My Answer - Why don't I charge a set rate for acupuncture?

I don't generally talk about my life as an acupuncturist on my blog. However, I'd like to address a question I am frequently asked. I also like to explain the surprisingly controversial answer I give in response.

The question is simple: "How much do you charge?" Before people step one foot through my door, this is the most frequent question I am asked about acupuncture. My answer: "I do not charge a set rate. You decide how much each visit is worth and pay me accordingly."

My answer appears to make a number of people very uncomfortable. That is certainly not my aim. My aims are as follows: 1. I want to remove barriers between human beings and quality health care. 2. In an area where the average annual income is quite a bit lower than the average for Texas, charging a set rate might actually harm my business. 3. I support the pursuit of dreams, because it brings happiness and better health. 4. I want to be a responsible capitalist.

There are two barriers to quality health care that affect myself and many of my fellow South Texans: local availability and money. In answer, I have opened a clinic in Beeville, Texas. Here I work as a licensed acupuncturist while my husband grows an olive orchard and builds sustainable answers to energy consumption. If I refrain from charging a set rate, I keep acupuncture an affordable option for anyone.

Bee county's median annual household income is less than $35,000/year. With rents and the cost of living on the rise, I feel that I need to remain flexible if I want to stay in business. Many medical professionals use sliding scale, but that's kind of a classist approach. Sliding scale tends to make some folks feel like they're being overcharged and other folks feel like they're getting lower quality service. And I don't want to know my clients' incomes.

It's safe to say we all know people who stay in jobs they hate for the health care benefits. We also all know someone who accepted a reduced rate of pay in exchange for better health insurance benefits. Ever shopped around for private health insurance? When you do, I hope the heavens are with you. Sadly, if you've had a chronic health problem in the last ten years, if you have a spouse, if you have children: you're going to have a very difficult time finding affordable health insurance - unless you have a job with a good benefits. I propose that we are happier, healthier people when we are free to pursue our dreams and do what we love. If we could do that and not have to worry about whether we could afford health care, probably more of us would. On the other hand, if you have learned to love your job with benefits, or your dream job comes with great benefits I am so truly happy for you! Salud.

Finally, and this is most important: I want to be absolutely certain that I serve my clients with the best possible combination of my knowledge, skills, and care. When my livelihood absolutely depends on it, there is no room in my clinic for shoddy, slightly lazy, or marginally unfriendly service. When I am at less than my best, I might get an instant pay-cut. I have to be at my best every single day! Asking my clients to choose my pay-rate is the pinnacle of responsible (and responsive) capitalism.

Bless you all. Have a happy, healthy day.

Remembering Oklahoma

Cold wind, gray sky, the dance of gold grasses practicing the heavens' choreography...
Trees, grow leaning, shake free their leaves gilded in the colors of fire.
They will crunch underfoot on red dirt with the sweet smell of autumn - if you can catch them with your feet as they scurry. Prairie sister, Mariah, stinging with frost, steals my breath. She, my constant companion and playmate, howls louder even than the queen of horseshoe hill. I visit the sand plum trees, now bare. I visit the wild strawberry patch, now hibernating. I visit the horse. He stands silent, warm, and gray as the sky. I gather pine cones on the way to the old barn. Barn creaks his warnings about rusty nails, and age, and certain death. Once again I leave before exploring.

When I lived in Oklahoma, the only inhabitants of the sky were clouds, lightening, rain, hail, and snow. I do not recall any memory of living birds until after I came back to Texas. Oklahoma was a good place to watch lightening storms, tornados, hot-air balloons, and brave pilots.