Jay Parkinson: “If the total number of healthcare visits in the US are 75% primary care visits, 75% of the docs on the RUC should be primary care docs.”
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How wrong can anyone possibly be? The problem is not how the central committee fixes “values” or who its on it, but that there is one doing it at all. Doesn’t the guy read the papers? What planet is he living on? Communism has been proven a fraud and soundly rejected by the vast majority of the people who used to be forced to live under it. It was not reformable by shuffling the committee slots around. No one can determine the value of any good or service but those producing it and those in need of it.
The RUC is a rotten, disproven, and immoral idea that is ruining healthcare and that physicians are morally obligated to rebel against, reject, undermine, and sabotage at every opportunity.
Anon:
Are you actually implying that the disparity between primary care and the specialists was actually created by the RBRVS and the RUC?
I might be misinterpreting your comment. Please let me know if I am.
Clearly the disparity in net income between primary care and specialties existed before the RUC. It hasn’t worsened since the RUC, but largely just persisted. I have no idea why anyone would think, based on historical precedent, why disbanding the RUC or any advisory committee like that would improve primary care payments.
Finally, the RUC isn’t an official body. I don’t know how you imagine it works. But the RUC is simply the AMA using it’s right to lobby and petition the government. It is merely an advisory body which gives recommendations to MedPAC. Hell, you go file your own recs with MedPAC under the same terms as the RUC. True, CMS clearly listens to the RUC, but that’s because of who backs the committee. Don’t pretend the RUC wields some ominous control over how all physicians get paid. The RUC is simply those members of the committee acting out their right to free speech and to petition the government.
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