BUSINESS

PROPOSAL

2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary .................................................................................... page 1
Introduction, Purpose, Problem Statement .............................................. page 2
Background, Proposal, Solution ................................................................. page 3
Future Consequences, Plan........................................................................ page 4
Proposal Research ...................................................................................... page 5
Limitation .................................................................................................... page 6
Staffing, Budget .......................................................................................... page 7
Conclusion, Authorization Request ........................................................... page 7
Appendix 1: Questionnaire ........................................................................ page 8
Appendix 2: Payment Plan ......................................................................... page 10
Appendix 3: Price List ................................................................................. page 11
References .................................................................................................. page 12

Presented by: The Think Tank

1|Page

Executive Summary
This proposal entails an analysis and solution for better payment communication between
employee and patient at The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI). The challenges
contains uncertainty in the pricing menu provided to patients, unintentional and intentional lack
of payment in the secondary eye care center and inconsistency in payment specifics. Our solution
by implementing a price menu and payment plan will aim to improve payment options, locate
easier prices and assure speedy results. If the solutions are not implemented then BCVI will be
faced with continual miscommunication between customer and employee, unintentional and
intentional lack of payments, decrease in profits and increase in allowance for doubtful debts
within the organization.
The method used to accumulate information for the research was in the form of a questionnaire
that consisted of a 100% agreement from patients that implementing a payment plan is a good
idea. Also, applying the solutions will be of no cost to BCVI and the price menu and payment plan
are readily available in the form of .pdf format.

1|Page

Introduction
Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) is the only non-profit organization eye care
provider that offers services on a national level, with five clinics strategically located throughout
the country of Belize. BCVIs main branch in Belize City provides all secondary eye care service
which includes surgeries and other procedures.
The executive president of BCVI, Mrs. Joan Musa, states that It is hard to believe that what
started out as a purely voluntary committee, with support from the Belize Red Cross, has grown
into a self-sustainable organization providing eye care services throughout Belize. However,
Mrs. Joan has expressed to us the need for improvement in their secondary eye care center by
enhancing communication between patients and employees with prices and inserting a better
payment procedure.
Our proposal aims to:
Improve price communication and payment option in an effective way.
Locate price and payment concerns from patients.
Assure speedy results from the solution stated in the proposal.

Purpose
We committed to engage with BCVI because as citizens of Belize, we wanted to contribute our
proposal and research in a health-care decision that will improve the service received in the
country. BCVI best fits our need to improve the country because of its welcoming environment
for volunteerism and willingness to always help and improve the country.

Problem Statement
As a non-profit organization, the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) has made their
mission to reduce the incidence of needless blindness and improving the lives of people who are
irreversibly blind. However, many challenges are faced due to Belizes poverty rate resulting in
payment issues within the organization. Overall, according to a National Poverty Assessment in
2002, more than a third of the population was living in poverty, and the portion of poor
households was almost twice as high in rural areas than urban areas. Almost 13 per cent of rural
households were extremely poor, compared to 3.3 per cent of urban households. According to
the Statistics of Belize 2016, Belizes population ranging from 35 years old to 84 years old
aggregate to 109,186 persons. Out of the total amount, 11,456 persons have undergone eye
examinations either in the primary eye care or secondary eye care.

2|Page

Background
In Belize, BCVI continues to target the five leading causes of blindness prevalent in the
Caribbean and are reducing the loss of vision due to cataract, glaucoma, childhood blindness,
refractive errors, and diabetic retinopathy. In the secondary eye care in 2015, a total of 4,178
patients were examined by an ophthalmologist. However, challenges are still faced within the
organization such as:

Uncertainty in the pricing menu provided to patients

o There is uncertainty in the pricing menu provided to patients. In addition, BCVI
has no set pricing for its services, which consist of numerous surgeries within
their secondary eye care program.
Unintentional and Intentional lack of payment
o Patients are sometimes unaware when to pay and what to pay when obtaining
BCVIs service.
Inconsistency in payment specifics
o Since BCVI main focus is not profit, they adjust certain prices for patients who are
mainly low-incomed customers causing probable future communication to other
customers who pay different prices than the low-incomed individuals

Proposal and Solution

We propose to implement a written pricing menu to avoid confusions and miscommunication of
prices for the services offered. The price menu will mainly be displayed for the secondary eye
care programme which will include and inform patients on set prices and their different types of
services. The current prices are being presented orally and sometimes many confusion arises
because of a non-existent hard copy of the information. Thus, the nurses or doctors increase or
decrease prices however they see fit; or remain the same depending on the types of patients that
are currently requesting the service. Proposing the price menu will reduce the redundancy of
telling one patient after another the prices of services.
As for a payment system, we propose to implement a payment plan. Not all patients can afford
the services that BCVIs secondary eye care provides, for this reason prices are adjusted to their
needs and the patients will then need to sign a payment plan. This payment plan will allow
patients to pay an affordable cost according to their financial situation. Patients will be allowed
specific dates or agreements to pay until the full amount is paid. Currently, all agreements are
made verbally and there is no official document a patient signs that states when to pay the money
owed.

3|Page

Also, implementing a payment plan will allow the clinic to keep better track of the payment
arrangements being made with customers. It will allow the clinic to have a constant flow of
income which is vital to keep the organisation running.
The payment plan and pricing menu are proposed to be implemented on the 12th of December,
2016.

Pricing
Menu

Better
Payment
Communication
Payment
Plan
Figure 1.1 highlights the proposed solutions which will result in better payment communication.

Future Consequences
If a written pricing menu is not set in place then the organization may lose valuable time in having
to repeat different prices for different services to each individual and without a written payment
plan, a patient may communicate their pricing to another patient and that will lead to a verbal
dilemma between whos paying more and whos paying less. In BCVI, every patient is told a
different price based on their financial situation. Also lacking a payment plan will lead patients to
intentionally or un-intentionally not paying the right amount of service or not pay at all,
decreasing profit and increasing allowance for bad debts.

Plan
A notice will be posted around the clinic to inform patients of the new payment plan being put
into place. It will include the amount to be paid, the first payment made, the date to pay the
balance, and the signature of both the Office Administrator and the patient.
4|Page

Also, we offer to print and laminate at least three (3) copies of the pricing menu to display at the
front desk of the Secondary Eye Care. When a customer arrives in the clinic, the price menu will
be the first thing seen. The services listed will be the set consultation fee, procedures covered by
the National Health Insurance, eye exams for both diabetic and hypertensive patients.

Proposal Research
A survey was conducted to see the response of patients to the suggested implementation of the
payment plan and other questions such as: the satisfaction of service being received, affordability
of services and comments regarding BCVIs services.
Of the 12 questions being asked in the survey, we decided to showcase and analyse three.
Question 1:

Is the service within your price

range?
16%

Yes
No

Figure 2.1

Figure 2.1 shows that out of 40 people being surveyed, 32 of the patients said yes to the service
being within their price range. However, 6 patients stated no and 2 of the 40 surveys were spoiled
due to not knowing their prices ahead of time.

5|Page

Question 2:

Do you think the prices are fair?

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Yes

No
Figure 2.2

Figure 2.2 shows that out of 40 patients being asked if the prices were fair at BCVI, 38 say yes to
the prices being fair and 2 said no.
Question 3:

is a payment plan a good idea?

No 0

Yes

40

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Figure 2.3

Figure 2.3 shows that out of 40 people being asked if a payment plan was a good idea at BCVI,
100 percent stated yes to the option being available.

Limitation
Due to sample size and location, the results were biased because we asked only patients of BCVI
and the sample size limited the results.

6|Page

Staffing
We are qualified for this particular proposal due to the following:
1. Two group members are recent patients at BCVIs Primary Eye Care and have knowledge
about the quality of the services being given at the clinic.
2. One of our group members, Norma Rios, currently works at BCVI, therefore, she has
knowledge about the business and the internal problems that are occurring.
3. All group members, which are future accountants, have knowledge of business related
issues, and is an asset in solving the clinics current problem. We know that if something
is not done about payment issues, the organization will lose a great portion of their
income.

Budget
The proposed payment plan and pricing menu will come at no great cost to BCVI. The payment
plan will require about fifty (50) copies of the one-page document to start with. This will come at
no cost as BCVI does regular printing and they will print these at the office. The pricing menu will
require three copies of the one-page document and these also will be laminated at their offices.

Conclusion and Authorization Request

The proposed solutions will guarantee alleviation on payment issues thus increasing a better
working environment between employee and patients. The focus of the proposal mainly involves
the patients therefore, we understand the need to implement a price menu and payment plan is
critical because it aids to keep the organisation running, it will improve services and let the public
be aware that there is an eye clinic willing to provide a service that is within their financial
situation.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to create solutions in improving the challenges faced at
the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. Please let us know by the 12th of December if the
proposal has been approved.

7|Page

Appendices & Attachments

Appendix 1: Questionnaire
Dear Participants,
We are students of the University of Belize and we are conducting a patient satisfaction survey
for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. All your information on this questionnaire will be
kept confidential so we kindly ask that you answer as honestly as possible.
Thank you for your cooperation,
The Think Thank

Answer ALL the questions by placing a tick on the line that most accurately suits you.
1) How old are you?
_18-29
_ 30-49
_ 50-69
_ Other
2) What is your gender?
_ Male
_ Female
3) Is this the first time coming for a service from BCVI?
_ Yes
_ No
If yes, where did you find out about the services offered? __________
If no, how many times have you been getting treatment? __________
4) What service are you receiving?
________________________________________________________
5) Is the service within your price range?
_ Yes
_ No
If no, has the price range been adjusted to suit your expense? _______
6) Have you told anyone in Belize about your BCVI expense?
_ Yes
8|Page

_ No
7) Has anyone from Belize told you about their expense in BCVI?
_ Yes
_ No
8) Do you think implementing a payment plan in BCVI would be a good idea?
_ Yes
_ No
9) Would you get treatment from BCVI again?
_ Yes
_ No
10) In your opinion, do you think the prices of BCVI are fair?
_ Yes
_ No
If no, why? _________________________________________________
11) Are you satisfied with the services given by the doctor/nurses and other employees?
_ Yes
_ No
If no, why? _________________________________________________
12) Do you have any comment for BCVI?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

9|Page

Appendix 2: Payment Plan

The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired
Payment Plan
Princess Margaret Drive
P.O. Box 525
Belize City
Ph: 501-223-2636
Email: bcvibze@gmail.vom
PAYMENT AGREEMENT/ PROMISSORY NOTE
This agreement is made this ___ day of _________, 2016
For due consideration, the undersigned _____________________ for procedure
_____________________, promises to pay to the order of The Belize Council for the Visually
Impaired at Princess Margaret Drive , Belize City, Belize, Secondary Eye Care, the sum of
_______________.
Instalments of:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Has paid so far:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for choosing BCVI as your eye-care facility.
___________________
Customer Name (Print)
Contact No. __________________
WITNESS to the above signature,
____________________________
Administrative Officer

10 | P a g e

___________________
Signature of Customer

Appendix 3: Price Menu

11 | P a g e

References
2016. Statistics of Belize, Population. Retrieved from
http://www.sib.org.bz/statistics/population
2015. The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, Annual Report 2015. Retrieved from
http://www.bcvi.org/bcvi-annual-report-2015/

12 | P a g e