May 5th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, Research
Tags: Association of American Medical Colleges, Baby Boomers, Closed Practices, Family Medicine, Forgivable Loans, General Medicine, Healthcare Reform Law, Higher Reimbursement, Internal Medicine, Long Waits for Patients, Medical Residency, Medical School, Medical School Students, Medical Specialists, Medicare, Nurse Practitioners, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Physician Assistants, PPACA, Previously-Uninsured People, Primary Care Medicine, Primary Care Physicians, Primary Care Residency Program, Primary Care Shortage, Routine Care, Rural Communities, Teaching Hospitals, Underserved Areas
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The new healthcare reform law, which is called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), will be a huge disappointment to the millions of previously-uninsured people who finally purchase insurance policies when they try to find a doctor.
Primary care physicians are already in short supply and the most popular ones have closed practices or long waits for new patients. Imagine when 2014 hits and all of those patients come calling. Who is going to be available to treat them? Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
May 5th, 2010 by SteveSimmonsMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Humor, Opinion, Primary Care Wednesdays, True Stories
Tags: Continuous Restrictive And Punitive Paperwork, CRAPP, DocTalker Family Medicine, Dr. Steve Simmons, Healthcare Insurance Industry, Healthcare reform, Medical Acronym, Medical Paperwork, Patient-Doctor Relationship, Primary Care, Primary Care Practitioners, Primary Care Shortage, Quality of Care, Uncle Sam
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In medicine, hardly a week passes without the introduction of some new acronym, previously unspoken in the average practice, which then grows to prominence — take HIPAA, PECOS, CPT, ICD, etc. — the list goes on and on.
I believe that after 14 years of practice I’ve earned the right to introduce an acronym of my own: CRAPP. For the last several months, my partner and I have used this term to describe the volumes of denials, pre- and prior- authorizations (is there really a difference?), and faxes that seem to grow like weeds on the fertile planting grounds of our desks.
More specifically, in our office the acronym CRAPP stands for: Continuous Restrictive And Punitive Paperwork. To put it blithely, CRAPP could represent any document you wish someone had put on your partner’s desk instead of yours.
On a more emotional level, this acronym captures the visceral response I have whenever my attention is drawn away from my patients and redirected towards some nonsensical busywork — much like someone yelling at a golfer during their backswing.
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May 4th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion, Research
Tags: Average Cost, Cardiology, CBS MoneyWatch.com, Circulation, Direct Healthcare Costs, Doctors, Healthcare Economics, Healthy Lifestyle, Heart Attack, Heart Health, Hospitals, Indirect Healthcare Costs, Internal Medicine, Ischemic Heart Disease, Lifetime Cost, Lost Productivity, National Business Group on Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, NHLBI, NIH, Prescription Drugs, The WISE Study, Tim Russert, Time Away From Work, Women's Health
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How much would a heart attack cost you? Quite a bit, according to CBS MoneyWatch.com:
According to an article from the National Business Group on Health, the average total [editor’s note: lifetime] cost of a severe heart attack -– including direct and indirect costs -– is about $1 million. Direct [lifetime] costs include charges for hospitals, doctors and prescription drugs, while indirect costs include lost productivity and time away from work. The average [lifetime] cost of a less-severe heart attack is about $760,000. Amortized over 20 years, that’s $50,000 per year for a severe heart attack and $38,000 per year for a less-severe heart attack.
I’m all for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but before we get all hot and bothered about performing more testing to “prevent” a heart attack as a means to save healthcare costs going forward, remember the lessons we learned from the Tim Russert fallout. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
May 4th, 2010 by Michael Sevilla, M.D. in Better Health Network, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: AAFP, Doctor Advocates, Empowered Physicians, Empowering Patients, Family Medicine Leader, Leadership Potential, Leadership Tasks, Leading Doctor, Medical Specialty, NCSC, Patient Empowerment, Physician Leadership, Positions of Leadership, Primary Care, Quality of Care
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What is a leader? What is a family medicine leader? Giving a clear and concise answer to these questions have been a challenge for me as I have taken on different leadership tasks and positions.
I can’t believe that it was 10 years ago when I gave my first speech in seeking national office for my professional organization. I was in the final year of my residency, and my colleagues had to convince me to “just give it a go.”
I had done a bunch of stuff on the state level. But, I didn’t feel my game was ready for “prime time” -– meaning being on a national stage. I remember that speech like it was yesterday. My heart still pounds and my hands still get sweaty thinking about it. At the time, it was the most stressful couple of minutes of my life. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Doctor Anonymous*
May 4th, 2010 by Davis Liu, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Health Tips, Opinion, Research
Tags: American Board of Medical Specialties, Bedside Manner, Board Certification, Choosing a Doctor, Excellent Doctors, Expertise, Family Doctor, Family Medicine, Federation of State Medical Boards, General Medicine, Good Physician, Great Doctor, Handwashing, Medical History, Medical License, National Committee of Quality Assurance, NCQA, Primary Care, Public Reporting, Quality of Care, Sitting Down, So-So Doctors
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As a practicing family doctor, it’s easy for me to figure out how to choose a great doctor. Let me tell you the secrets in finding the best one for you and what I tell my family and friends. Look for the following:
— Board certification
— Report card on quality
— Licensing/public reporting
As a doctor, I know many doctors who have great bedside manner but aren’t particularly reliable in giving the right medical care you deserve, and these traits separate the so-so doctors from the truly excellent ones. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Saving Money and Surviving the Healthcare Crisis*
