Plastic surgery discounts: doctors hate them
Beauty in Seattle on Jan 16, 2007
The competition for acquiring new cosmetic surgery customers can be intense. Doctors from all types of backgrounds are flooding into the fast growing, cash-rich market, happy to leave behind the sore throats and the headaches from mountains of bureaucracy and insurance paperwork. For instance, one of the largest medispas here in Seattle is run by an anesthesiologist.
Competition is so fierce, it has led to discounting and special offers. In the UK the push for new patients has inspired a cosmetic surgery clinic called Transform Medical Group to offer discounts for repeat medispa visits and vouchers good toward a Thomas Cook vacation booking.
UK medical groups have responded with outrage, with one doctor stating: "I find it appalling that any reputable medical practitioner could sanction these kinds of promotions, which offer incentives to book more and more surgical procedures each time."
My knee jerk reaction to medical promos was similar. I felt that something is wrong when medical services are discounted. But then I got annoyed…at the doctors.
Doctors are raking in the profits from those of us who desire an elective cosmetic change; and, they’ve enjoyed a sustained period of incredible profit margins along with tremendous demand. Porsche dealers, vacation home builders and wine makers like Chateau Margaux are all thankful for this economic boon.
Additionally, doctors are looking for ways to get a bigger slice of the anti-aging pie. For instance, it’s not unusual for doctors to attend seminars like “Professionally Selling Your Cosmetic Procedures, Part 2 Cross-Selling Cosmetic Services to Increase Revenue’ to build better marketing and merchandising skills.
If the ambitions of many medical practioners are to become better promoters of these lucrative cosmetic surgery services, why is it that the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons rebukes Transform for its "absurd marketing gimmicks"?
A cynic would argue that these medical organizations love the way things are going, and want nothing that looks like competitive market forces. A free market that includes competition for customers will drive down margins and spoil the great ride enjoyed by the medical community.
I doubt these organizations are explicitly looking to create a cartel that lords over cosmetic surgery and keeps price controls in place, but I do know that competition is good both for the provider and the consumer.
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Comment on this
unregistered guest
12 Sep 2006
May I play the devil's advocate? We have been spoiled with our quality of cosmetic surgery in the past---compared to these women in Brazil who get liposuction in hotel rooms and have hardware store-grade silicone being injected into their lips, we never knew how bad it could get if doctors lower their professional standards and start doing "anything for a buck" with the clients who are trusting that they wouldn't be put in danger by reckless doctors, or doctors who are so eager to get into this cosmetic-cash business that they don't bother to learn how to do it safely. Granted, the fake silicone cases are extreme and no good doctor would ever do something so blatantly unethical, but I think a lot of good doctors who have no background in cosmetic surgery underestimate the risk and don't bother to train to do it because it's just "elective surgery" before they hang out their medi-spa shingle. The free market brings a lot of shoddy product, as well as lower prices, to meet the boom in demand. Which is fine--as long as I am not one of the people who gets the shoddy product!
unregistered guest
17 Apr 2007
A variant for people who need a surgery but can´t afford it, is to trip to other countries, like Argentina, where they can get a surgery for a lower cost. Plastic and cosmetic surgery in Argentina now is posible. The price is very convenient due to the exchange rate currently in effect in Argentina. And the medical quality is excellent.