Prospective patients often ask what therapeutic reflexologists charge for their services and if they offer any specials or discounts? In this post we’ll have a look at therapeutic reflexology pricing, specials and discounts.
Background of the profession
To fully understand pricing, the profession of therapeutic reflexology should be understood first. Therapeutic Reflexology is a recognised and formally regulated profession in South Africa. The profession is regulated in accordance with the Allied Health Professions Act, 1982 (Act 63 of 1982) by the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) which is a statutory council and the only organisation that can provide a therapist with the legal right to practice this profession in South Africa.
This concept is more easily understood when comparing it to the medical world. Medical doctors have to be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) which is a statutory council giving them the right to practice.
Medical doctors and therapeutic reflexologists are formally regulated by statutory councils which means it is illegal to practice these professions without being registered and regulated by them. Just as it is illegal for a medical doctor to practice without being registered by the HPCSA, similarly it is illegal for a therapeutic reflexologist to practice without being registered with the AHPCSA.
Once medical doctors are registered with the HPCSA they can apply for a practice number from the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and on receiving the practice number, they may claim from medical aids. Many medical doctors are struggling to receive payment from medical schemes and they choose to have a cash practice where the patient pays for the consultation and then submit the invoice to the medical scheme for reimbursement. This trend is evident amongst medical doctors, even medical specialists.
Comparably, once therapeutic reflexologists are registered with the AHPCSA they can apply for a practice number from BHF, the same organisation where medical doctors obtain their practice numbers. On receipt of their practice numbers, they are able to receive payment from medical schemes. Likewise, many therapeutic reflexologists choose to function in a cash practice where the patient pays for the therapeutic session and then they may submit the invoice directly to their medical schemes for reimbursement. At this stage there are about 14 medical schemes that reimburse patients, but reimbursement usually comes from the savings portion of the medical scheme, the same part of the scheme from where medical doctors (GPs) are reimbursed. It remains the patient’s responsibility to check with their own medical schemes to see if the specific plan/option of the medical aid does reimburse therapeutic reflexology sessions.
With this in mind, it is obvious that therapeutic reflexology is a profession that is highly regulated in a very similar way than your medical doctor is regulated. Keep this comparison in mind and the rest of this post will be more understandable.
Pricing
Therapeutic reflexologists charge different fees, just like medical doctors charge different fees. This flexibility makes it a bit difficult to give an exact price for therapeutic reflexology services due to the freedom to charge any fee; just like some doctors charging 150% of medical aid rate while others charge 300% of medical aid rates.
It is difficult to give a generic price for all therapeutic reflexologists due to this very fact, but in my private practice at Christo Scheepers – Therapeutic Reflexologist, I charge medical aid rates. What does this mean?
It means that I charge the rate for therapeutic reflexology services that medical aids approved and pays for. The reason for charging medical aid rates, is the fact that I believe it is a fair rate for a good quality service and therefore I do not charge more than the prescribed medical aid rates.
The medical aid rates for therapeutic reflexology services is also the minimum amount that all therapeutic reflexologists should charge for their services as it is the recommended rate from the medical schemes.
Discounts
Prospective patients sometimes ask whether they will receive discount, for example, will I receive discount if my spouse and I both come for a therapeutic reflexology session?
The answer is easy: Do you receive discount from your medical doctor if both you and your spouse go for a consultation? No, you do not, because there is a minimum prescribed fee per patient to be charged that does not allow for discount and this fee is the recommended medical aid rate.
Specials and Promotions
Sometimes a prospective patient would ask for a special rate. This idea comes from the beauty and spa industry where a treatment is offered at special prices and due to promotions running in order to attract business into the beauty salon or health spa.
This does not happen in therapeutic reflexology!
Have you ever heard your medical doctor running a promotion or special price? Something like “come for a consultation and receive a free injection” or “visit our practice and receive a free minor surgical procedure”. This does not happen!
Why not? You may think this very question is absurd, because medical doctors do not run promotions. Well, similarly therapeutic reflexologists also do not run promotions and specials due to being regulated in a similar manner than your medical doctor. It is unethical to run specials and promotions.
Always remember that therapeutic reflexologists and medical doctors work within the healthcare industry where there are very clear ethical codes and regulations to comply to. If you ever see a therapeutic reflexologist in South Africa running a special or promotion, your first question should be whether that person is in actual fact a therapeutic reflexologist that are fully qualified and practicing legally, because in all probability he is not qualified and/or registered or else he will be practicing unethically by offering specials and promotions.
Conclusion
Therapeutic Reflexologists function under very strict rules, regulations and ethical guidelines just like your medical doctor does and these professional guidelines on pricing is usually enforced by the statutory council that is regulating the profession.
If a therapeutic reflexologist charges a fair rate for services rendered, it should be accepted; but let me ask you a final question:
Would you feel comfortable about the quality of service you are about to receive if a professional like a medical doctor or therapeutic reflexologist entice you to make use of their services by offering you specials and promotions or below medical aid rates if that is the prescribed minimum fee to be charged for a specific healthcare service?
I’ll leave the answer to that question to you, but I know that when I make use of healthcare services, I want the best possible quality service for the fee paid, even if it means paying a little more at a reputable healthcare professional.
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243