The new health care law will be affecting most people in this country, especially those individual who qualify for, use and manage Medicare and its ever-changing regulations and policies.
Enter Dr. Darren Carter, owner of Provistas, a National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce® (NGLCC)-certified LGBTBE. The company provides consulting to facilities that must comply with federal health care standards, and offers software and other solutions for Medicare compliance—services that will become increasingly more important in the next few years.
In a recent interview with BIZ, Dr. Carter discussed why he decided to start New York City-based Provistas, why owning a small health care business has its challenges and what he hopes to gain from his NGLCC certification.
BIZ: Tell us a little bit about Provistas and the products and services it provides.
DC: Provistas is dedicated to providing comprehensive Medicare compliance programs with a special focus on medical necessity, including [medical coding software] SpeedECoder software and training for compliance, health information management, accounting and clinical staff.
BIZ: How did you get into this type of business?
DC: In 1999, I started working for an entrepreneur in the medical coding and compliance space. Capitalizing on experience in researching federal regulations and policy during my service as the policy chair of the board for the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, I applied these skills to understanding Medicare and creating compliance solutions, which included software development. I took that experience to Provistas when I began operations in 2002.
BIZ: What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of owning your business?
DC: I am continually recharged by the daily creativity required to run a business. Every day is different, and you work hard to build on success and protect against failure. Unique to this business is that, in the health care arena, the large companies can quickly crowd out small shops. There is a lot of consolidation in the health care market, and small businesses can come and go quickly. We've managed to create a space where we offer a diverse range of products, including reselling the best-of-breed publications while developing our own software and data products. Lately we've had great success in reaching out to the educational space.
BIZ: With the new health care legislation, do you think there will be more of a need for the services and products that Provistas provides? Why?
DC: Since medical billing and coding are standardized in the United States, the more health care that people seek, the more the products we sell will be required. Already there is a shortage in the medical coding field, and the education business is ramping up to prepare new professionals.
BIZ: How else do you think the health care legislation will affect your business in the coming years?
DC: I'm really looking forward to the small business owners tax break that I get for covering my employees this year! I've been paying 100 percent of insurance costs since I started my company, and to receive a break on that is really important to help me offset the costs going forward. A goal of universal coverage can only be good for the country and my business.
BIZ: Why did you decide to get an NGLCC certification for your business?
DC: My company obtained NGLCC certification about a year ago. I attended an NGLCC national health care meeting and was impressed with the caliber of business professionals who attended. I thought it was important to seek out certification mostly to network with other small business owners and corporate diversity programs.
BIZ: What do you hope to gain from your NGLCC certification?
DC: I have noticed that businesses that provide general business services such as human resource consulting, computer programming and networking or advertising seem to get the most from certification. Because our business is products- and niche-focused, there are less immediate opportunities. However, having access to a network of other LGBT entrepreneurs is incredibly important to me, and I expect over time to find the companies that need our products.
