Thursday, December 27, 2007
FAQ: Won't Retainer Medicine Exacerbate Physician Shortages?
This is a fair question that is commonly asked and, on its face, makes perfect sense: more doctors seeing fewer patients = physician shortage. It is my opinion that the direct medical practices will not only avoid a worsening physician crisis, but drastically increase access to and affordability of health care.
- Retention of older physicians who no longer wish to participate in the hamster wheel of high volume practices.
- Recruitment of medical students into primary care when they realize the potential for optimal job satisfaction, reimbursement and work load.
- Reduction in the need for physicians if the trend towards decreased hospitalization by even a small margin.
Posted by JoshMD |
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Comments:
I don't know why, but you seem to continue to ignore the retainer equivalents that have always existed for VIP's, various high-level officials who really can't be seen cooling their heels in the doc's waiting room.
There are all sorts of doctors paid in nontraditional ways in order to be quickly responsive to VIP needs. The big-name hospitals have whole suites for VIP's. The suites and hospital rooms look better than most first-class hotels.
I hold no brief for retainer medicine, one way or another. The fact is, though, it's existed as long as there have been doctors.....and VIP's.
The only difference is VIP care may now be available to the hoi polloi. Now, all of a sudden, it's an ethical problem.
There are all sorts of doctors paid in nontraditional ways in order to be quickly responsive to VIP needs. The big-name hospitals have whole suites for VIP's. The suites and hospital rooms look better than most first-class hotels.
I hold no brief for retainer medicine, one way or another. The fact is, though, it's existed as long as there have been doctors.....and VIP's.
The only difference is VIP care may now be available to the hoi polloi. Now, all of a sudden, it's an ethical problem.
# posted by 
: 10:11 AM
: 10:11 AM
I have nothing against retainer practices because if you believe in the "marketplace" this is what the market has produced. BUT...lets face it...it will indeed worsen the physician shortage. A doctor who treats 2000plus patients now limits his/her practice to 400. Where do the other 1600 patients go? They scramble to find a new primary care doctor in the face of closed practices and no new young docs. Concierge medicine is no way to solve the health care problems in the U.S.
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# posted by : 8:36 PM
: 8:36 PM
