60+ Cash-Based Healthcare Business Ideas for Nurse Entrepreneurs in 2024
Hey there! If you’re a nurse looking to start your own cash-based healthcare business in 2024, you’ve come to the right place.
As a fellow nurse, I know how rewarding it can be to help patients on your own terms.
The healthcare industry is booming with opportunities for nurse entrepreneurs like you and me.
In this article, I’ll walk you through 60 of the most promising cash-based business ideas you can launch in the new year.
Ditch the insurance hassles and reclaim your medical and nursing expertise.
Set your own fees, offer services your patients truly need, and spend less time navigating paperwork and more time treating individuals.
Imagine, extended consultations, personalized treatment plans, and the flexibility to utilize innovative therapies – all without insurance dictating your every move.
Whether you want to do house calls, open a wellness clinic, offer concierge services, or provide virtual care, there are so many options to choose from.
Many of these businesses require minimal upfront investment and allow you to be your boss.
As an experienced nurse, you already have the clinical skills and expertise to succeed.
All you need is a plan and the passion to help your community get healthier.
I’m thrilled to share these cash-based business ideas to help fellow nurses like yourself grow their skills and income in 2024.
This is the perfect time to take control of your career and bring quality care directly to patients as an entrepreneur.
Let’s jump right in!
60 Cash-based Healthcare Business Ideas for Nurse Entrepreneurs in 2024
TLDR: (Too Long, Did not Read)
This article explores 60 cash-based healthcare business ideas for nurses seeking entrepreneurship in 2024 and beyond.
As nurses increasingly feel the constraints of the traditional healthcare system, nurse-led cash practices allow for innovation and flexibility in care delivery.
From concierge nursing to home health agencies, virtual consulting to medical tourism companies, nurses can leverage their skills in many emerging business models.
Read on for a full list of creative ideas, trends fueling the opportunities, and insights into planning a nurse-run cash-based enterprise.
Home Health, Home Care, and Staffing Agencies
1. Home Health Agency
As more patients seek care from the comfort of home, home health agencies are perfectly positioned for growth.
Home health nurses can provide skilled services including wound care, injections, disease management, physical therapy exercises, occupational therapy activities, speech therapy, and more that are reimbursable through Medicare and insurance plans.
For services not covered, home health nurses can charge cash-pay rates.
2. Non-Medical Home Care Agency
For non-medical support, CNAs and home health aides can provide personal care (bathing, dressing), light housekeeping, transportation, grocery shopping and companionship through a licensed non-medical home care agency.
Services can be billed privately at hourly rates.
3. Medical Staffing/Travel Nurse Agency
Nurses with management experience can launch a medical staffing agency that contracts with hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities to supply per diem, travel and temporary nurses.
This leverages nurses’ connections and provides flexible, lucrative nursing job opportunities.
Revenue is earned by taking a percentage of the nurse’s billable hours.
Direct Care Nursing Businesses
4. Primary Care Clinic
Nurse practitioners can open convenient care clinics providing basic medical services covered by cash payments.
Services might include annual physicals, immunizations, lab testing, chronic condition management, procedures like wart removal or stitches.
Accept cash, credit or hire a medical biller.
5. Concierge Medicine
Concierge medical practices provide personalized healthcare services to clients who pay retainer fees ranging from $1,500-$25,000 per year.
Nurses can take the lead on coordinating care, creating comprehensive health plans, providing consultations, making house calls, and being available 24/7 for a small number of clients.
6. Mobile Health Services
Going directly to where people live and work, mobile health nurses can provide basic care, screenings, injections, blood draws, vaccinations and more for a cash fee per service.
Many mobile services focus on workplace health, community health, or elder health assessments.
7. Nurse Coaching/Health Consulting
Offer personalized health, nutrition and wellness coaching to help people make positive lifestyle changes related to weight loss, smoking cessation, chronic conditions, stress, sleep, women’s health, pediatrics and more.
Done in-person or virtually, nurses can charge hourly or packaged rates.
8. Nursing Call Center
Combining telehealth with a subscription or per-use fee model, nurses can provide 24/7 healthcare advice, triaging and appointment scheduling via phone, video chat or mobile app.
Large companies like Teladoc and Amwell connect nurses with patients directly.
Clinical Services
9. Legal Nurse Consulting
Apply nursing expertise and knowledge of the medical record to consult with law firms on medically-related legal cases.
Services may include reviewing records, providing opinions, and summarizing complex cases. Bill hourly or charge flat rates per project.
10. Insurance Claims Assistance
Help clients navigate and submit insurance claims, follow up on unpaid or denied claims, appeal decisions and identify billing errors. Charge a percentage of recovered claim amounts.
11. Medical Bill Auditing
Conduct audits of clients’ medical bills to uncover potential savings through correcting errors, removing duplicate charges, negotiating rates and streamlining bills.
Charge based on a percentage of savings identified from an audit.
12. Medical Language Translation
Provide language interpretation and translation for healthcare facilities, clinics and hospitals via phone or video call.
Nurses can get paid per minute, per hour or per word for translations.
Fluency in multiple languages is required.
13. Home Modification Assessments
Visit clients’ homes to conduct safety and accessibility assessments focused on fall risks, hazards, disability accommodations, home layout, lighting and needed modifications.
Charge a flat rate consultation fee and make product recommendations.
14. Medication Management
Provide medication management services like setting up pill packs, reminders, refill coordination and pharmacy deliveries to help clients safely and effectively manage multiple or complex medication regimens.
Charge subscription rates for ongoing management.
Medical Products and Equipment
15. Medical Supply Sales
Selling and delivering medical supplies directly to patients can be a lucrative business for nurses with sales experience. Focus on products like diabetes supplies, wound care products, braces or niche lines.
Mark up standard supply costs for profit.
16. Medical Equipment Rentals
Specialize in renting out high-demand equipment like hospital beds, wheelchairs, crutches, infusion pumps, nebulizers, and other patient products.
Provide delivery/setup for extra fees to maximize revenue.
Health Education and Consulting
17. Health Literacy Consulting
With expertise in making complex health topics understandable, nurses can advise healthcare organizations on improving patient education approaches, redesigning materials to appropriate reading levels and testing content comprehension.
Charge hourly consulting fees.
18. Community Health Educator
Prepare and teach classes on various health topics for community groups, non-profits, places of worship, schools, businesses and the general public. Typical class topics include CPR, first aid, nutrition, chronic diseases and injury prevention.
Charge per participant.
19. Corporate Wellness
Contract with businesses to provide onsite biometric screenings, health risk assessments, wellness coaching/counseling and group classes or workshops covering stress, weight loss, smoking cessation, fitness, nutrition and more.
Bill per session or program.
20. School Nurse Services
Work with schools, parent organizations and youth programs to provide onsite nursing services like clinics, screenings, health office coverage, health education, first aid training, campus safety assessments.
Bill hourly.
21. Camp Nursing
Serve as the healthcare leader at summer camps, sports camps and campgrounds.
Duties involve assessing and caring for injuries and illnesses, handling medications, providing health education and emergency response.
Senior Care Services
22. Geriatric Care Management
Geriatric care managers coordinate healthcare, housing, transportation, meals, in-home care, legal services and finances for aging adults. Care managers conduct home assessments, develop care plans and handle care transitions.
Fees involve hourly or monthly retainer.
23. Alzheimer’s Support Services
Provide services to support patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. Services may include respite care, memory care coaching and activity planning, adult day programs, support groups and education workshops.
Charge hourly or per session.
24. Senior Home Transition Services
Help aging adults transition from independent living to needing assistance. Conduct home safety evaluations, recommend modifications, arrange for downsizing/moving help, coordinate care services and provide referrals to housing options.
One-time fee or hourly rate.
25. Hospice Services
Provide end-of-life nursing care, counseling and support services in home settings. As an alternative to high-cost hospital stays, hospice allows people to remain comfortably at home in their final days.
Bill insurance or private pay per visit.
Maternal, Infant and Child Services
26. Doula Services
Work as a certified doula providing emotional and physical support during labor and delivery.
Also help with birth education, pain management techniques and postpartum planning.
Charge a flat rate per birth.
27. Lactation Consultant
Become an IBCLC consultant to assist mothers having breastfeeding difficulties through in-person and online consultations.
Conduct assessments, make feeding plans and provide needed education.
Charge per session.
28. Childbirth Educator
Teach birthing, breastfeeding and newborn care classes to expecting parents.
Classes can be held privately in clients’ homes or as group sessions.
Charge per couple or negotiate contracts with hospitals.
29. New Parent Educator
Make in-home visits to teach hands-on newborn care education to parents after delivery.
Cover topics like feeding, pumping, diapering, bathing, soothing and basic CPR.
Charge per session.
30. Infant/Child Safety Classes
Provide private or group classes to teach childproofing, CPR, first aid, car seat safety and safe sleep practices to parents and caregivers.
Market to birthing classes, NICUs, daycares. Charge per participant.
Mental and Behavioral Health Services
31. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Provide medication management and psychotherapy services for mental health disorders, addictions and behavioral issues on a cash-pay basis.
Open a solo practice or join an existing mental health clinic.
32. Stress Management Coach
Teach clients stress management techniques like mindfulness, meditation, breathing, yoga, and cognitive behavioral techniques.
Offer individual or group sessions in-person or online.
Charge per session/workshop.
33. Support Group Leader
Start and facilitate support groups for various chronic health conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, or for issues like grief, infertility, caregiver stress, substance abuse and more.
Charge participants a fee to cover administrative costs.
34. ABA Therapist
Become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to children with autism spectrum and related disorders.
ABA involves assessment, development and implementation of customized behavioral plans.
Services can be billed to insurance or private pay.
Health Business Services
35. Medical Billing Company
Offer medical billing services to healthcare providers on a contract basis.
Provide full-service billing or niche services like rejected claim resubmission.
Generate revenue by taking a percentage of collections.
36. Telehealth Coordinator
Help healthcare organizations implement and manage telehealth services.
Handle provider training, tech setup, virtual clinic workflows, remote patient monitoring programs and scheduling.
Charge ongoing fees.
37. Medical Claims Auditor
Review medical bills for errors, duplicate charges and overpayments. Appeal erroneous denials and potentially recover thousands of dollars for clients.
Take a percentage of recovered claim amounts.
38. Medical Translation Services
Provide accurate medical interpretation and translation in healthcare settings. Have skills in medical terminology in at least two languages.
Get paid by the hour or by the project.
39. Continuing Education Management
Develop and manage nursing continuing education courses for healthcare employers.
Handle regulatory compliance, documentation, online delivery, virtual training and record keeping.
Contract rates.
Health Content Business Opportunities
40. Medical Writer
Leverage clinical knowledge to write marketing materials, clinical trial reports, sales training materials, medical journal articles and patient education content on behalf of pharmaceutical companies, medical publishers and healthcare systems.
Fee per project.
41. Health Blogger
Create content educating people about health topics through blogs and social media.
Build traffic and earn ad revenue, sponsorships, sell products, or provide health content marketing services.
42. Patient Advocate Blogger
Publish articles detailing your experiences navigating the healthcare system as a patient or caregiver.
Provide tips, guidance and resources for others facing medical challenges.
Earn ad and affiliate revenue.
Independent Contractor Roles
43. Educator
Teach healthcare, nursing, or patient education courses for colleges, associations and training companies on a contract basis.
Instruction can be done in-person or online.
Typical rate is $50-$100/hour.
44. Industry Consultant
Serve as an expert consultant to healthcare startups, medical technology companies, pharmacies, staffing agencies and other medical businesses.
Advise on clinical workflows, protocols, product development, etc.
Hourly or retainer contracts.
45. Clinical Research Coordinator
Coordinate and oversee clinical trials as an independent contractor for pharmaceutical companies, research organizations or private clinical trials.
Arrange participant recruitment, data collection, study protocols.
Pay is project-based.
46. Healthcare Travel Opportunities
Traveling Nurse Educator Contract with hospital systems to provide specialty training and professional development for nurses.
Focus on niche areas like critical care, oncology, or emergency nursing.
Training can be delivered in-person or virtually.
47. Conference Speaker
Market your expertise through speaking engagements at nursing, clinical and healthcare industry conferences worldwide.
Speaking independently at multiple events can be quite lucrative.
Typical speaker fees range from $2,000-$10,000.
48. Medical Tour Guide
Organize and lead medical tourism trips for people traveling abroad for treatments. Handle logistics like airfare, lodging, transfers. Get paid on commission or markup basis.
49. Cruise Ship Nurse
Provide nursing services aboard cruise ships. Enjoy extended travel providing basic medical care to passengers and crew.
Contracts range from 2-9 months. Room, board and meals are covered.
50.Travel Vaccine Nurse
Contract with pharmacies and healthcare facilities to provide immunization services and travel health advice to clients planning international trips.
Give recommended vaccines and medications.
Virtual Nursing and Telehealth
51. Telehealth Consultant
Conduct phone or video consultations with patients seeking treatment for minor illnesses, a second opinion, mental health counseling or prescription refills.
Working for an established telehealth company provides steady patient flow.
52. Virtual Home Care
Use platforms like Iris or CareXM to connect nurses with patients remotely to provide screenings, chronic care management, medication reminders and assistance with transitions from hospitals to home care.
53. Online Tutor
Help nursing and pre-med students better understand course topics by tutoring online via Skype, Zoom or other video chat platforms.
Set your own hours and rates. List services on sites like Wyzant.com.
54. Healthcare Chatbot Developer
Use knowledge of nurse triaging protocols and medical screening to program conversational chatbots that interact with patients through text or voice.
Chatbots can provide symptom checks, health advice and appointment scheduling.
Innovative Nursing Products and Services
55. Medical Garments (Compression Socks, Post-Surgery)
Design and manufacture specialty clinical and recovery garments or assistive products for consumers.
Tap into needs like compression socks, post-surgical/wound care garments, devices for home health.
Sell direct to consumer.
56. Wellness Product Line (Lotions, Candles)
Create all-natural self-care products like lotions, soaps, and candles incorporating therapeutic benefits like aromatherapy, massage, and relaxation.
Market as supporting wellness and healthy lifestyles.
57. Online Marketplace for Specialized Equipment
Build an e-commerce store focused on specialized clinical equipment for occupational therapy, speech therapy, and home health like therapy swings, weighted vests, and rollators.
Drop ship or stock inventory.
58. IV Hydration Therapy Clinic
Nurses can provide IV hydration and vitamin infusion services at storefront clinics or by making house calls.
Different IV formulations can be tailored to needs like athletic recovery, immune boosting, anti-aging, migraine relief, and more.
Patients pay out of pocket per IV session. Nurses handle IV insertion, monitoring, and client education on the benefits.
This allows nurses to tap into the growing demand for IV hydration therapy among consumers.
59. Aesthetic nursing services
Providing injectables like Botox and fillers, laser hair removal, facials, chemical peels, etc.
Either rent a suite at a medspa or do house calls.
60. Fertility consulting
Help couples understand their fertility options and provide services like teaching natural family planning, low-tech fertility awareness methods, etc.
Conclusion:
After exploring 60 cash-based business models for nurses, I’m feeling so inspired by our potential to transform healthcare!
While starting any business involves risk, nurses have the perfect mix of clinical skills and an entrepreneurial spirit to disrupt the status quo. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ideas and possibilities we discussed.
Do any resonate with you or spark your own ideas?
Even if we aren’t ready to leave our jobs yet, I think dreaming big is empowering. Our healthcare system needs change – and nurses can drive that change as innovators and change-makers.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for nurse entrepreneurs making a difference! Let’s stay motivated to turn these ideas into reality.
The opportunities are endless, and our patients need us now more than ever!
FAQ:
Q: Why are cash-based businesses growing in healthcare?
A: Cash-based care avoids the limitations of insurance reimbursement models. It allows nurses to offer personalized, holistic services and have more control over their practice and income.
Q: What are examples of cash-pay nurse businesses?
A: Concierge nursing, home health/home care agencies, health coaching, care consulting, medical billing services, and telehealth consulting are some top examples.
Q: What steps are involved in starting a nurse-led business?
A: Conduct market research, write a business plan, obtain licenses/certifications, secure financing, establish legal entity, get insurance, brand your business, develop services/offerings, and launch marketing efforts.
Q: What is the concierge nursing model?
A: Concierge nurses provide personalized healthcare services to clients who pay annual or monthly retainer fees. This model allows for services not typically covered by insurance.
Q: Can nurses own a home health agency?
A: Yes, nurses can start home health agencies to provide skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and more to homebound patients.
Q: How much can a nurse entrepreneur make?
A: Income potential varies widely based on services provided. Concierge nurses may earn from $100k-$500k. Home health owners may profit $150k-$1M. Virtual consulting can generate $50-150/hour.
Q: What healthcare trends are fueling these opportunities?
A: The aging population, rising chronic illness rates, shortage of primary care doctors, lack of mental health access, and growth in telehealth and direct-to-consumer healthcare.
Q: What are the benefits of cash-based businesses?
A: More professional autonomy, better work-life balance, income control, personalized care, innovative offerings, avoiding insurance constraints, consumer-focused.
Q: What are challenges or risks involved?
A: Finding clients/patients, managing finances, keeping up with regulations, isolation if solo practice, wearing many hats, being disciplined with time.
