The Doctor Is Out

[gun sane]

Last week my bride got word that one of her favorite doctors was calling it quits. He was leaving his practice presumably because of Obamacare. Even though this dedicated man thinks first of his patients, he cannot continue helping them if he's broke or burned out. This leaves several hundred of his patients in the lurch, scrambling to make new appointments with unfamiliar physicians--or even nurse practitioners--in uncertain times. If this Frankenstein monster of a dilapidated health system doesn't get corrected soon, you're going to be seeing first year med students from China for your medical needs.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/08/smallbusiness/doctors-bankruptcy/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[E4 No More]

A friend of mine got her doctorate in physical therapy a few years ago and opened a practice specifically to handle medicare patients. She had to close the practice because of Obamacare. Many folks do not realize how little Medicare pays the doctors to begin with, but Obamacare cut it even more so that she couldn't afford to keep her doors open. The mess is just now starting folks. Wait until next year.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Won't even be Chinese medical students. You'll see the collapse of the entire health care industry.

There are already hospitals scaling back their services, and some closing or making plans to close.

It never was about health care, anyway.

[jtmaze]

My family DR who is about as conservative as I am asked if she could join my prepping group. She seriously was talking about leaving a practice that her dad started before she was born. It is bad. Being diabetic it is really hard to find a good DR anyway and now this.


JTM
Sent from my hiding place in the woods

[leroy]

Elections have consequences. 

 

leroy

[2.ooohhh]

I don't know much, but I know the practice here in Brentwood mentioned in the linked article that is having issues and it isn't anything due to obamacare/medicare.

 

Dr. L. Morgan Moor (formerly Dr. Williams) and the medical team at New Life Physicians PLLC provide bio-equivalent hormone replacement therapy, weight loss programs  and aesthetic procedures such as Botox® and other cosmetic injectables, wrinkle reduction treatments, laser hair removal, laser skin treatment, laser leg vein treatment, Fraxel and Candela laser treatments.

 

The underlined procedures are not Medical in nature, and are not covered by most insurance and certainly not covered by medicare.

 

 

BCBS states that BHRT had no medical value.  That may be in line with what many of their "patients" who are paying for this BS out of pocket are finally realizing.

Edited April 8, 2013 by 2.ooohhh

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I believe that article, but Medicare is one of the primary payers who aren't reimbursing Docs

very well. I know all of mine don't care for it at all. And I seriously doubt I will see any Medicare

benefits in my lifetime.

 

HRT is not much in the big scheme, but it sure does seem to get it's share of advertizing nowadays.

[E4 No More]

I believe that article, but Medicare is one of the primary payers who aren't reimbursing Docs

very well. I know all of mine don't care for it at all. And I seriously doubt I will see any Medicare

benefits in my lifetime.

 

HRT is not much in the big scheme, but it sure does seem to get it's share of advertizing nowadays.

This article is about BHRT; not HRT. BCBS is calling out plant-based hormone replacements that are not regulated by the FDA, nor are they near as powerful as medical grade hormone replacement. Many drugs are discovered from nature, but refined and concentrated by laboratories. This is one reason why the rain forest destruction is such a shame. Many "undiscovered" plants that could lead to better drugs destroyed so the farmers/ranchers can grow crops/cattle.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I understand. I was just generalizing it.

[2.ooohhh]

I believe that article, but Medicare is one of the primary payers who aren't reimbursing Docs

very well. I know all of mine don't care for it at all. And I seriously doubt I will see any Medicare

benefits in my lifetime.

 

 

Medicare pays for around 65% of my patient population's care. While they aren't reimbursing at a full and fair level, I can't knock them for trying.(no one else is for these patients) Do I wish it was more? Sure. Do I wish sequestration hadn't just cut our medicare reimbursment schedule again? Absolutely. Until commercial payors are more concerned with patient health in general over profit, and the american people put somewhat healthy lifestyle choices in front of their own unhealthy desires medicare is one of the few things attempting to pick up the slack.(they just do it in the most onerous and inefficient manner)

[Guest MilitiaMan]

Elections have consequences. 

 

leroy

 

Couldn't have said it better.

[Westwindmike]

A friend of mine got a letter last week saying his doctor was closing up last Friday due to not enough income to pay the bills. Plenty of patients, not enough Medicare payments.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Medicare pays for around 65% of my patient population's care. While they aren't reimbursing at a full and fair level, I can't knock them for trying.(no one else is for these patients) Do I wish it was more? Sure. Do I wish sequestration hadn't just cut our medicare reimbursment schedule again? Absolutely. Until commercial payors are more concerned with patient health in general over profit, and the american people put somewhat healthy lifestyle choices in front of their own unhealthy desires medicare is one of the few things attempting to pick up the slack.(they just do it in the most onerous and inefficient manner)

I'm assuming you are a physician? But it doesn't matter. :D

 

It's not the commercial payer's(insurance companies) responsibility to be more concerned with patient health. It's their

job to make a profit. One's health is up to the individual, not a third party. Insurance should never be a substitute for

one's own choices, just be a payer, and, if it determines that one's choices cannot be dealt with, it usually changes

the coverage for actuarial reasons. That may be oversimplifying things, but it remains a fact.

Edited April 8, 2013 by 6.8 AR

[daddyo]

Honestly, I've been waiting for my doctor to drop the hammer. He's my age, and when Obama was first elected, he said "this is going to be bad.".

 

Wouldn't surprise me if he closed up shop any day now.

[Guest nra37922]

Quit whining and take your blue pill, the one with the M on it, and call me the on the six Sunday of he month.

[pitt2magic]

My wife is a physician and I manage an urgent care clinic.  Doctors calling it quits will not get better, only worse.  Medicare is a joke and it simply is not worth all of the liability on a doctor to get paid what they reimburse.  I could go on and give tons of examples but I'll give one from just last week.  My own mother wanted to get a Shingles vaccine, a vaccine which is recommended for anyone over the age of 60.  This is not a service that I normally provide but I do have access to the vaccine.  I looked up the price from my vendor and found that it was $225 per dose.  I then checked what Medicare reimbursement was.........$17.00.  That is to purchase the drug and pay my staff to administer it.  Sorry, I dont care where you went to school, that is not good economics. 

[Lumber_Jack]

My wife is a 3rd year medical student. Doesn't look like I'll be retiring anytime soon. I just hope she picks a sustainable part of the medical field. Scary to be this far into a degree. Too late to turn back now.

[runco]

I wish I could afford to quit my chosen job just because I didn't like the amount of pay I was receiving.  Oh, wait, I can, but I can only be out of work for just a few weeks before I would be broke.  So I guess I chose this career, now I have to live with the perks and consequences, unless its not too late to change my major.  I wonder if my guidance counselor would see me, its been 25 years or more.

[Major Kong]

I wish I could afford to quit my chosen job just because I didn't like the amount of pay I was receiving.  Oh, wait, I can, but I can only be out of work for just a few weeks before I would be broke.  So I guess I chose this career, now I have to live with the perks and consequences, unless its not too late to change my major.  I wonder if my guidance counselor would see me, its been 25 years or more.

 

Yes, choices have consequences. Hopefully the government won't choose to step in and "fix" your line of employment to dictate how much you're allowed to make.

[Mike.357]

It never was about health care, anyway.

 

it is about the exact same thing gun control is about

[gun sane]

The anesthesiologist who handled my last colonoscopy billed Medicare for over $900 for the procedure.  He got a check for $29 from those S.O.B.s.

[Guest ThePunisher]

Obama is America's Messiah, he will ease your mind, and your pains while describing his Utopia to you. But be careful and watch your wallet.

[runco]

Yes, choices have consequences. Hopefully the government won't choose to step in and "fix" your line of employment to dictate how much you're allowed to make.

And if they did, I wish I could quit (really), but that is not reality.

[1gewehr]

Old medical system:  Person needs medical care, goes to doctor, receives care, pays doctor.

 

Current medical system:  Person needs medical care, goes to doctor, insurance coverage is checked to see who pays, doctor does diagnosis, insurance is checked to see what treatment can be provided, person receives care, insurance is claim is filed, insurance eventually pays doctor.

 

Medicaid:  Person needs medical care, goes to doctor, insurance coverage is checked to see who pays, doctor does diagnosis, Medicaid is checked to see what treatment can be provided, person receives care according to state standards, Medicaid claim is filed, claim is fraud-checked, claim goes through state review process (differs by state), state eventually pays doctor.

 

The more steps and administration involved in the process, the higher the cost.  When Medicaid is involved, you have a LOT of people all getting a cut of the process; doctor, doctor's administrator, state administrators, insurance administrators, the State's Medicaid processor, fraud examiners, payment system providers, and more.

 

More and more doctors are dropping out of the system and going back to the original model:  Person gets care, doctor gets paid.  Doctor spends less times playing administrative games, and the patient pays lower cost.

 

The best doctors will be tempted to drop out as they can attract enough clients who can pay cash.  What's left will be lower quality and overworked doctors.  Is anyone REALLY surprised that prices go up and quality drops when the government is involved?

[gun sane]

More and more doctors are dropping out of the system and going back to the original model:  Person gets care, doctor gets paid.  Doctor spends less times playing administrative games, and the patient pays lower cost.

 

 

I wonder how long it will be before HHS Secretary Sebelius throws a wrench into that process.