Comments on: A doctor tries to do what’s right

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:33:00 +0000

I think 5 years is about the right length of time it takes to wear away someone’s trust in humanity. It is time to get your hands dirty– stop seeing medicaid patients and go where the money is. No one cares about your integrity. Pay your bills and if you have liberal guilt, volunteer on the weekends you aren’t on call.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:41:00 +0000

Kevin, here’s another big multispecialty clinic dropping out of traditional Medicare:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003961526_medicare19m.html

Everett (WA) Clinic this time. And Washington Medicare pays better than Oregon Medicare, when you covered the Corvallis Clinic a while back.

So far, seems they are just dropping out of traditional Medicare, the managed care product is still accepted. We’ll see how long that lasts.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:08:00 +0000

By blaming this on “US healthcare” you are inviting the “US” a/k/a the government to try and fix it. That is not waht you want.

Med school would do well to teach a little business sense.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:39:00 +0000

Unfortunately, medicine is now big business and the sooner doctors realize that – the better.

By: DDx:dx

DDx:dx — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:50:00 +0000

Ah, the business of medicine.
After reading the whole posting I recommend another book, same old story,
Hilfikers, Healing the Wounds. Primary Care guy in Minnesota burns out in the 1980′s.

By: Toni Brayer MD

Toni Brayer MD — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:33:00 +0000

I feel bad for this young doctor and his story is not uncommon. In the current environment it is highly unlikely you will be able to thrive as a solo primary care doctor. That is just how it is.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:13:00 +0000

This is what happens when you think being a “good doctor” translates to mean you can afford to be a poor businessman. This story is an object lesson of that fallacy.

Taking patients on their word that they will pay you later for work done today is in the end a losing proposition, no matter how sentimental you may feel about what seems like a kindness. It is a poor policy.