Any doctor's office based out of Louisville, Kentucky, should take a careful look at how much they are paying for medical waste removal. In an age of medical waste contracts, it's surprisingly easy to overpay, and it could mean significant savings for your doctor's office if you reviewed all your options when it came to medical waste disposal.

Medical Waste Disposal Cost: Could Your Louisville, Kentucky, Doctor's Office Be Saving Money?

 

A Waste Management Contract versus a Waste Management Service Agreement

 

Perhaps the biggest factor for your Kentucky-based doctor's office to review is whether you're paying into a waste management contract or not. A contract can affect your waste management pricing in a number of ways:

  • Early Termination Fees

Contracts tend to be multiyear deals, and if you're unhappy with the terms of that contract and want out before your renewal date, you're often liable to pay steep early termination fees.

  • Monthly Cost—Set Fees versus À La Carte

Typically, in a contract, you're paying one set fee every month—regardless of how much waste you're actually producing or what other services you're using.

Note, every doctor's office is different, so this system could conceivably end up saving you money. However, the more likely scenario is that you're paying for the opportunity to access OSHA compliance training month in and month out—even if you only take advantage of that opportunity once a year.

  • Extra Charges

Every contract is different, but provisions are often written into these documents that set limits on how much you, as the doctor's office, get. For example, they might restrict the number of boxes of medical waste they'll pick up before assessing an extra fee. These extra charges are above and beyond your set monthly fee.

The bottom line is that your Kentucky doctor's office needs to do two important things when it comes to waste management contracts.

One, read the wording of your contract in exact detail. Review all the language carefully, ask lots of questions of the waste management company itself, and crunch the numbers to make absolutely certain the contract makes financial sense for your doctor's office and your waste-related needs.

Two, know that contracts are not your only option! While they are quite common in the medical waste disposal industry, your other major choice is a service agreement. In this instance, you simply pay for what services you use in a given month. There's no legally binding contract chaining you to a given medical waste disposal company. If you're unhappy, you can switch without fear of fees or penalties.

Don't Neglect Your Contract Renewal Date

If your Kentucky-based doctor's office is currently in a contract and you're thinking about trying to get out, it's imperative that you understand exactly when and how to go about that. There's often a limited window from your contract renewal date in which to get out free of penalties, and you need to be on top of this or risk getting locked into a multiyear obligation all over again.

Reach Out to Medical Waste Disposal Companies

When dealing with contracts and service agreements and waste management price, the whole situation can get pretty complicated. Throw in the fact that every doctor's office has different and specific waste disposal needs—and that those needs can fluctuate from month to month—and it can be difficult to determine how best to reduce your waste management price without compromising on the quality of service you're receiving.

If you have questions, one of the best ways to get personalized advice is to reach out to reputable waste management companies that service your area. A good company will be knowledgeable about all the factors that affect your doctor's office (including federal and state-level regulations) and should be able to work with you to determine which of your options is most cost effective and appropriate.

For more information about whether your doctor's office in Louisville, Kentucky, is overpaying for medical waste removal services, feel free to reach out to a representative of MCF Environmental Services today! Please also feel free to download our free e-book related to medical waste managment. 

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