Medical Practice as a Socially Responsible Business

I have searched for a way to describe my view of medicine as a business.  I finally realized that the practice of medicine should be classified as a socially responsible business.   “Who cares?”, you say.  Well, I say we all should care.  We went into medicine to help people.  However, as I am fond of saying, [...]

AHIP Rides in to Save Health Care

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has released a plan on how to reduce health care costs.  The platform is summarized below:
The new reform proposal would:
Ensure universal coverage by guaranteeing coverage for pre-existing conditions, fixing the health care safety net, giving tax credits to working families and enacting an individual coverage requirement;
Call on the nation to set [...]

The Common Sense Declaration: How to Fix Health Care

I am on a reading frenzy, and finally got to the October 17, 2008 issue of Medical Economics.  There was an excellent article by Elizabeth A. Pector, MD, on fixing health care.  I will highlight some key points, but encourage all of you to see the entire article (pages 29-33.)  (www.memag.com)
“Establish equal rights for doctors.”  Dr. [...]

As The Medical Home Turns: The Final Installment

Final Installment on As the Medical Home Turns:
Yes, students, today is the last installment in PookieMD’s dissertion on the ‘Medical Home’.  At our last session, we were midway through reviewing the “10 Simple Rules for the 21st Century Health Care System,” rules to guide the redesign of the health care system.  These guidelines were put out by [...]

Wand Waving Part 2: Common Sense is Uncommon

Let’s jump right  into the second part of PookieMD’s dissertation on the Medical Home.   As you recall, I was reviewing the 10 rules of the medical home, as set forth by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.  The next three concepts are NOT new, and are, you guessed it, common sense.  (Why is common sense so uncommon?)
4.  [...]

Wave the Wand: The Medical Home Mandate

I am intrigued with the idea of the “medical home”. 
When hearing about the concept, my first thought was, isn’t this what we are trying to do already? 
My second thought was–and just how are we going to pay for all this?
Below is “ Crossing the Quality Chasm: 10 Simple Rules for the 21st Century Health Care System,” [...]

What if Starbucks billed like ICD-10?

Ah, yes, ICD-10 is coming!  Yes, the new coding system with 10 times more codes than the previous is slated to go live in 2011.  Much of the world now uses ICD-10 because it has more codes, as apparently, we are running out of codes.  You, my beloved provider, will be shouldering the burden of [...]

Another One Bites the Dust: Dr. T. Leaves Primary Care

I received a disturbing email from one of the doctors in my group, Dr T.  My group is made up of internists and family practice physicians that fill in locally through out the large city we live in.  All the physicians are board certified and have been out of residency for five years or more.  Several of [...]

The Medicare No Pay, Never Ever List

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced 10 hospital acquired conditions for which it will not reimburse.  The no pay rule has been in effect since October 1.  So, with out further ado: (drum roll):
“Stage III, IV pressure ulcers
Fall or trauma resulting in serious injury
Vascular catheter-associated infection
Catheter-associated urinary tract infection
Foreign object retained after surgery
Certain surgical site [...]