The physician/author, Robin Cook, explores this idea in the NY Times:
As it is now, insurance companies “” following Medicare’s lead “” pay primary care doctors according to the number of patients they see. Each patient visit is generally reimbursed at a flat rate of slightly more than $50. The payment is the same whether the patient is a healthy, young person with a runny nose or an elderly person whose multiple chronic illnesses require many tests, referrals to specialists and detailed explanations to both the patient and his or her family.A lawyer in general practice is not expected to accept the same low fee he gets for writing a simple will when he writes one that involves complicated business circumstances. Nor does an accountant charge the same amount for a difficult tax return as for an easy one. Why should the work of doctors be assessed this way?
A typical primary care doctor spends slightly more than half of his or her day seeing patients; the other half is spent conferring with specialists, lab technicians and patients’ families, or trying to persuade health insurance companies to cover some needed treatment. This other half of his work day must be considered pro bono. Factor in rising overhead costs (office space, employees and malpractice premiums), and the situation easily becomes untenable.
