Comments on: "Searching for a snowman in a blizzard" http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/searching-for-snowman-in-blizzard.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:50:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Happyman http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/searching-for-snowman-in-blizzard.html/comment-page-1#comment-73032 Happyman Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:30:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/03/searching-for-a-snowman-in-a-blizzard.html#comment-73032 In my very congested area of practice, where there are like 500 doctors in all subspecialties within a mile radius, across the street from a medium-sized (300-bed) community hospital, NO private radiology facility will do mammograms - they always advise me to send patients for screening mammos to the hospital radiology dept.<br/><br/>there, the wait is 6 months unless i call and whine on the phone.<br/><br/>i think the solution has to be increased reimbursements (i've heard they get something like $30 to read a mammogram, still not too different from a follow-up office visit for me, but i think most'd agree it's still low) In my very congested area of practice, where there are like 500 doctors in all subspecialties within a mile radius, across the street from a medium-sized (300-bed) community hospital, NO private radiology facility will do mammograms – they always advise me to send patients for screening mammos to the hospital radiology dept.

there, the wait is 6 months unless i call and whine on the phone.

i think the solution has to be increased reimbursements (i’ve heard they get something like $30 to read a mammogram, still not too different from a follow-up office visit for me, but i think most’d agree it’s still low)

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/searching-for-snowman-in-blizzard.html/comment-page-1#comment-73011 Anonymous Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:58:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/03/searching-for-a-snowman-in-a-blizzard.html#comment-73011 The point is - there are far fewer radiologists reading mammograms out there and given the aging population, more radiologists are needed. The point is – there are far fewer radiologists reading mammograms out there and given the aging population, more radiologists are needed.

]]> By: Chris http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/searching-for-snowman-in-blizzard.html/comment-page-1#comment-73001 Chris Mon, 19 Mar 2007 03:36:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/03/searching-for-a-snowman-in-a-blizzard.html#comment-73001 <i>n a seven-year period ending in 2002, PIAA members spent almost $200 million on breast cancer malpractice cases. That was $30 million more than was spent during the previous six years.</i><br/><br/>THat's good then, isn't it? They spent (200-30)/6 = $28M a year from 1989-1995 and then 200/7 = $28M from 1995-2002.<br/><br/>Plus they are missing out on inflation, making the previous number even better, probably by about 10%. So malpractice costs have gone down? n a seven-year period ending in 2002, PIAA members spent almost $200 million on breast cancer malpractice cases. That was $30 million more than was spent during the previous six years.

THat’s good then, isn’t it? They spent (200-30)/6 = $28M a year from 1989-1995 and then 200/7 = $28M from 1995-2002.

Plus they are missing out on inflation, making the previous number even better, probably by about 10%. So malpractice costs have gone down?

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