working with a compliance company?
Dr. McCall: I would say that there’s certainly a lot of liability in compliance, but for right this second, let’s just put that to the side and just assume you’re never going to get audited.
Even without the risk, look at the money that you’re leaving on the table if you’re not billing correctly. That’s something doctors think about and in my opinion, it’s a huge area of opportunity.