Comments on: The Boston hospital wars, and how the Partners HealthCare empire is growing http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:19:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html/comment-page-1#comment-88805 Anonymous Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:35:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/12/the-boston-hospital-wars-and-how-the-partners-healthcare-empire-is-growing.html#comment-88805 Exactly anon 2:41 PM<br/><br/>Health savings accounts. Heck, I could have told you fifteen years ago about the different payment rates the Boston hospitals got for the same work. Some are more equal than others.<br/><br/>Used to work in Massachusetts. Then moved to Oregon where the medical school exempted itself from the tort laws the rest of the state lived under. They limited their total liability (not just pain and suffering, but total) to $500,000. They they had the audacity to lecture the private doctors about improving their own practices to avoid lawsuits. Somehow that seemed to revolve around EMR's. Some are more equal than others.<br/><br/>The Massachusetts healthcare reform "connector" is making it difficult to continue with HSA's in the People's Republic. Limiting the dollar value of the HDHP/HSA deductible to less than what Federal law allows. Exactly anon 2:41 PM

Health savings accounts. Heck, I could have told you fifteen years ago about the different payment rates the Boston hospitals got for the same work. Some are more equal than others.

Used to work in Massachusetts. Then moved to Oregon where the medical school exempted itself from the tort laws the rest of the state lived under. They limited their total liability (not just pain and suffering, but total) to $500,000. They they had the audacity to lecture the private doctors about improving their own practices to avoid lawsuits. Somehow that seemed to revolve around EMR’s. Some are more equal than others.

The Massachusetts healthcare reform “connector” is making it difficult to continue with HSA’s in the People’s Republic. Limiting the dollar value of the HDHP/HSA deductible to less than what Federal law allows.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html/comment-page-1#comment-88791 Anonymous Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:41:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/12/the-boston-hospital-wars-and-how-the-partners-healthcare-empire-is-growing.html#comment-88791 Few patients would be demanding MGH or Brighams if they didn't have a third party payer covering the extra cost. If patients had to pay that extra cost out of pocket, they would take a closer look at whether or not these name brand hospitals are worth it. That would solve this problem quickly. Few patients would be demanding MGH or Brighams if they didn’t have a third party payer covering the extra cost. If patients had to pay that extra cost out of pocket, they would take a closer look at whether or not these name brand hospitals are worth it. That would solve this problem quickly.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html/comment-page-1#comment-88790 Anonymous Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:36:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/12/the-boston-hospital-wars-and-how-the-partners-healthcare-empire-is-growing.html#comment-88790 I've had two close family members with significant illness in the last two years -- who went to Cleveland Clinic. One is a physician, another married to a Professor of Public Health at another (unnamed) University.<br/><br/>Both have said the care they received was excellent, and well beyond what they would have received at their respective institutions. I can't say this is the case of Partner's Hospitals, but sometimes the rankings actually mean something. I’ve had two close family members with significant illness in the last two years — who went to Cleveland Clinic. One is a physician, another married to a Professor of Public Health at another (unnamed) University.

Both have said the care they received was excellent, and well beyond what they would have received at their respective institutions. I can’t say this is the case of Partner’s Hospitals, but sometimes the rankings actually mean something.

]]> By: The Happy Hospitalist http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html/comment-page-1#comment-88788 The Happy Hospitalist Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:47:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/12/the-boston-hospital-wars-and-how-the-partners-healthcare-empire-is-growing.html#comment-88788 Perception is 4/5 of quality. Every patient want's to believe they have the "best doctor".<br/><br/>I have patients tell me they love certain doctors. If they only knew how irrational their "best doctors" are behind the scenes. <br/><br/>Like everything else in the world, image is everything. Perception is 4/5 of quality. Every patient want’s to believe they have the “best doctor”.

I have patients tell me they love certain doctors. If they only knew how irrational their “best doctors” are behind the scenes.

Like everything else in the world, image is everything.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/boston-hospital-wars-and-how-partners.html/comment-page-1#comment-88786 Anonymous Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:25:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2008/12/the-boston-hospital-wars-and-how-the-partners-healthcare-empire-is-growing.html#comment-88786 Great Bit Kevin. I'd love to see you make it into a full op-ed. There are alot of lessons to be learned from Mass and this is one of them. Consumer driven medicine is engrained into the psyche of Americans over decades and this should be a lesson to Obama and left leaning policy wonks. The American public doesn't care presently or in the future about comparitive effectiveness, VA quality or overtesting. We've been shown hints of this time and time again. The first time a patient is denied a heart cath and the cardiologist frames the encounter as the government denying them a lifesaving procedure. Game over, it doesn't matter what the data says in the mind of that patient. The next time radical ideas such as single payor or flat salaries for all physicians are bandied about, they must remember that we physicians as the defacto employees in this enterprise will make or break them. Depending on how we see reform, if it comes, affecting us. Take it as a lesson Ezra Klein and Maggie Mahar, lest you see grandma with a pitchfork and and a torch coming to burn your house down. Great Bit Kevin. I’d love to see you make it into a full op-ed. There are alot of lessons to be learned from Mass and this is one of them. Consumer driven medicine is engrained into the psyche of Americans over decades and this should be a lesson to Obama and left leaning policy wonks. The American public doesn’t care presently or in the future about comparitive effectiveness, VA quality or overtesting. We’ve been shown hints of this time and time again. The first time a patient is denied a heart cath and the cardiologist frames the encounter as the government denying them a lifesaving procedure. Game over, it doesn’t matter what the data says in the mind of that patient. The next time radical ideas such as single payor or flat salaries for all physicians are bandied about, they must remember that we physicians as the defacto employees in this enterprise will make or break them. Depending on how we see reform, if it comes, affecting us. Take it as a lesson Ezra Klein and Maggie Mahar, lest you see grandma with a pitchfork and and a torch coming to burn your house down.

]]>