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A lot of physicians and clinics refuse to accept VA patients too. The reason? The government doesn't want to pay enough to pay for the expenses of the services, much less to pay the physician himself. The paperwork is a hassle. It's an administrative nightmare. Just a few among many reasons.
I like how Americans say they support our troops and veterans but immediately give them the bum steer when it becomes too inconvienent or might cost them a little of the GOD Almighty buck!!
Doctors need to learn that it may be a hassle or a nightmare but it is nothing compared to Guadlecanal, Omaha Beach, Bastagne, Chosin, Hamberger Hill, Hue or Falujah. Some of our Veterans who were there and are Real Men shouldn't have to put up with this crap.
Last edited by mwruckman; 11-10-2013 at 09:38 PM..
I like how Americans say they support our troops and veterans but immediately give them the bum steer when it becomes too inconvienent or might cost them a little of the GOD Almighty buck!!
Doctors need to learn that it may be a hassle or a nightmare but it is nothing compared to Guadlecanal, Omaha Beach, Bastagne, Chosin, Hamberger Hill, Hue or Falujah. Some of our Veterans who were there and are Real Men shouldn't have to put up with this crap.
Oh please, spare me the rah rah nationalism garbage. It is a logical decision made by doctors who are looking to pay back their loans as quickly as possible. When I graduated with my Ph.D., I chose to enter the private industry rather than working philanthropically as a post-doc or professor, because I wanted the money to fund my lifestyle. Same exact thing with doctors, they are no different.
Any physician treating 'cash only' patients can usually expect a visit from the DEA. Of course, I'm sure this would be different.
How are they going to know? These patients are only the most trusted people, the people who have something immense to lose if they snitched on me (my ability to continue to treat them) and they are not on the books. What the DEA won't know won't hurt them. I will just keep two sets of books. This is no different than how mobsters and criminals have "personal doctors" that work under the table outside their normal office hours, except the patients aren't really criminals in the conventional sense.
I see no shortage of doctors or other medical facilities accepting Medicare/aid patients where I live. Maybe in rural areas? Anyway, doctors who refuse these patients and/or the lower reimbursements that insurers are pushing on them because of changes from the ACA will go hungry and more Paks and Indians and other nationals will take their places. There is a very limited pool of patients who can afford to pay out of pocket for their services. Nothing to see here.
It started with Mayo refusing any medicare/medicaid and scrolling through a list of doctors on one medicare advantage plan shows many with "closed to new patients" listed next to their names.
So yes, there is something to see here.
Maybe we should "outsource" a lot of non-critical medical procedures to India or Thailand. Instead of Blue-Cross/Blue Shield spending $35,000 on a hip replacement. Send the patient to India for a $3000 operation to be performed by a doctor who trained at Harvard and decided to return to his home country because of all the crap he had to put up with, trying to become a citizen. Those people do exist!
After the operation, give the patient a nice vacation to enjoy his new hip. See the Taj Mahal! BCBS would save millions and some middle-class people would get to see the world. Maybe that would put downward pressure on prices that range from $8500 to nearly $50,000 for a hip replacement depending on what hospital you get shipped to.
Perhaps a "Wal-Mart effect" on medical prices, like $70 for gauze pad that you can buy a box of, for $2 at CVS, is needed to start lowering outrageous medical costs. Why pay $1000 for a pharmacy hospital bill, when you can bring your own from home? They tell you "Oh, we can't do that!" I say ...why not! Maybe its time to tell the medical profession that since we are paying the bill, we get a greater say in cost-control. I've argued with BCBS ...even when something is covered, about the amount of money they're paying on particular items. They don't seem to care and wonder why I do! That's why medical costs continue to spiral up and - with them, your insurance premiums!
How are they going to know? These patients are only the most trusted people, the people who have something immense to lose if they snitched on me (my ability to continue to treat them) and they are not on the books. What the DEA won't know won't hurt them. I will just keep two sets of books. This is no different than how mobsters and criminals have "personal doctors" that work under the table outside their normal office hours, except the patients aren't really criminals in the conventional sense.
It's called a Concierge Practice which are already increasing in numbers.
Pay a yearly fee to be a member, get instant unlimited access, home visits etc. The doctor has fewer patients, is paid directly by those members via membership fees (no insurance accepted) and all are happy,happy,happy.
Best part? It's totally LEGAL (for now anyways).
It's called a Concierge Practice which are already increasing in numbers.
Pay a yearly fee to be a member, get instant unlimited access, home visits etc. The doctor has fewer patients, is paid directly by those members via membership fees (no insurance accepted) and all are happy,happy,happy.
Best part? It's totally LEGAL (for now anyways).
People read some "fluff" piece about this stuff and think there's some huge surge of doctors doing this. I do not know of ONE in the metro Denver area (or anywhere, actually, other than those I read about here on CD) who is doing this, and I work in health care. I don't even know doctors who have cash only practices. I do know that "cash only" is sometimes done to get around insurance regs that are in place for a reason, as patient safeguards. Yes, there are some positives about insurance.
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I will just keep two sets of books. This is no different than how mobsters and criminals have "personal doctors" that work under the table outside their normal office hours, except the patients aren't really criminals in the conventional sense.
