Comments on: Google and Sicko http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/google-and-sicko.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/google-and-sicko.html/comment-page-1#comment-77001 Anonymous Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:21:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/google-and-sicko.html#comment-77001 Seems like there's more infighting in the medical profession now as well...noted one case very recently in which a retina specialist chose to leave a clinic association and set up his own practice (per contractual "no compete" requirements) 80 miles away. He was immediately dropped from the list of covered providers by the largest health insurer in the region...which happens to be owned by the clinic association. Thus, if his established patients wish to continue seeing him, they have to pay out of pocket. And the clinic association has no other retinal specialist to take them -- currently patients are referred to St. Louis, about a 200 mile drive compared to the aforementioned 80.<br/><br/>The acceptability of hard-nosed business practices, I think, have to be weighed against the potential damage done to the patients...whether anything was done "wrong" on the business side or not. Seems like there’s more infighting in the medical profession now as well…noted one case very recently in which a retina specialist chose to leave a clinic association and set up his own practice (per contractual “no compete” requirements) 80 miles away. He was immediately dropped from the list of covered providers by the largest health insurer in the region…which happens to be owned by the clinic association. Thus, if his established patients wish to continue seeing him, they have to pay out of pocket. And the clinic association has no other retinal specialist to take them — currently patients are referred to St. Louis, about a 200 mile drive compared to the aforementioned 80.

The acceptability of hard-nosed business practices, I think, have to be weighed against the potential damage done to the patients…whether anything was done “wrong” on the business side or not.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/07/google-and-sicko.html/comment-page-1#comment-76994 Anonymous Mon, 02 Jul 2007 04:30:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/07/google-and-sicko.html#comment-76994 Money Talks and Bullshit Walks. Micheal Moore's impact with his filmmaking has been enormous, right?. GM reopened those plants in Michigan didn't they? We banned guns after Bowling for Columbine or am I mistaken? Didn't we leave Iraq after Farenheit 911? Nothing is going to change. United healthcare can spend 100 million on a CEO bonus what do you think the entire industry will spend if their livelyhood is in danger, 500 million? 1 Billion? Money is how things get done or not done in this country and healthcare is no different. Anyone mentioning lines like "Medicare for all" might as well, believe in things like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. Money Talks and Bullshit Walks. Micheal Moore’s impact with his filmmaking has been enormous, right?. GM reopened those plants in Michigan didn’t they? We banned guns after Bowling for Columbine or am I mistaken? Didn’t we leave Iraq after Farenheit 911? Nothing is going to change. United healthcare can spend 100 million on a CEO bonus what do you think the entire industry will spend if their livelyhood is in danger, 500 million? 1 Billion? Money is how things get done or not done in this country and healthcare is no different. Anyone mentioning lines like “Medicare for all” might as well, believe in things like the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

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