Non Profit Staff Opposition to For Profit Geriatric Care Management

Although there are clinical and fiscal and operational reasons to collect fees, there has been real resistance within Non-Profits to add For Profit Program like Geriatric Care Management. This opposition has come from all groups: staff, volunteers, administrators, and clients, who have been receiving free services for many years.

Many publicly funded human service providers in the Non-Profit sector appear to suffer from a type of “fee phobia.” Why?

Many health professionals like nurses and social workers are trained and believe that social services should be free to clients.  They fear their clients would not pay or would refuse help if they were charged. Non-profit professionals are inexperienced in setting rates and did not feel confident about negotiating fees. The biggest push back to the idea of “selling” services, stating that they did not choose to become a social worker (or nurse or other human services professional) to work as a “salesperson.”

How is this overcome? Most Non –Profit hire a new geriatric care management staff that are not fee phobic, are comfortable with billing , billing technology and are comfortable with the idea of selling services. Plus they understand that geriatric care management brings a wealthier client who can afford and will accept being charged for social services.They further believe that their services and time are worthy of billing clients.