Comments on: KevinMD understands time

By: Stephen Drugs

Stephen Drugs — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:56:29 +0000

On one hand these policies are supposed to help prevent doctors from gauging the patient. What does the patient know about what needs fixing, or how long it should take?

But the reality is that the insurance companies need to make their cut, and I KNOW they make their cut. It doesn’t matter who they have to walk over to get it.

But like any good marketing department, they have to do it making you think you’re getting something for the money.

Something needs to be done! For both the Doctor’s sake and the Patients.

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 16:26:40 +0000

“Where is my overtime and double time for working holidays and weekends?”

If you’re working for yourself, you don’t necessarily get OT and double time. Most professionals who do charge by the hour don’t.

By: country solo doctor

country solo doctor — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:01:53 +0000

Paying me by the hour would be great. I have days where I start at 6 am and end at 6 PM, not including after hours calls from hospitals, nursing homes, and patients in the middle of the night. Much of medicine is free currently, despite the AMA having CPT codes for telephone calls, paperwork, and holiday work. I am paid the same to work Christmas and weekends as I am on any weekday. Where is my overtime and double time for working holidays and weekends? The only current way to give myself a raise is to figure out how to see more patients each day but at the same time trying not to short change my quality patients.

Currently I have around 20 health plans paying 20 different fees for the same care. The current medical system is not a functioning business, but it is made of large insurance companies taking money from business and consumers and throwing a few dollars toward physician office visits. Most of my patients pay more in copayments for 90 day Advair across a year than the cost of my 1-2 visits a year. Example for 09: one HMO has a $122 copayment every 90 days for Advair through the mail, meaning a patient pays $488 in copays to the mail order drug company annually. I see the well controlled patient with asthma an average of twice a year for a $25 copayment, meaning I get $50 from the patient and $55.44 from the insurance company total for the two office visits. The patient and his family pay thousands to the health insurance company. Who keeps the lion’s share of the premium? The greedy, for profit health insurance company.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:26:55 +0000

“Please figure out how to pay us for our time rather than this inane billing system that we currently accept.”

Who are you asking to do this for you? Wouldn’t it be YOUR job to change the way YOU get paid?

By: Lynn M

Lynn M — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:31:01 +0000

Hmmm…interesting concept. I have to wonder what this would do for 1) waiting room time.
2) physicians spending time to go over your history and listen to all your questions and concerns vs. how they interact with patients now.
3) the willingness for people to make doctors appointments.
Just to name a few concerns.