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Well, not any more. Thanks to the injudicious use of antibiotics for what was most likely viral, the old tried and true medicines don't work because of resistance. You call asking for antibiotics for a "sinus infection" today you will be asked to come in for a visit.
Well, not any more. Thanks to the injudicious use of antibiotics for what was most likely viral, the old tried and true medicines don't work because of resistance. You call asking for antibiotics for a "sinus infection" today you will be asked to come in for a visit.
Oh, so very true. VRE and CRE are on the rise and it's because people demanded antibiotics and doctors gave in to those demands
Our bodies are amazing things...they can heal themselves a lot of the time. Yes, there are times when we do need meds, but they should always be a last resort.
Well, not any more. Thanks to the injudicious use of antibiotics for what was most likely viral, the old tried and true medicines don't work because of resistance. You call asking for antibiotics for a "sinus infection" today you will be asked to come in for a visit.
I am talking about today. My doctor called in an antibiotic just a few months ago. My daughter's doctor did not long ago too. Some people have classic symptoms that reoccur at certain times of a year due to allergies turning to infections. When doctors know their patients very well, they are confident in calling in prescriptions even today.
Antibiotic resistance was caused by many factors, not just antibiotics being prescribed for viral infections.
Our bodies are amazing things...they can heal themselves a lot of the time. Yes, there are times when we do need meds, but they should always be a last resort.
Some people have immune system challenges that make it difficult for their bodies to heal themselves.
I'm well aware of all of this. Insurance companies don't care if doctors level down.
You are missing my point. My doctor is still very successful and pays all of those same expenses while still providing exceptional patient care. If he can do it, other doctors can too. They just choose not to work as hard as he does. Their bottom line isn't their patients. Their bottom line is time and money. They're not going to work through lunch and stay two hours after office hours so they can fit all of their patients into their day. My doctor does this and he still manages to make hospital rounds and teach medicine too! My doctor lives in one of the most affluent suburban neighborhoods in the country.
If someone wants a 9 to 5 career, they shouldn't go into medicine. It has never been a 9 to 5 career throughout history. My girlfriend's husband gets home from work as late as 11pm and he's up again at 4am. She and her children pretty much only see him on his days off. They get income tax refunds for over 100k each year. They live in the most affluent area of our city, send their children to the most expensive private school in the region, etc. They aren't old money living on trust funds. They afford all on his salary alone.
These are just two examples. I know many doctors like this. None of them are running their businesses for free. They are making good money and still managing to give exceptional care. Doctors who watch the clock are focused more on time and money than they are patients. It's their choice. I know this because I know many doctors who have chosen to do it differently and they are still financially successful physicians.
"Not only do we need to look at over coding, we need to be aware of down coding. This happens when providers or their staff submits a claim for a lower level of service than the level actually performed. Although down-coding may sound like a great idea, it isn’t. The impact of under-coding is that many providers cheat themselves out of payments deserved. The second issue is fraud. Whether you under code or over code you are miscoding, and it’s against the law."
Your girlfriend's husband is going to burn out. If he is getting only five hours sleep a night and never seeing his family, he needs to rethink things and reduce his patient load. Would you want to fly in an airplane piloted by someone who only slept five hours the night before you got on the plane? Many new physicians are conciously making the decision not to martyr themselves to medicine.
And if he is getting a $100K tax refund every year, he needs a new accountant.
Doctors are being paid less and less to see more and more patients. Eventually, they reach a point where they cannot see more patients. It's physically impossible.
I got a call from my primary care physician's office this morning. I was there 6 months ago for a full physical. At that time, they wrote me my normal prescription for high cholesterol. I have crappy genetics and despite eating healthy, exercising and being underweight for my height, it cannot be controlled without drugs. The prescription was for 6 months as usual. After 6 months, I have to go in for blood work to check my liver function and then they renew the prescription for another 6 months. This has been the norm for the last 4 years.
But, the nurse then informed me that I had to have an appointment with the doctor when I came in. I asked why and she said that the doctor wanted to discuss my blood work results with me. I replied "You don't have an in house lab so the results are not available for a few days to a week so how the heck can that happen?" The nurse then reversed course and said I needed an examination. Hmmm.... I asked "What would a physical exam show about my cholesterol levels?". She had no response to that question other than to say that is was now their new "policy".
I told her that was fine, but it was MY policy not to pay for unneeded medical visits and that I would indeed come in tomorrow...... to pick up my records. Anyone else experience such a flat out money grab from their doctor?
The only way your doctor gets paid for his work is to see you in the office. When you have a test done, he still has to review your chart, look at the test results, determine if medication needs to be adjusted, and communicate the results to you. You are asking him to work for free, because your health insurance will not pay him to talk to you on the telephone. If you asked an attorney to advise you about a legal problem, he would gladly do it over the phone --- and bill you, in increments of fractions of an hour. You would pay for even a ten minute call. Are you willing to pay out of pocket for a call from your doctor?
If you have a cholesterol problem, it is true that the doctor cannot tell your blood level just by looking at you, but he can check for evidence that you are experiencing complications from an elevated value. He should measure your weight and waist circumference, check your blood pressure, look in your eyes (the arteries can clearly be seen in the retina), feel your pulses, listen to the blood flow in the arteries in your neck, and feel your abdomen for enlargement of the aorta --- a sign of a possible aneurysm. His examination begins as soon as you start talking to him.
Kind of hard to do those things over the telephone, isn't it?
How much is your copay? Maybe $50? Do you spend that much on clothing in a six month time? Eating out? Going to movies? Why do you begrudge paying that to your doctor? To me, it's a bargain.
The only way your doctor gets paid for his work is to see you in the office. When you have a test done, he still has to review your chart, look at the test results, determine if medication needs to be adjusted, and communicate the results to you. You are asking him to work for free, because your health insurance will not pay him to talk to you on the telephone. If you asked an attorney to advise you about a legal problem, he would gladly do it over the phone --- and bill you, in increments of fractions of an hour. You would pay for even a ten minute call. Are you willing to pay out of pocket for a call from your doctor?
If you have a cholesterol problem, it is true that the doctor cannot tell your blood level just by looking at you, but he can check for evidence that you are experiencing complications from an elevated value. He should measure your weight and waist circumference, check your blood pressure, look in your eyes (the arteries can clearly be seen in the retina), feel your pulses, listen to the blood flow in the arteries in your neck, and feel your abdomen for enlargement of the aorta --- a sign of a possible aneurysm. His examination begins as soon as you start talking to him.
Kind of hard to do those things over the telephone, isn't it?
How much is your copay? Maybe $50? Do you spend that much on clothing in a six month time? Eating out? Going to movies? Why do you begrudge paying that to your doctor? To me, it's a bargain.
The only way your doctor gets paid for his work is to see you in the office. When you have a test done, he still has to review your chart, look at the test results, determine if medication needs to be adjusted, and communicate the results to you. You are asking him to work for free, because your health insurance will not pay him to talk to you on the telephone.
That's changing. Many states have passed laws requiring insurance companies to pay for telemedicine the same as if the treatment happened in person. There's also a new trend where health insurance companies are paying for internet consultations.
The only way your doctor gets paid for his work is to see you in the office. When you have a test done, he still has to review your chart, look at the test results, determine if medication needs to be adjusted, and communicate the results to you. You are asking him to work for free, because your health insurance will not pay him to talk to you on the telephone. If you asked an attorney to advise you about a legal problem, he would gladly do it over the phone --- and bill you, in increments of fractions of an hour. You would pay for even a ten minute call. Are you willing to pay out of pocket for a call from your doctor?
If you have a cholesterol problem, it is true that the doctor cannot tell your blood level just by looking at you, but he can check for evidence that you are experiencing complications from an elevated value. He should measure your weight and waist circumference, check your blood pressure, look in your eyes (the arteries can clearly be seen in the retina), feel your pulses, listen to the blood flow in the arteries in your neck, and feel your abdomen for enlargement of the aorta --- a sign of a possible aneurysm. His examination begins as soon as you start talking to him.
Kind of hard to do those things over the telephone, isn't it?
How much is your copay? Maybe $50? Do you spend that much on clothing in a six month time? Eating out? Going to movies? Why do you begrudge paying that to your doctor? To me, it's a bargain.
And she did all of this less than 6 months ago at my full physical. Once a year is customary for these benchmarks with a blood draw to check current cholesterol levels every 6 months. This has been the standard of care with this doctor for the last 4 years and with another one in the same practice for the 6 previous years.
So what changed? Not my weight. Not my blood pressure. Not my cholesterol levels per my last blood draw. What I found ridiculous was the request that I come in for a visit at the time of the blood draw with 2 different stories as to why and then when I dared to question the nurse further the "It's our new policy" statement. I've since found out the practice was sold a few months ago to an area hospital. Mystery solved. Now they have some corporation calling the shots based on profitability instead of patient care.
Not at all sure what spending on clothes, eating out or movies has to do with spending on an unnecessary medical visit. You many consider it a bargain to overpay for your medical care, but I sure don't and doubt anyone with a lick of financial sense would either.
Op I can't remember if you are on medication and if so, which medication it is. With some medications blood levels need to be monitored to make sure the drug is not causing damage. You can look up info on your medication to see how often the manufacturer says it should be monitored. It may also be mentioned in the package insert or the info your pharmacy gives you on the med when you have it filled.
Also a lot of times rx are only good for 6 months at a time. What medication are you taking if any?
If you look it up and it says it should be monitored every year then tell your dr. Most of my medications have to be strictly monitored every 3 months and I have no problem with that. I even have a 3 hour drive to and from my dr.
Sometimes it isn't all about money and has more to do with how the drug may be affecting your liver. I would be more concerned if my dr wasn't concerned with the ill effects of medication on my body.
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