Optometric alliances and buying groups boast offerings, such as product rebates and discounts, consolidated billing, coding assistance, accounting, staff training, networking, CE and marketing tools, among others. That said, is such an organization right for you and your practice?

The answer to this question is that, to be sure, you must set aside sufficient time to investigate the answers to additional questions, says Optometric Management’s Chief Optometric Editor, Scot Morris, O.D. These additional questions include:

1. What are my current discounts vs. what the various optometric organizations report that they can obtain for me?
2. What are the overall fees that I would pay on an annual basis, and how do they compare with the potential savings? (You must do your homework.)
3. Where am I in the life cycle of my practice? Would an organization that requires a contract make sense for me at this time?
4. Would joining a group/alliance allow me to find better pricing than I could negotiate on my own?
5. Will an organization assist me with education or practice management techniques that I might otherwise not be able to obtain?
6. Do any of the organizations provide discounts on products I use now?
7. How, if any, will my business operations have to change if I join an organization?
8. What other advantages, or disadvantages, are related to the organization?

To facilitate your research, here’s a list of the current optometric alliances and buying groups and their respective contact information.