Imagine a world where you can’t sell life-changing medical devices without first juggling flaming chainsaws, balancing on a unicycle, and performing a magic trick that involves pulling an accreditation certificate out of thin air.
Sounds absurd, right?
Well, for medical device reps like myself, this ludicrous spectacle is our reality. We are the unwilling performers in the never-ending circus of credentialing companies, forced to jump through hoops and endure endless paperwork all for the privilege of doing our jobs.
Sometimes it feels like we spend more time filling out forms and verifying information than we do actually interacting with healthcare professionals.
We navigate a labyrinthine system of regulations and fees, leaving us feeling more like accountants than experts in the medical field. And the worst part? The ringmaster of this circus, the credentialing company, gets to walk away with a hefty sum of money, while we, the clowns are left with a suitcase full of empty promises and a nagging feeling that we’ve just been had.
Medical Device Representatives play a crucial role in the healthcare industry, ensuring that cutting-edge technologies and devices reach healthcare professionals. However, the process of credentialing, which is essential for maintaining competency and safety standards, has become a burden for these professionals.
This blog post sheds light on the exploitation faced by Medical Device Reps at the hands of credentialing services, highlighting the exorbitant fees, bureaucratic processes, and need for government oversight.
I’ve spent 30 years in the trenches of orthopedic medical devices. I’ve seen innovations transform lives, weathered industry disruptions, and navigated the ever-evolving regulatory landscape. But one persistent thorn in my side, one that seems immune to progress, is the exploitive system of Medical Device Rep Credentialing services.
Every year, like clockwork, the merry-go-round of re-credentialing begins. We, the reps, dutifully cough up hundreds of dollars to various credentialing companies, submitting the same proof of vaccinations, product training, and competency certifications we diligently maintain.
What do we get in return? A rubber stamp of approval, often delayed, riddled with errors, and ultimately, just a cost of doing business – a business we love and are dedicated to.
The Exploitation Lies in the Details:
- Monopoly Pricing: A handful of dominant players control the market, creating an environment ripe for unchecked price gouging. Fees can range from $250 to $600 per rep, per year depending on the company and the level of service. For a seasoned rep, that’s easily over $1,000 annually just to access the facilities I need to do my job – a job that ultimately benefits patients by ensuring they have access to life-changing technologies.
- Value Disparity: The value proposition offered by these companies is, frankly, dubious. The onus of maintaining credentials falls entirely on the reps, yet we pay exorbitant fees for companies to simply verify and package information we’ve already compiled. The actual verification process is often slow, error prone, and lacks transparency. In essence, we’re paying for a bureaucratic middleman with questionable added value.
- Data Security Concerns: Credentialing services collect a trove of sensitive personal data – vaccine records, training certificates, even financial information. Yet, security breaches and privacy violations are not uncommon, adding insult to injury for already frustrated reps.
Examples of Predatory Practices:
- Mandatory Re-credentialing: Even with valid credentials, reps are forced to re-register annually, regardless of changes in regulations or employment. This is a blatant money grab, exploiting our need for access to healthcare facilities.
- Hidden Fees: Beware of the bait-and -switch! Advertised fees often morph into surprise charges for “Expedited processing of paperwork” or “Higher level of service” (What IS the difference between the Gold and Platinum Level anyway?) or other nebulous reasons.
- Lack of Standardization: Each company operates with its own rules and interpretations, leading to inconsistencies and confusion for reps navigating the system. One company says TB screening is mandatory, while another says it is an outdated requirement that they will no longer need to verify.
Sources:
A Cry for Change:
This system is unsustainable, unethical, and ultimately a burden on healthcare, not an aid. We need a radical shift. I propose a single, unified governmental agency responsible for Rep Credentialing. This agency would:
- Set Standardized Regulations and Procedures: No more confusion, just clear, consistent guidelines for all reps and facilities.
- Eliminate Predatory Pricing: Affordable, transparent fees based on actual administrative costs, not profit margins.
- Prioritize Data Security: Robust data protection measures to safeguard sensitive information.
- Streamline the Process: Efficient, error-free credentialing that focuses on actual qualifications, not paper shuffling. (TB testing?!)
The current system is a slap in the face to dedicated medical device reps like myself. We’re the bridge between cutting-edge technology and patient care, yet we’re treated like cash cows by exploitive credentialing services.
It’s time for a change.
Let’s call for a single, ethical, and efficient government-run credentialing system that serves the needs of healthcare, not the wallets of middlemen.
I know some might say we don’t need the government getting involved but without them we are in the wild west where anyone with a laptop can start their own credentialing company and you and I will be sending them our money along with all the others mentioned above.
Next Up: Paying $8 for paper scrubs EVERY TIME we enter the operating room?