Comments on: Medicare and physician profiling http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html medical blog Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:35:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Happyman http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75125 Happyman Wed, 16 May 2007 17:32:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75125 the idea that internists are unethical in ordering frivolous ekg's for monetary gain is IDIOTIC:<br/><br/>A small office (as opposed to a large one, where more likely the internist is employed & thus has no financial incentive to do in-office tests) spends about 5-10 minutes in doctor/staff time for an ekg. The reimbursement for this is from zero (some plans include this in their monthly "capitation") to about $25. Not to mention it eats up exam room time, that could otherwise be spent on the next patient for a more lucrative E&M visit.<br/><br/>Mike, you are right on! Anon 6:18 - if EKG's piss you off, look up the medicare reimbursement for ECHOs! the idea that internists are unethical in ordering frivolous ekg’s for monetary gain is IDIOTIC:

A small office (as opposed to a large one, where more likely the internist is employed & thus has no financial incentive to do in-office tests) spends about 5-10 minutes in doctor/staff time for an ekg. The reimbursement for this is from zero (some plans include this in their monthly “capitation”) to about $25. Not to mention it eats up exam room time, that could otherwise be spent on the next patient for a more lucrative E&M visit.

Mike, you are right on! Anon 6:18 – if EKG’s piss you off, look up the medicare reimbursement for ECHOs!

]]> By: Mike http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75119 Mike Wed, 16 May 2007 14:00:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75119 EKG's??? Thats what people are upset about? The thing takes 5 mintues, is completely uninvasive , and I dont need a cardiologist to help me read them. Who craes! EKG's dont cost the system anywhere NEAR as much as stress tests/EGD's/PFT's/etc etc.<br/><br/>EKG's arent the problem, even if I got TEN of them in a year. EKG’s??? Thats what people are upset about? The thing takes 5 mintues, is completely uninvasive , and I dont need a cardiologist to help me read them. Who craes! EKG’s dont cost the system anywhere NEAR as much as stress tests/EGD’s/PFT’s/etc etc.

EKG’s arent the problem, even if I got TEN of them in a year.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75110 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 11:43:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75110 It is a vicious cycle:<br/><br/>Third party payment and excessive government intervention has erroded professionalism (if you wonder how, I suggest "The Road to Serfdom" by Hayek),<br/><br/>then erroded professionalism creates a need for more government intervention. It is a vicious cycle:

Third party payment and excessive government intervention has erroded professionalism (if you wonder how, I suggest “The Road to Serfdom” by Hayek),

then erroded professionalism creates a need for more government intervention.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75109 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 11:39:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75109 Anon 6:35<br/><br/>Don't move here. We don't need anymore docs with pure busines "ethics" dragging down the profession here.<br/><br/>Anon 12:58<br/><br/>No, the gig wouldn't be up. At worse, the guy just loses one customer. Behind that one will be ten more who are trusting to the point of gullibility and ignorant enough about medical care to think more is better and doctor knows best. When other internist sees this guys patients because he is out of town, they complain "why didn't you do and EKG. Doc ---- always does and EKG? " They think he really cares about them and sees it as doting on their health. If they, instead you and I were paying the bill, they would see it for what it is. Anon 6:35

Don’t move here. We don’t need anymore docs with pure busines “ethics” dragging down the profession here.

Anon 12:58

No, the gig wouldn’t be up. At worse, the guy just loses one customer. Behind that one will be ten more who are trusting to the point of gullibility and ignorant enough about medical care to think more is better and doctor knows best. When other internist sees this guys patients because he is out of town, they complain “why didn’t you do and EKG. Doc —- always does and EKG? ” They think he really cares about them and sees it as doting on their health. If they, instead you and I were paying the bill, they would see it for what it is.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75107 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 05:58:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75107 Rich, MD...Anon 8:10 may well be one patients perspective, or the guy may just be acting sarcastic, who knows. But, I know if my Doc. did 4 EKGs on me in a year, I most likely would be believing that something drastic was wrong with my heart. I probably would call in the guys from Cleveland Clinic or some where, And tell them, "my Doc has done 4 EKGs on me in a year and I want to find out what is wrong with my heart"..just for a second opinion, and then the gig would be up. Rich, MD…Anon 8:10 may well be one patients perspective, or the guy may just be acting sarcastic, who knows. But, I know if my Doc. did 4 EKGs on me in a year, I most likely would be believing that something drastic was wrong with my heart. I probably would call in the guys from Cleveland Clinic or some where, And tell them, “my Doc has done 4 EKGs on me in a year and I want to find out what is wrong with my heart”..just for a second opinion, and then the gig would be up.

]]> By: Rich, MD http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75100 Rich, MD Wed, 16 May 2007 02:22:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75100 <i>A Doc who does 3 month EGDs on every patients? Why would any patients who has no heart disorder or no risk factors ever agree to that?</i><br/><br/>Are you kidding? See Anon 8:10 A Doc who does 3 month EGDs on every patients? Why would any patients who has no heart disorder or no risk factors ever agree to that?

Are you kidding? See Anon 8:10

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75096 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 02:00:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75096 Sorry, I meant EKGs! Sorry, I meant EKGs!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75095 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 01:59:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75095 A Doc who does 3 month EGDs on every patients? Why would any patients who has no heart disorder or no risk factors ever agree to that? A Doc who does 3 month EGDs on every patients? Why would any patients who has no heart disorder or no risk factors ever agree to that?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75094 Anonymous Wed, 16 May 2007 01:10:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75094 This profiling plan is MARVELOUS! It makes my job so much easier. I look for a doctor who the Medicare bureaucracy profiles as ordering loads of care for his patients. VOILA That is the doctor I want! This profiling plan is MARVELOUS! It makes my job so much easier. I look for a doctor who the Medicare bureaucracy profiles as ordering loads of care for his patients. VOILA That is the doctor I want!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html/comment-page-1#comment-75088 Anonymous Tue, 15 May 2007 23:46:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/05/medicare-and-physician-profiling.html#comment-75088 quite the contrary quite the contrary

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